The unsightly — and potentially dangerous — logjam under the Olmsted Island Bridge in the C&O Canal National Historical Park is gone, after three days of work by removal specialists contracted by the park.
The logjam began to develop after Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and gradually worsened as more logs and debris piled up, eventually completely damming one of the two natural channels under the bridge. The bridge is the first and largest of several linking park visitors on the canal towpath to the Great Falls Overlook via a boardwalk and nature trail.
The blockade was causing unusually powerful and high waters under the bridge. Though the rough water had not caused any problems to date, another event like Isabel could cause flooding — perhaps to the level of the canal — and damage to the bridge. The cleanup was a preemptive measure.
The park contracted Greentree Corporation, a tree care company that handles trimming for the Park Service and has done removal work in and around the canal in the past.
Owner Jody Greentree and a crew of five wore rappelling harnesses attached to the bridge whenever they stood on the dam — knowing that they could remove a keystone piece at any time.
Using rope and steel cable on pulley systems, the crew removed sections of tree trunks weighing more than a ton.
In trying to remove one large piece of the dam, the crew snapped a rope designed to bear 22,000 pounds.