Release Date: Wednesday. November 8, 2006                           

For Immediate Release     

Bill Line (202) 619-7400 or Kevin Brandt (301) 714-2201

National Park Service Invites Public Comment on the proposed Restoration of the Catoctin Aqueduct

Hagerstown, MD. – The National Park Service (NPS) , in partnership withCatoctin Aqueduct Restoration, Inc. and the Community Foundation of Frederick County, Inc., is proposing the restoration of the Catoctin Aqueduct, located near Lander, Frederick County, MD. 

The Catoctin Aqueduct was one of eleven masonry structures built in the early 1800’s by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company to carry the canal over major tributaries of the Potomac River.  The Catoctin Aqueduct was nicknamed the “crooked aqueduct” due to the sharp curves in the canal at each end of the structure.  The aqueduct was a three arch structure with a center elliptical arch.  The structure fell into a progressive deteriorated state upon closure of the canal operations in 1924.  It had a major failure in 1973 when the weakened structure partially collapsed into Catoctin Creek.

The NPS invites public scoping comments regarding this project.  Further information about this project is located on the NPS Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website:  http://parkplanning.nps.gov/choh.  The project will be open for public comment through November 30, 2006.  Written comments should be submitted through the PEPC website.  Comments received will be used to develop and guide the environmental evaluation for the project.                       

-NPS-