The Schuylkill Canal Association (SCA) is a non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 that maintains the Oakes Reach and Lock

Lock (water transport)

A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...

 #60 of the Schuylkill Canal

Schuylkill Canal

Schuylkill Canal is the common, but technically inaccurate, name for the Schuylkill Navigation, a 19th-century commercial waterway in and along the Schuylkill River in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The "canal" was actually a system of interconnected man-made canals and slack-water pools in the...

 as a public recreation area and historical site. Organized in 1982 as the Schuylkill Canal Advisory Board, the Association, in cooperation with Upper Providence Township

Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Upper Providence Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the township population was 21,219.- History :...

, Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...

, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, maintains the canal reach, associated structures, parks and trails. The area extends along the canal and left bank of the Schuylkill River

Schuylkill River

The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...

, from Mont Clare

Mont Clare, Pennsylvania

Mont Clare is a village in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, USA. The village is located on the left bank of the Schuylkill River, opposite Phoenixville, at the site of the former Jacobs' ford. Mont Clare hosts the only functional lock and one of only two remaining...

 past Port Providence

Port Providence, Pennsylvania

Port Providence is an unincorporated village along the Schuylkill River in Upper Providence Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally known as Jacobs, then Lumberville, the village is located on one of the two remaining watered stretches of the Schuylkill Canal...

. The area makes up a large part of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal, Oakes Reach Section Historic District

Historic district (United States)

In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...

 (#88000462).

As its first priority project, SCA repaired the Lock 60 lock tender's house at Lock

Lock (water transport)

A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...

 60 that had been abandoned in the 1950s. The lock tender's house was eventually restored to habitable condition. The restoration of Lock 60 itself to operating condition was another major SCA project that was completed in 2005. The house and lock are both contributing structures

Contributing property

In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...

 to the historic district.

SCA maintains the area near Lock 60 as a public park and periodically opens the lock tender's house and operates the lock for small recreational craft. The Canal Park has a river launch area and a floating dock in the canal. An association maintained portage

Portage

Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...

 trail at the other end of the canal reach, which with the park, creates a 5 miles (8 km) canoe

Canoe

A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...

 and kayak

Kayak

A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...

 loop. SCA also maintains the towpath trail and other adjacent trails. Plans to route the Schuylkill River Trail

Schuylkill River Trail

The Schuylkill River Trail is a multi-use trail under construction for expansion along the banks of the Schuylkill River in southeastern Pennsylvania...

 along the canal towpath will likely shift towpath maintenance from SCA to the county.

Canal Day

The SCA organizes the annual Canal Day each summer on the last Sunday in June. This summer fair features events centered around the canal, including: a canoe and kayak race, a run, opening of the lock, and the popular pugil stick

Pugil stick

A pugil stick is a heavily padded pole-like training weapon used by military personnel for training in rifle and bayonet combat since the early 1940s. The pugil stick is similar to a quarterstaff or Japanese bo, and may be marked at one end to indicate which portion represents the bayonet proper...

 joust on a telephone pole over the canal. The events take place at the Lock 60 Canal Park and adjacent St. Michael's recreation field in Mont Clare.

Internet presence

The Association is one of the earliest organizations on the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

, where its presence as canal.org dates back to at least 1989.