Who We Are
About the SCA
Our Mission
Preservation, education, and recreation for everyone
The Schuylkill Canal Association is a not-for-profit group of volunteers that preserves, maintains, and restores the Schuylkill Canal and its surrounding lands and structures. We encourage wide public use of the area and an appreciation of its natural environment, and we seek ways to further general education in the area's history through programming and interpretation.
Our work depends on the volunteer participation of a great many people. The SCA is, at its core, a community enterprise, organizing and empowering residents, corporations, and governmental bodies to participate in the preservation of this unique resource.
1985
Year Founded
60
Acres of Park
25,000+
Annual Visitors
200+
Members
Lock opening demonstration at Canal Day, an annual celebration drawing thousands of visitors each summer.
Our Story
From advisory committee to major preservation force
The SCA has come a long way since its beginnings as a township advisory committee. It is now one of the major players in the statewide project of transforming the Schuylkill into a recreational and economic asset, credited throughout the region with having created the most complete restoration project to date along the river.
Schuylkill Canal Park consists of 60 acres of land and waterways managed and maintained by Montgomery County. Both the SCA and Montgomery County encourage public use and enjoyment of the site.
Each year, roughly 25,000 people visit the area for recreation or historical interest. Fishing, canoeing, bicycling, picnicking, hiking, and jogging are all easily accommodated along the canal. The SCA's rich community programs and major historical reconstruction projects continue to grow every year.
What We Do
Recreation and restoration
The Association divides its energies between two essential missions: maintaining a much-used recreation area for the public, and executing multi-year restoration projects to recreate a canal-era setting at the site.
Over the years, SCA volunteers have mowed the towpath, cleared trails, cleaned up the grounds, built canoe launches, and provided picnic groves, all with volunteer labor and the support of the township and Montgomery County.
In 1996, after Governor Ridge declared the Schuylkill a state heritage corridor, the Association was awarded Montgomery County's first heritage corridor implementation grant, launching a series of ongoing restoration projects that continue today.
Get involved with the SCA
New members and friends are always welcomed. Join us, volunteer, or make a gift. Every contribution helps preserve the canal for future generations.