A stretch of the Delaware Canal in Solebury Township, Bucks County, has turned into a foul-smelling scene, with hundreds of dead and decaying fish, swarms of flies and growing concern among residents and visitors.

The canal, which typically flows alongside the Delaware River, has dried up for several miles, leaving behind what witnesses describe as an unsettling and unusual sight.

“It smells. You can see all the flies, the dead fish,” Brian, a weekly visitor from Doylestown, said. “So, it’s disappointing.”

Residents say the affected stretch runs from New Hope to the Centre Bridge area, appearing unusually dry and lifeless.

“It’s a long stretch,” Brian said. “It certainly looks cataclysmic with how dry it looks.”

Without water, fish have died in large numbers, attracting flies and creating an unpleasant environment along the towpath, a popular destination for walkers, joggers and bicyclists.

“It’s very sad and very disturbing,” Gina Roche, who lives in New Hope, said. “It’s not good for tourism in the area either because nobody wants to walk or bike on the path when it smells like this.”

Roche said she has seen similar conditions in the canal before, but never this severe.

“I think about all the wildlife that it’s destroying,” she said. “The last time this happened, there were turtles crawling out of the mud, dead fish flapping on the basin of the canal. And it’s so unnecessary.”

The cause of the problem appears to be mechanical. About 2 miles north near Centre Bridge, a pump designed to divert water from the Delaware River into the canal was found knocked over and nonfunctional.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided a detailed statement:

“The Center Bridge pump at Delaware Canal State Park was found knocked over and determined to be non-functional. The Center Bridge pump is responsible for bringing water into the New Hope section of the canal. The river levels in the Center Bridge area of the canal are normal for this time of year, and no known storm event impacted the pump.

River conditions must first recede and stabilize to allow staff to safely return the pump to an upright position. In addition, electrical issues have been identified with the switch that controls the pump.

Once the pump is restored to position, staff will proceed with further electrical diagnostics and necessary repairs.

Current conditions indicate that water levels in New Hope are decreasing. With minimal precipitation forecasted, canal water levels are expected to continue to drop, so we are hopeful to upright the pump soon. We will provide updates on timelines for returning the pump to service as soon as possible.”

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Officials have not identified a definitive cause of the damage, though a spokesperson said it may have been struck by debris in the river.

In the meantime, the dry canal continues to impact both the local environment and quality of life.

“Very concerned,” Edward Leydon of Solebury said. “This is a real key feature of living here and visiting here.”

Officials say conditions are improving slightly, but there is no immediate timetable for when the pump will be fixed or when water will return to the canal.

A man is facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following a neighborhood dispute that escalated Saturday evening in New Castle County, according to the New Castle County Division of Police.

Officers were dispatched at approximately 8:19 p.m. on May 2, 2026, to the unit block of Hillside Road, where several individuals reported being confronted during an ongoing dispute. Upon arrival, officers made contact with multiple victims who told police that 37-year-old David Voyton had engaged in a verbal confrontation.

Investigators determined that during the incident, Voyton allegedly shouted insults and, after being instructed to leave the property, displayed a pocketknife and punctured a vehicle tire belonging to one of the victims. Police said the situation continued to escalate as Voyton made additional threats while waving the knife.

Officers later responded to Voyton’s residence, where he reportedly resisted arrest before being taken into custody. A knife was recovered from his pocket.

Voyton was transported to New Castle County Police Headquarters and charged with multiple offenses, including three felony counts of aggravated menacing and one felony count of possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony. Additional charges include three counts each of terroristic threatening and harassment, as well as resisting arrest, criminal mischief under $1,000, and third-degree criminal trespass.

Following arraignment at Justice of the Peace Court 11, Voyton was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $28,200 secured bail.

Story: Adam Nelson (@HD_DirtKing)

I have heard that D3 Delaware Valley will open as head coach Muhamadou Kaba is expected to be hired as an assistant at D1 Lafayette.

Kaba has spent the past five seasons at DelVal, going 60-68 (.469). This past year, his team went 10-15 (4-10 MAC Freedom).

Prior to his time with the Aggies, Kaba served as an assistant at D2 East Stroudsburg University where he was selected to the Under Armour NABC “30-Under-30” list in 2018.

More on this move once it becomes official.