Four water trails were recent added as part of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. The new river trails are located on the Susquehanna, Chester, Upper Nanticoke and Upper James Rivers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
The designations highlight the significance of four connecting rivers to the history, cultural heritage, and natural resources of the national historic trail in the Chesapeake Bay.
“These river trails, totaling 841 miles in length, are closely associated with John Smith’s exploration of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, including the American Indian towns and cultures of the 17th-century Chesapeake that he encountered,” said Secretary of Commerce Ken Salazar.
The designation of trail components of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail will enable the National Park Service, which administers the national trail, to work closely with state and local agencies and other organizations to provide technical and financial assistance, resource management, facility enhancement, interpretive trail route marking, and promotional efforts.
Congress authorized the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail in 2006 as “a series of water routes extending approximately 3,000 miles along the Chesapeake Bay and the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay.”
The Chesapeake Conservancy funded and managed a professional evaluation of Chesapeake Bay tributaries to determine their potential for designation as historic connecting components to the Captain John Smith trail. Research teams included historians, tribal representatives and regional universities.
New Water Trails:
The Susquehanna River Component Connecting Trail includes over 550 miles of water trails along the main stem and West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Sections of the trail are managed by a variety of organizations and agencies, all of which support the component connecting designation. Overall coordination of the component is provided by the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership. The southern end of this trail links directly with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail at Conowingo, Maryland.
The Chester River Component Connecting Trail traverses 46 miles of the Chester River and its tributaries. The trail converges with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail near Rock Hall, Maryland. This connecting component is managed by Sultana Projects of Chestertown, Maryland, in close consultation with the State of Maryland.
The Upper Nanticoke River Component Connecting Trail extends approximately 23 miles along the Nanticoke River, Broad Creek and Deep Creek. The water trail is managed by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). At its western end, the pathway links directly with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.
The Upper James River Component Connecting Trail spans approximately 220 miles across nine counties. The trail connects to the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail at the Falls of the James in Richmond, VA. The project is managed by by the James River Association.
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