BY STACI WILSON
Just a few weeks after raging flash floods ripped through Salt Springs Park in Franklin Township, organizers and volunteers rallied to bring the 24th annual Salt Springs Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 1.
“We felt it was even more important to hold the Celebration this year in light of all the damage,” said Debra Adleman of the Friends of Salt Springs Park. “This was the fifth, and by far the worst, flood we’ve had in a mere 12 years. We and our volunteers and supporters have invested thousands of dollars and hours and emotions rebuilding and rebuilding.”
To overcome the growing sense defeat to tackle the latest disaster, the Friends opted to celebrate.
“We’re all still here and alive and everything we treasure about Salt Springs is still alive and well. The gorge, the water and the streams, the old-growth hemlocks, the meadows and forests, the wildlife and the plants, flowers and trees–they are all still here,” Adleman said.
“We needed people to come here and see for themselves that Salt Springs was changed up a bit, more rocks here, less vegetation there, but it is still here. The Celebration offered a time to begin again, starting with seeing firsthand the new treasures Mother Nature has shared with us,” she said.
So with that mindset, burgers and hot dogs were grilled up and served; along with the silent auction, vendors, a quilt show, Master Gardeners, and historical and nature experiences; and, of course, non-stop musical entertainment from the porch of the Wheaton House.
“The worst damage was caused by Fall Brook boring full steam ahead instead of bearing right at the bottom of the gorge,” Adleman said. The water took out the footbridge; and the septic systems to the two farmhouses, which forced the tenants to move resulting in a significant loss of operating funds for the park.
Adleman detailed the vast damage which included the loss of electricity in the campgrounds, where five of eight sites are either completely gone or covered in mud and debris. Two of the three cabins are currently unusable, she said. The barn pavilion was also severely damaged.
“On the other side of Salt Springs road, the flooring of the Williams Pavilion and the back parking lot were washed away, leaving 5-foot gouges, mangled picnic tables, and enormous trees and piles of debris. Finally, the electric cables from the pole to the Williams Pavilion were also exposed and snapped, so we are currently unable to produce solar power,” she said.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will replace the septic system and has already made other repairs, Adleman said. Remaining repairs could top $50,000.
With that figure in mind, fundraising is among the Friends top priorities.
But amid the damage, the Friends of Salt Springs and supporters came out to celebrate.
A GoFundMe campaign for repairs is in place for those who would like to make a donation.
For more information about Salt Springs, efforts to restore the park, or upcoming programs, visit www.friendsofsaltspringspark.org
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