Visitors to Cowan's Gap State Park will be able to more thoroughly enjoy a view of its featured lake, due to a contracted cleanup held the week of April 22, 2002, along Knobsville Road, a fire trail open only to hikers in Todd Township, Fulton County.
More than ten tons of illegally dumped trash had marred the view from the overlook along the trail. Contractor Gary Fronk Excavating of Thompsontown removed more than six tons of trash, nearly four tons of scrap metal for recycling, and 171 tires from steep embankments at the site, doing much of the labor manually.
The contractor installed a geosynthetic material called GeowebŪ, a cellular containment system designed to prevent erosion, on the steep slope.
Due to a torrential rain in 1996, tons of material had broken loose from the mountaintop and slid down to the bottom. The perforated material helps improve drainage and increase soil retention. It was installed by Gary Fronk Excavating, filled with soil, and seeded. The Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Region Office and DCNR's Civil Engineering Department provided expertise to contain the landslide. ACF Environmental of Pittsburgh provided an on-site adviser to oversee the installation of the material.
Nearly 50 old metal trash cans were among 3.75 tons of scrap metal recovered from the steep slope and then recycled by Kramer's Recycling of McAlisterville. Also facilitating the cleanup were Harrisburg Hauling of Newburg providing containers at a special price for the program. The trash was taken to the Cumberland County Landfill in Newburg. Mahantango Tire Recycling of Liverpool recycled .74 tons of tires removed from the site.
DCNR encourages Fulton County residents with disposal and recycling questions to contact Richard Wible, acting recycling coordinator, at (717) 485-3717 or by e-mail.
Perched on a mountaintop and surrounded by Buchanan State Forest, Cowan's Gap State Park is a scenic place for a quiet getaway. Many park facilities, including the lake, picnic shelters, cabins and roads were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The cabin colony is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Most facilities at the 1,081-acre park will be closed to the public in 2002 and early 2003 to facilitate widespread park improvements. Among the most extensive projects are replacement of the dam control tower and removal of silt from the 42-acre Cowans Gap Lake. Construction of new wash houses and comfort stations, replacement of a fishing pier and boat-rental docks, roadway paving, and other improvements are also planned.
More than ten tons of illegally dumped trash had marred the view from the overlook along the trail. Contractor Gary Fronk Excavating of Thompsontown removed more than six tons of trash, nearly four tons of scrap metal for recycling, and 171 tires from steep embankments at the site, doing much of the labor manually.
Due to a torrential rain in 1996, tons of material had broken loose from the mountaintop and slid down to the bottom. The perforated material helps improve drainage and increase soil retention. It was installed by Gary Fronk Excavating, filled with soil, and seeded. The Department of Environmental Protection Southcentral Region Office and DCNR's Civil Engineering Department provided expertise to contain the landslide. ACF Environmental of Pittsburgh provided an on-site adviser to oversee the installation of the material.
Nearly 50 old metal trash cans were among 3.75 tons of scrap metal recovered from the steep slope and then recycled by Kramer's Recycling of McAlisterville. Also facilitating the cleanup were Harrisburg Hauling of Newburg providing containers at a special price for the program. The trash was taken to the Cumberland County Landfill in Newburg. Mahantango Tire Recycling of Liverpool recycled .74 tons of tires removed from the site.
Perched on a mountaintop and surrounded by Buchanan State Forest, 
