Merrimack's Lost Gateway

It was a beautiful afternoon to be out on the Merrimack River in Lowell, today.  After launching at Southwell Park in North Chelmsford, the river's west side was followed downriver towards the Rourke Bridge (seen at left).

Along the way I encountered this scene where someone's entire campsite had been tossed down into the river...

It's my sincere hope that no one was home when the tent was cast into the river.

A good amount of trash had collected at the western-most pier of the Rourke Bridge...

This spot provided the bulk of today's haul and included another 5 Hooksett Disks bringing my total disk count to 1402.

Below Rourke Bridge I found myself looking, in vain, for some trace of the old entrance to the Middlesex Canal.  It's hard to believe that such a once busy commercial gateway could have been so permanently erased.  Once home I checked the Middlesex Canal Association's Website and found mention of the Nashua and Lowell Railroad having purchased the basin and locks for $ 600 in 1860.  The railroad then removed the granite-built locks and filled in the basin.  Perhaps a symbolic coup de grace.

One of the few other boats seen today on the river was this National Park Service power boat...

My trash haul for the day...

There were 39 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 35 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 4586