September 01, 2026
Provided image/Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Spring Garden Dam is a 225-foot-wide and 9-foot-tall concrete barrier on Neshaminy Creek in Tyler State Park. It is set to be removed, beginning Sept. 8.
A dam on Neshaminy Creek that state officials say serves no purpose is coming out.
Starting Sept. 8, crews will begin removing the Spring Garden Dam in Tyler State Park. The 225-foot-wide and 9-foot-tall barrier will be the second-largest dam removed in Pennsylvania, trumped only by the Oakland Dam that once stretched across the Susquehanna River. Construction is expected to conclude at the end of the month.
MORE: DAs in Bucks and Chester counties urge Pa. officials to declare emergency ban on kratom products
The Bucks County project will improve the stream health of Neshaminy Creek and ease passage for migratory fish and other species, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said. Removing the concrete dam also will promote safer conditions for fishing and boating.
The DCNR said the dam serves "no recreational or functional purpose for the park," including flood control. Through hydrologic assessments, officials determined the removal will not affect how Neshaminy Creek responds to high-water conditions.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, DCNR's partner on the project, will catch and temporarily relocate the endangered red-bellied turtles that roam the work zone. A section of Neshaminy Creek Trail also will close for 1-2 days while crews install a new access gate and drainage pipe; part of the footpath on Tyler Park Drive will be inaccessible during heavy construction, too. All other facilities and trails will remain open.
PFBC and DCNR both contributed funding for the dam removal, which will cost an estimated $1.3 million. Landscaping and restoration work will continue after construction concludes.
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
