Wayne County to transform 100-acre property in Mount Pleasant Township into public park with bluestone dam remnants as centerpiece

HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY — The Hankins Pond Dam, a hand-built bluestone structure dating to the 1830s that once fed Pennsylvania’s Delaware and Hudson Canal, has been breached following years of legal battles, public petitions, and failed engineering alternatives.

Wayne County Commissioner James Shook announced the breach at the Dec. 18 commissioners’ meeting, marking the end of a preservation effort that began in 2018 when over 1,200 residents signed a petition urging the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to spare the historic dam.

The breach was part of a $1.22 million rehabilitation project awarded to Honesdale-based Leeward Construction Inc. in June 2025. Wayne County secured $675,000 in state grants to fund the work.

Why the Dam Had to Be Breached

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection classified Hankins Pond Dam as a “high-hazard” structure, meaning a failure could endanger lives and property downstream. The DEP estimated nine individuals were at risk in the event of a catastrophic breach.

The dam was originally drained in 2013, but state engineers determined the remaining structure still posed a threat. During major flood events, the 1,000-foot-long dam—which stands 26 feet at its center—could impound enough stormwater to overwhelm the structure and send a wall of water toward downstream residents in Mount Pleasant Township.

Wayne County spent years pursuing alternatives. In early 2025, commissioners hired contractors to conduct geotechnical drilling, hoping to install a sawtooth spillway that would allow water to pass safely while keeping the pond filled and the dam intact.

The results were not favorable.

“We hired a company to do some geotechnical drilling to see if the dam would be able to remain, but the results were not favorable,” Commissioner Brian Smith said at a June 2025 meeting. “So ultimately we are here again with the bids, but it involves breaching the dam. Hopefully we make a breach that keeps as much of the dam’s historical character as possible.”

A Structure Built Before the Industrial Revolution

Hankins Pond Dam was constructed by hand in the 1830s—before the American Industrial Revolution—as one of approximately 200 feeder reservoirs supplying water to the 108-mile Delaware and Hudson Canal, which transported anthracite coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York City markets from 1828 until railroads rendered it obsolete in 1898.

Honesdale, Wayne County’s seat and the canal’s western terminus, claims the distinction of birthplace of the American railroad: the D&H Canal Company built the nation’s first commercial railroad—the Gravity Railroad—to move coal from Carbondale mines to the canal. The feeder ponds were so critical to operations that Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled in 1850 they could not be taxed by state or local governments. After the canal closed, the Fish and Boat Commission repurposed the 90-acre Hankins Pond to propagate trout for the Pleasant Mount State Fish Hatchery, which has operated since 1903, until the pond was drained in 2013.

Seven-Year Fight to Save the Dam

Wayne County’s effort to save Hankins Pond Dam began in earnest in summer 2018, when commissioners launched a petition drive that gathered over 1,200 signatures.

That August, commissioners sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf requesting an on-site meeting to discuss alternatives that wouldn’t require removing 150 to 200 feet of the historic structure. State legislators Lisa Baker and Jonathan Fritz joined the effort, pressuring the Fish and Boat Commission to find solutions.

When demolition appeared imminent in fall 2018, commissioners took the fight to court. They petitioned the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas for an injunction, which was granted as a temporary stay to allow negotiations.

County Solicitor Lee Krause brokered an agreement that transferred ownership of the dam and surrounding property from the Fish and Boat Commission to Wayne County. The deal allowed the county to control the dam’s fate while still addressing safety concerns.

In January 2025, commissioners applied for a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program for the dam rehabilitation project. They also secured Local Share Account gaming funds totaling $432,000.

What Happens Next: A New Public Park

Despite the breach, Wayne County plans to preserve as much of the dam’s historic character as possible. The 100-acre property will be developed into a public park, with the remaining bluestone dam structure serving as its centerpiece.

The county has applied for additional grants, including $350,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, to fund park development that will provide public access for recreation and education without spending local taxpayer funds.

Wayne County has invested heavily in preserving its canal heritage. The Wayne County Historical Society operates the D&H Canal Park at Lock 31 near Hawley, where visitors can see original canal infrastructure and learn about the waterway’s role in American industrialization.

Wayne County’s Dam Problem

Hankins Pond is not alone. Wayne County has more impaired high-hazard dams than any other county in Pennsylvania.

Five of the 11 dams statewide identified for rehabilitation in 2016 are located in Wayne County:

• Hankins Pond Dam — Now breached; county developing park
• Miller Pond — Drained; rehabilitation underway
• White Oak Pond — Drained in 2015; reconstruction in progress near Waymart
• Lower Woods Pond — 91-acre lake in Lebanon Township being restored
• Belmont Lake — Rehabilitation ongoing

The state allocated $53 million to the Fish and Boat Commission to address these dams. Unlike Hankins Pond, the other four structures are being rebuilt to restore recreational fishing and boating access.

State Rep. Jonathan Fritz called the dam repairs a restoration of faith in local government.

“To have these lakes come back online, and the Hankins Pond Dam to be rescued by our Wayne County Commissioners, that’s restoring the faith among our constituency and our region,” Fritz said at a 2021 project announcement.

Project Details

Project: Hankins Pond Dam Rehabilitation
Location: Mount Pleasant Township, Wayne County (near Route 670)
Contractor: Leeward Construction Inc., Honesdale
Winning Bid: $1,220,000
County Grant Funding: $675,000
Announced: Dec. 18, 2025, Wayne County Commissioners Meeting

Other Bidders (June 2025)

• K.C. Construction Co., Ivyland: $1,455,000
• Minichi Inc., Dupont: $1,265,000
• Pioneer Construction, Honesdale: $2,618,739.90

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The Wayne County Commissioners meet weekly at the Wayne County Courthouse in Honesdale. Meeting minutes and agendas are available at waynecountypa.gov.