“Wild, yet man-made” Ranger Aly once said about Widewater. It is easy to forget that Widewater is man-made. It has a natural wildness.
Although it looks more like a lake, Widewater is part of the Potomac River’s historic path. The Potomac River meandered through it once. It passed east of Bear Island. As the river started to cut the Great Falls, it abandoned many channels. By the time the canal was built, the river was west of Bear Island. Only a little water flowed in the old channel.
Canal engineers used the old river bed. This saved them from carving through more rock. They walled off the channel on either end of Bear Island. They used over 50 feet of dry laid stone. The towpath was placed on top of that wall. The old river bed was inundated with water. It was within a few feet of the towpath.
Most of the canal is six feet deep and 60 feet wide. Widewater is different. Some places are around 50 feet deep. It can be almost 500 feet across. A small island lies in its center. Bear Island is on one side. The Gold Mine Tract is on the other. Widewater seems protected from the outside world. It is quiet and serene on most days. It is a great place to view the sunrise. You can bird watch or fish here. Flatwater kayaking is also popular.
Widewater is different during a flood event. It was once part of the Potomac River. Water on the downstream end wants to follow its historic path back toward the river. It does not want to stay in the canal. It is one of the canal’s most susceptible areas to breaches. Breaches are breaks in the towpath. During the major flood in 1996, the towpath was heavily damaged. Bridges had to be built to reopen it to foot traffic. Hurricane Hanna swept through in 2008. It caused another breach further downstream.
This reminds us that humans cannot fully control nature. Despite everything we do, nature has its way. Widewater stands as a testament to this ongoing interplay. It showcases both human ingenuity and the power of the natural world.