The continuous drought could prevent volunteers from re-enacting George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night 1776, writes JD Mullane for the Bucks County Courier Times.

While the two scheduled reenactments at Washington Crossing Historic Park have not been canceled yet, the situation is dicey, according to Cory Shannon, the park’s new manager.

“It’s borderline right now,” he said. “We’ll make the call the night before.”

The first crossing is scheduled for Sunday, while the second is the Christmas Day crossing.

The issue is the Delaware River’s water level, which is currently slightly below normal at Trenton. On December 2, the river measured 8.99 feet, compared to its usual level of over nine feet. Predictions indicate it will drop further to 8.61 feet by December 5.

The Coast Guard will decide if the events can proceed.

If the water level is too low, the heavy Durham boat used in the reenactment could get stuck in the river muck. There are other safety concerns, as well.

“We need the water to be high enough to be able to put in the docks” for the reenactors, said Shannon.

Read more about the re-enactments and how the drought may impact this year’s happenings in the Bucks County Courier Times.

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