The bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), signed into law in August of 2020, has provided one the greatest sources of funding to the C&O Canal National Historical Park and other sites in the national park system. Funds reach parks through the Legacy Restoration Fund, which was established under the GAOA and expired at the end of September 2025. The Legacy Restoration Fund was created to address the massive backlog of deferred maintenance projects present in all national park sites. Deferred maintenance projects are projects that fall out of the routine scope of planned park repairs. Projects become deferred primarily due to the lack of funding. These projects can be trails, campsites, restrooms, ranger stations, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure that supports visitor experiences but are not in the planned budget.
The Legacy Restoration Fund allocated $6.5 billion over five years to address deferred maintenance and repairs and has supported more than 72,000 direct jobs, infused over $5 billion into into the national labor market, and contributed over $8 billion to the nation’s GDP. Funding for this legislation is accrued through energy taxes and has supported the largest investment in public lands in US history.
In Maryland, the Legacy Restoration Fund has infused about $100 million into critical projects that maintain park infrastructure and accessibility. The C&O Canal National Historical Park was awarded funding to repair Dam 5, Log Wall, and Dam 4.
Dam 5, originally constructed in the mid 1800s at Mile 106, was intended to create an area of “slack water” that could be safely diverted to fill the canal. Currently, the dam is beginning to fail – large cracks are visible in the mortar and the entire structure is leaning 9 inches. The Legacy Restoration Fund allocated $15.6 million to fund repairs that will stabilize the wall and make it resilient to future flooding.
The Legacy Restoration Fund also funded the Log Wall Stabilization Project that was completed in July 2025. The park was awarded $11.4 million in November 2022 to address deferred repairs of the Log Wall.
The Log Wall is a stone wall over 1,000 feet long located near Mile 11, originally constructed in the early 1800s, that separates the canal and the towpath from the Potomac River. The project began in 2023, following the formation of sinkholes in 2015 and 2016 above the Log Wall. These sinkholes led to the dewatering and sandbagging of the canal to preserve its structural integrity. The resulting damage left a vital section of the towpath at risk of failure, disrupting the park’s recreational opportunities.
The stabilization project aimed to maintain towpath continuity, restore water flow in the canal prism, mitigate risks to nearby structures, and reduce sediment emptying into the canal. To accomplish these goals, park staff and partners performed stone masonry repairs, removed sediment from the canal, fixed sinkholes, replaced the canal liner, and buttressed the stone wall. The completion of the Log Wall Stabilization has ensured towpath stability and marked a significant step towards rewatering the canal.
As we look towards the 250th birthday of the United States of America, we are proud to have supported these projects that preserve our history and provide spaces for recreation, exploration, and learning. Without the funding from the Legacy Restoration Fund, the C&O Canal would not be able to protect these historic structures and ensure that the towpath remains continuous from Georgetown D.C. to Cumberland, MD. Recognizing the vital role that the Fund plays in supporting the C&O Canal and other parks across the nation, the C&O Canal Trust is partnering with the National Park Foundation and other park partners who advocate for the reauthorization of the Legacy Restoration Fund to help support deferred maintenance and repair projects.