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Projects in the Spring Creek Watershed
"Springs & Sinks" Newsletter
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed Community
A bi-monthly newsletter available to all members of the Spring Creek Watershed Community. Includes project updates, educational articles, citizen concerns and more.
Beneficial Reuse Project
Sponsor: University Area Joint Authority
A three million gallon per day, $54 million upgrade to the UAJA treatment plant to produce drinking water from wastewater. The water will be used throughout the community to replace water, which would have been taken from the ground.
Buffalo Run Community Park Wetlands Environment
Sponsor: Benner Township
The intent of this project is to create an outdoor classroom setting through the development of a wetland with native plants, insects and butterfly gardens.
Chesapeake Bay Partner Communities
A program that recognizes, encourages and supports local governments that implement multi-dimensional programs that protect streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay. Local action is fundamental to protecting and sustaining the health of the Bay and as a headwater watershed. Communities here are not only helping our Spring Creek Watershed, but the larger Chesapeake Bay Watershed as well. Local Bay Partner Communities include Harris Township, Spring Township, and College Township.
ClearWater Newsletter
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
Bi-monthly newsletter for the members of ClearWater Conservancy. Includes project updates, educational articles and more.
Conservation BMP Workshops
Sponsor: Centre Region Parks and Recreation Department
In 1998 the Centre Region Parks and Recreation Department, manager of the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, received a Wetlands grant from the US EPA. One component of the grant is to establish a series of annual "Conservation BMP (Best Management Practices} Workshops" in an effort to institutionalize these practices within the Spring Creek Watershed.
Conservation Easements
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
The Land Trust of the ClearWater Conservancy currently protects nearly 450 acres under the conservation easement program. The Stewardship and Resources Committee with the assistance of one full-time staff direct the trust. The Spring Creek Corridor Studies I & II, the Centre County Natural Heritage Inventory, the Centre Regional Comprehensive Plan, Centre County Agricultural Preservation Districts, among other resources, aid in the strategic planning process for future conserved properties.
Coordinator for Watershed Plan
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
Encourage municipal support and provide the background and information for the development of a Watershed Plan for the Spring Creek Watershed.
Ferguson Township Sewer Project
Sponsor: University Area Joint Authority
$900,000 sewer line project to connect the Pine Grove Mills sewer system to the UAJA sewer system and abandon the Pine Grove mills treatment plant.
Model Overlay District Committee
1-99 Interchange Overlay Zone Model Ordinance -Overlay Zone Committee created a model ordinance for at least a mile-radius around the twelve interchanges of 1-99 in six municipalities in Centre County. Facilitated and administered by the ClearWater Conservancy through funding provided by Benner, Marion, Spring, and Worth Townships; the Canaan Valley Institute; Centre County Board of Commissioners, Centre County Community Foundation; Centre Region Council of Governments (for College and Patton Townships); PA Department of Community and Economic Development; and the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Currently model is under consideration for adoption by the six municipalities holding the interchanges.
Natural Channel Design Stream Restoration and Demonstration
Sponsor: Spring Creek Trout Unlimited
This project applies the data from the 319 grant assessment, in the restoration of , approximately 1 ,500 linear feet of Spring Creek upstream of the SMS Sutton r Engineering property. The project will stabilize streambanks and improve in- stream aquatic habitat. Sections of stream will be narrowed and streambanks regarded to give high flows better access to the floodplain. Pre-construction data, including a fish inventory and macro invertebrate sampling, will be collected this summer for comparison with post-construction data, to determine success or failure of the project in improving in-stream habitat. Another component of this project will be the establishment I enhancement of a forested riparian buffer throughout the site and an on-site educational workshop that will explain this stream restoration technique and stream corridor management. The construction phase of this project will happily accommodate any residents or organizations willing to lend a hand in the seeding, planting, installation of erosion control fabric, etc.
Nittany-Bald Eagle Greenway/Bikeway Plan
Sponsors: Centre County Commissioners, Centre County Planning Office
The Centre County Commissioners on behalf of the Spring Creek Watershed Commission have obtained a Planning, Implementation, and Technical Assistance Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for funds to develop a Greenway Plan. The project is designed to build upon previous studies and ongoing cooperation between public, private, and non-profit sectors in order to enhance recreational opportunities, create linkages between existing and proposed facilities, protect sensitive environmental and cultural resources, promote intergovernmental cooperation, and foster economic development. The consultant chosen for the project is Yost, Strodoski, and Mears out of York, Pennsylvania. As public participation is key to this project, a Greenway Advisory Committee made up of interested community stakeholders was formed early on in the process to be involved with formulating a vision for these important greenway/bikeway corridors.
Nutrient Removal Technology
Sponsor: University Area Joint Authority
The Nutrient Reduction Technology project at University Area Joint Authority entails construction of 9 million gallons per day of treatment capacity capable of reducing total nitrogen in the wastewater stream to 8 mglL. The patented A2O process will be employed to convert aqueous nitrogen compounds to gaseous nitrogen that is vented to the atmosphere. This project will eventually reduce the treatment facilities discharge by over 182,000 pounds of nitrogen per day resulting in favorable impacts to Spring Creek, Bald Eagle State Parks Sayer Dam, the Susquehanna River, and the Chesapeake Bay. Control of this complicated process is achieved through use of the innovative BioGuide Technology .
Phase I Spring Creek Water Resources Monitoring Project (WRMP)
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed Community
The goals of the Water Resources Monitoring Project are to 1 ). Provide a description of the quantity and quality of surface waters of Spring Creek; 2). Provide the means to detect changes in quantity and quality of surface and ground waters; and 3). Provide sufficient measurement sensitivity to permit assessment of these changes.
PSU Visitor Center Porous Pavement- Stormwater Project (GG)
Sponsor: Penn State University
Project title: Demonstration of Porous Pavement to Control Urban Runoff Urbanization results in increased impervious areas, producing higher runoff, less infiltration to groundwater, and less removal of contaminants. Porous pavement directs runoff into a sub-surface infiltration basin, which should produce improvements in all three categories that are mentioned above. Objective of the project: Measure runoff, infiltration, and water quality impacts for porous pavement, and compare to a conventional impervious parking area.
Riparian Restoration at the PA Military Museum
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
This project is designed to meet some general goals for a section of Spring Creek including: stabilize the stream banks, Stormwater management for parking lot runoff, and educational signage, interpretation and workshops. Construction to commence in spring of 2001.
Riparian Tree Planting
Sponsor: University Area Joint Authority
98 native 1 112 inch or larger trees were planted in Spring Creek Park to provide shade for the stream to improve trout habitat. The trees were purchased by UAJA and planted by volunteers.
Spring Creek Biodiversity Poster
Co-Sponsors: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center, the Spring Creek Watershed Community, and ClearWater Conservancy.
A collection of original illustrations of species that are native to the Spring Creek Watershed. The artwork is by Nils Obel, and internationally renowned artist of nature and water life. The poster was commissioned to provide the inhabitants of the watershed with insight to the immense biodiversity of the area and some of the threats urbanization and sprawl have presented. There is also and accompanying teaching guide was published and distributed to all schools within the Spring Creek Watershed.
Watershed Cleanup Day (Previously Spring Creek Clean-up Day)
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed Community/ClearWater Conservancy
Spring Creek Clean-Up Day is a well-participated community event that revitalizes landscapes from the dumping of trash. The event engages volunteers in the Spring Creek, Penns Creek and Bald Eagle Watersheds and includes a Sinkhole education program.
Spring Creek Day
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
An annual celebration of the Spring Creek Watershed, since 1982. A day of family fun and learning.
Spring Creek Educational (GG) & ClearWater Conservancy Web Site
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed CommunitlClearWater Conservancy
The Spring Creek Educational Website will be an interactive, educational site for the members of the Spring Creek Watershed Community as well as anyone interested. The address will be www.sprinacreekwatershed.ora. The ClearWater Conservancy website at www. clearwaterconservancv.org
Spring Creek Geomorphic Assessment
Sponsor: Spring Creek Trout Unlimited
This grant will perform a geomorphic assessment of Spring Creek. This is a data intensive description of the physical stream character. Included, as part of the grant, is the identification of potential restoration sites and permitting for the restoration of a stream reach located just upstream of Bellefonte Borough (see stream restoration below). To date, there has been survey data taken on the stream at numerous cross sections and reference reach sites throughout the watershed. Long-term flow data has been downloaded from the three USGS gauge stations in the watershed. This data will be combined to help guide future stream restoration activities. Information such as bank-full elevations, width-to- depth ratios, sinuosity and pool/ riffle geometry data will be available to serve as guidelines for future stream restoration projects in the watershed.
Spring Creek Nature Park
Cosponsors: Spring Township and Spring Creek Trout Unlimited
The township has ownership of this 15-acre site, which is composed primarily of floodplain forest and meadow. The natural character of the site is being preserved and enhanced as the site is developed into a nature park which will provide gravel parking access areas, wood chip nature trails and biologically diverse meadows, woodlands and stream corridor. A biological inventory and management plan for the site will be prepared to guide the implementation of the ~ park. This project will also have an educational outreach component with workshops on environmentally sensitive land management strategies. These workshops will target private landowners, conservation agencies, students and municipal maintenance staff.
Spring Creek Watershed Stormwater Sampling and Assessment (Phase II WRMP) (GG)
Sponsors: Spring Creek Watershed Community/ClearWater Conservancy
The Stormwater Monitoring Project is the newest project of the Spring Creek Watershed Community and is funded by PA DEP Growing Greener Program. The purpose of this project is to 1) establish a stormwater monitoring system in the watersh.ed to assess non-point source pollution over time, 2) to perform the first round of stream geomorphological studies at 12 sites in the watershed, and 3) to establish a user-friendly database that will be the repository for all of the monitoring data collected through all phases of the project.
Stormwater Management Plan
Sponsors: Centre County Commissioners/Centre County Planning Office
Sweetland Engineering and the Centre County Planning Office have been working with representatives of the 14 municipalities in the Spring Creek Watershed to develop a stormwater management plan. The plan was developed through a Watershed Plan Advisory Committee, a Technical Advisory Committee, and the Spring Creek Watershed Commission. The model plan utilizes water quality based "best management practices" (BMP's) to improve the quality of stormwater runoff and provide for groundwater recharge. In addition to recommended BMP's another product of the planning effort will be the preparation of a stormwater management ordinance for the municipalities in the watershed to enact.
Stream Bank Fencing
Sponsor: Trout Unlimited, Spring Creek Chapter
Starting in 1990, the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited and various governmental agencies have cooperatively funded the installation of more than 37,000 feet of stream bank fencing along Spring Creek and its tributaries. Thompson Woods - 45-Acre Parcel to be acquired for Park Land (GG) Sponsors: ClearWater Conservancy, the state of Pennsylvania, College Township, private donors ClearWater Conservancy is attempting to buy more than 43 acres of heavily wooded land close to downtown State College to keep as a public preserve. We are working in partnership with the state, College Township, State College Borough, and many private donors.
Vision 2020 GIS Mapping (GG) / Vision 2020 Web Site
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
Vision 2020: Living with I-99 GIS Mapping and Website - This project supplements technical support and funding for the Vision 2020 project in the areas of Geographic Information Systems mapping and analysis as well as website development as an informational and educational tool. Funding is provided to the ClearWater Conservancy through the PA Department of Environmental Protection through Growing Greener funds.
Vision 2020 Land Use Sustainability Plan
Sponsor: ClearWater Conservancy
Vision 2020: Living with I-99 - The purpose of the Vision 2020 project is two-fold: create a community-based vision for the year 2020 in the presence of new Interstate 99 and create a land use and sustainability plan, or a set of tools for municipal adoption, to make that vision a reality. The grant application to Federal Highways Administration was authored by ClearWater Conservancy and sponsored by the Spring Creek Watershed Commission in conjunction with the I-99 Community Partnership for Sustainable Development. The grant was officially awarded to the Centre County Board of Commissioners, which then contracted ClearWater Conservancy to administer and implement the project. Project will be completed in January 2002.
Watershed Boundary Signs
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed Community
A project intended to place watershed marker signs along selected roadways in the Spring Creek Watershed to designate entry points into the Spring Creek surface and groundwater basins.
Watershed Education "Connections" Project
Sponsor: Spring Creek Watershed Community
A project designed to foster student relationships with Centre County-based streams and waterways through participation in field trips at least twice per school year. It promotes active student participation, building knowledge about streams and watersheds, development of informed community citizens, and creating a collaborative effort among various resources to facilitate the project.
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