Instream Habitat Restoration Begins On Former Site of McCoy-Linn Dam, Centre County

On August 3, the final instream restoration work began on Spring Creek at the former site of McCoy-Linn Dam. The site is located between the towns of Bellefonte and Milesburg about one mile upstream of the confluence with Bald Eagle Creek.

This project phase is the third of five restoration phases at the site initiated to improve water quality, habitat, and fish populations within Spring Creek and the larger Chesapeake Bay Watershed and to create a new recreational gateway to Spring Creek.

ClearWater Conservancy, Fish and Boat Commission and American Rivers partnered to remove McCoy-Linn Dam in August 2007. The dam was approximately 12-feet high and impounded nearly a half-mile reach of Spring Creek and created a 5-acre pool with poor habitat.

The dam served no functional purpose, was a liability to the Commonwealth, and negatively impacted one of Pennsylvania’s best wild trout fisheries. The dam also blocked boaters from safely floating downstream to the confluence with Bald Eagle Creek and beyond.

The first dam built at this site probably dated from the late 1700s as part of Harmony Forge and the Milesburg Iron Works. Floodwaters breached McCoy-Linn Dam in 1936 but it was rebuilt to generate hydroelectricity for West Penn Power that closed operations in 1950, and it was idle ever since. The dam and surrounding property was sold to the PFBC in the early 1980s.

The Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, PFBC, and CWC are now partnering to establish a new floodplain bench, install four rock cross vanes to provide additional stabilization to the newly establishing stream channel, and install several instream habitat enhancement structures including log deflectors, mudsills, root wads, and boulders.

“We depend on volunteers to assist in the construction of these structures as well as other tasks such as serving lunch and area cleanup,” said Cliff Wurster, Habitat Chair, SCCTU. “The magnitude of this phase of the project exceeds all restoration activities that our chapter participated in to date. Volunteers interested in helping to build habitat structures can contact me at 814-574-3875 to schedule a preferred work time during the next two weeks. They will be richly rewarded in the years ahead with a beautiful natural setting, great fishing, and a variety of related activities…this is a community treasure in the making,” an excited Wurster stated.

The construction is scheduled to take approximately three weeks to complete, weather permitting. Scott Carney, Chief, Division of Habitat Management, PFBC stated “As often the case with dam removal projects, time must be afforded to allow the newly established stream channel to find its course. The PFBC believes the stream channel has formed sufficiently enabling final stabilization and habitat enhancement work to now move forward”.

Future restoration efforts will include planting a riparian buffer this fall and enhancements to the public access area in 2010.

An important component of the project is monitoring the response of the wild brown trout population to the improved conditions created by the dam removal and follow up restoration activities. PFBC biologists conducted fishery surveys before and after the dam removal in both treatment and control reaches.

Jason Detar, Area Fisheries Manager, PFBC, stated, “Fish are capable of rapidly responding to improved habitat and water quality. Results of our 2008 fishery survey in the newly established stream reach within the former impoundment showed about a three-fold increase in trout biomass as compared to our pre-dam removal survey. These results are very encouraging and we hope to continue monitoring the wild brown trout population over the next few years to further evaluate its response as conditions continue to improve.”

As additional habitat work is completed, trout biomass is expected to further increase. An updated monitoring report will be available this winter including results of the 2009 fishery survey.

In addition to Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited, PFBC, and CWC, project partners include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, an anonymous private foundation, Department of Environmental Protection, and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“Completing the instream and riparian restoration of the former McCoy-Linn Dam site will significantly improve the instream and riparian habitat along this reach of Spring Creek as well as create new recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of Centre County. We are very excited to see the site restored”, said Katie Ombalski ClearWater Conservancy’s Conservation Biologist.

Final products of the project include restoration of approximately 2,000 feet of a high-quality stream and 4.5 acres of riparian habitat, installation of fish habitat enhancement structures in the newly established stream channel, enhanced wild brown trout population and recreational angling opportunities, development of public access to 1.3 miles of a contiguous PFBC-owned section of Spring Creek, and educational signage communicating the unique ecology of the Spring Creek Watershed and the rich cultural heritage of the McCoy-Linn site.

A special photo webpage is available online.

For more information, visit the ClearWater Conservancy website.