Spring Creek Watershed by Emily Hahn

The Spring Creek

Watershed Phase 1 - Atlas

PHASE ONE CONTENTS

SPRING CREEK WATERSHED ATLAS

PREFACE

The Spring Creek Watershed Atlas takes a diagnostic approach in examining the important cultural and natural resources of the region, mapping and dissecting each category before culminating in a final map textually displaying their interactions and relationships. The atlas starts with a basic understanding of landform and the patterns it produces within the landscape. This portion of the atlas looks at the ridges and valleys through both plan and section cuts in addition to providing locational elements for context within the watershed. The following resource examined is water; breaking down the watershed into sub-basins, calculating and representing impervious cover and its impacts, describing and mapping out the Strahler Stream Order within the watershed, and finally a discussion about water quality. Soil and geology analysis follow the discussion of water resources and provide a geologic background to the watershed. Through mapping the surficial bedrock geology, examining the soil types, taking a look at the karst features within the landscape and examining how water quality and karst topography interact, a better understanding of the features and formation processes within the watershed can be obtained. Next is a section devoted to humans and their interactions with the landscape. Here, a series of maps can be found which display the size, diversity and distribution of humans within the county, rather than the watershed as political boundaries rarely follow geographic boundaries. In addition, this section dissects diversity within the watershed and takes a look at where and why specific places are so diverse. A series of images and descriptions follows, looking at the historic and cultural diversity of the region. A cultural resource inventory of the history and recreational opportunities within the watershed comes next in addition to a brief discussion on their specific opportunities and constraints. Finally, the regional analysis summary represents critical information from the previous sections in an entirely graphic representation to provide new insight. The main focus of this page is the word map which graphically overlays each of these maps into one cumulative, diagrammatic survey allowing a full and new understanding of the watershed to be reached.

03 05 09 13 16 18 19

LANDFORM SHADED RELIEF MAP | SECTIONS

WATER RESOURCES SOIL AND GEOLOGY HUMAN POPULATIONS CULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY REGIONAL ANALYSIS SUMMARY BIBLIOGRAPHY SUB BASINS | IMPERVIOUS COVER | STRAHLER STREAM ORDER | WATER QUALITY

SURFICIAL GEOLOGY | SOIL TYPES | KARST TOPOGRAPHY | KARST TOPOGRAPHY PHOTOS

SIZE, DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION | DIVERSITY INDEX | HISTORY AND DIVERSITY

HISTORICAL AND RECREATIONAL MAP | HISTORICAL AND RECREATIONAL PHOTOS

SPRING CREEK WATERSHED PROFILE | CUMULATIVE WORD MAP

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

PA Plane North

Benbennick, 2006

Landform and Landscape: Shaded Relief Map

Spring Creek Watershed

The Spring Creek Canyon is a recreational and ecological gem that has been preserved through years of regional land use change. Historically, the Spring Creek Watershed of the ridge and valley region was used for farming and industry. The steep ridges and expansive valleys provided a range of ecosystems used by the early settlers of the area. These settlers used the fertile valley floor for agricultural practices and logged the densely wooded slopes to aid in the production of iron ore. Early development occurred primarily around streams and near the gaps in the ridges. However, the portion of Spring Creek flowing through the Rockview Correctional Facility agricultural lands remained untouched. This portion of the Spring Creek Watershed was preserved by the correctional facility as agricultural lands used by the inmates to produce food and wood products for the penitentiary system in the early 1900â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. As the region developed, higher risk inmates were brought to the penitentiary and the agricultural practices were significantly reduced. This reduction in use allowed the Spring Creek Canyon to remain undeveloped as the region grew. The Spring Creek Canyon lands contain a rich variety of rare plants and animals in the unique canyon ecosystem with limestone cliffs up to 150 feet in height. As the university expanded, new roads were needed to help meet growing development demands. This resulted in the construction of Interstate 99, the University Airport and the expansion of Route 322. These major roads and transportation centers connected the valley to surrounding cities and spurred development around interchanges and in the State College area. Spring Creek Canyon remains a unique cultural and ecological treasure in the midst of the developing valley, providing a corridor of ecological diversity as well as a beautiful place for public recreation.

Location Map

Clearwater Conservancy

Emily Hahn

Landform in the Ridge and Valley Region

Data Provided: LArch 311 and Arc GIS 03

Emily Hahn

Spring Creek Canyon - State College

1,000

-I

-R ou te

1,250

- Bellefonte

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

Section showing the subtle elevation changes across the valley floor from State College to Bellefonte.

Section A - A’

State College to Bellefonte

Mount Nittany

Tussey Ridge

2,000

Bald Eagle Ridge

Fa c

ilit

1,750

Penns Valley 32

rre -R oc

-I

ie w

-R ou

Spring Creek Canyon

1,250

cti

Nittany Valley

1,500

1,000

750 5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

50,000

55,000

60,000

A cross section through the major landforms in the watershed starting at Bald Eagle Ridge, crossing through Mount Nittany and ending midway through Tussey Ridge.

Section B - B’

NW Corner Crossing Spring Creek Canyon and Mount Nittany Tussey Ridge

2 32 te

in es

Gatesburg Formation

sR ou

1,750

Bald Eagle Ridge

us -B

1,500

-I

Spring Creek Watershed

Landform and Landscape: Sections

750

1,250

1,000

750 5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

A section starting on Bald Eagle Ridge, crossing through the Gatesburg Formation and ending at Tussey Ridge, taken through a narrower portion of the valley.

Section C - C’

Bald Eagle Ridge to Tussey Ridge

Emily Hahn

Hydrologic Unit Classification System created by the USGS (United States

Spring Creek Watershed

Water Resources: Sub Basins

The

Geological Survey) systematically breaks down the making country into six levels of classification8. These classifications from largest to smallest are regions, subregions, accounting units, cataloging units, watersheds and sub-watersheds or sub-basins8. A set of two numbers is given to each classification resulting in a string of numbers 2 - 12 digits long called the HUC (Hydrologic Unit Code)7. This HUC can then be used to locate specific drainage basins within the country. Currently the majority of the United States only goes down to the cataloging unit level8. The spring Creek Watershed however has been divided into all 6 categories.

Spring Creek runs through

up a TOTAL of

7 of the sub-basins

23.95% of the

Spring Creek Watershed

02 (Mid Atlantic Region) 0205 (Susquehanna Sub-region) 020502 (West Branch Susquehanna Accounting Unit) 02050204 (Bald Eagle Cataloging Unit) 0205020431 / 32 (Spring Creek Watershed) 020502043127 (Buffalo Run Sub-basin) The example above is the full HUC for the Buffalo Run sub-basin in the Spring Creek Watershed. The numbers on the map show the last four digits of the HUC specifying the Watershed and Sub-basin.

HUC Number

Sub-Basin Name

Area in Acres

% Of Total

3105

Spring Creek

49.63

00.05

3106 3107

Spring Creek

418.87

00.45

Spring Creek

4347.77

04.65

3121

Spring Creek

1821.25

01.95

3127

Buffalo Run

17441.98

18.66

3128

Logan Branch

14422.90

15.43

3150

Spring Creek

6785.26

07.26

3172

Cedar Run

11183.89

11.97

3193

Big Hollow

10940.17

11.71

3197

Spring Creek

7879.34

08.43

3202

Spring Creek

1087.65

01.16

3214

Slab Cabin Run

10781.91

11.54

3231

Galbraith Gap Run

3282.40

03.51

3247

Roaring Run

3019.28

03.23

PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311 and Arc GIS 05

Emily Hahn

Water quality in the Spring Creek Watershed

is highly affected by the amount of runoff from impervious surfaces. Impervious cover reduces groundwater recharge and increases thermal pollution and runoff rates3. This in turn causes a degradation of water quality. The three sub-basins with the highest percent of impervious material are Big Hollow 3193, Slab Cabin Run 3214, and Spring Creek 3121. These sub-basins are also the locations of State College and Bellefonte, two of the largest towns in the valley. The data used to derive this information came from the map to the left which shows the roads and buildings in the region. This map does not however, include parking lots or driveways which makes the percentages approximations. The Clearwater Conservancy Phase 1 plan cites a total of 11% impervious cover for the watershed3 which accounts for the parking lots and other impervious areas not included in the streets and buildings map.

On impervious surfaces 98-100% of rain runs off With 11% of the watershed COVERED by impervious surfaces3

Spring Creek Watershed

Water Resources: Impervious Cover

an average storm producing 1â&#x20AC;?of rain

Results in over

271,540,000 gallons of

RUNOFF

HUC (Sub-basin Name)

% Road Coverage (Avg 30â&#x20AC;&#x2122; width)

% Building Total % Impervious Area Cover

3105 (Spring Creek)

10.15

5.67

16.18

3106 (Spring Creek)

02.77

2.78

05.55

3107 (Spring Creek)

03.21

2.00

05.22

3121 (Spring Creek)

08.24

7.34

15.58

3127 (Buffalo Run)

02.18

0.77

02.95

3128 (Logan Branch)

02.14

1.16

03.29

3150 (Spring Creek)

02.58

1.27

03.85

3172 (Cedar Run)

01.75

0.55

02.30

3193 (Big Hollow)

05.99

6.32

12.31

3197 (Spring Creek)

03.95

2.62

06.57

3202 (Spring Creek)

08.95

4.10

13.06

3214 (Slab Cabin Run)

05.07

9.16

14.23

3231 (Galbraith Gap Run)

00.90

0.10

01.00

3247 (Roaring Run)

01.21

0.34

01.55

Top

3 Sub-basins with the highest % impervious cover

Spring Creek 3121 15.58 % Impervious Cover

Big Hollow 3193 12.31 % Impervious Cover

Slab Cabin Run 3214 14.23 % Impervious Cover PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311 and Arc GIS 06

Spring Creek Watershed

Water Resources: Strahler Stream Order

Emily Hahn

The Spring Creek Watershed contains

218 miles of streams

equal to the distance from State

Buffalo, NY

College, PA

Strahler Stream Order Stream classification is a useful tool for comparing streams based on their size and relative location in a watershed4. The Strahler Stream Order classifies small headwater tributaries as 1st order streams. From here, when two number 1 streams meet they become a number 2 stream, when two number 2 streams meet they become a 3 and so on4. In the Spring Creek Watershed there are many 1st order streams starting out in the mountains and flowing through the gaps. As these streams travel down towards the valley floor they meet other 1st order streams and become 2nd order streams. These second order streams meet to become 3rd order streams until eventually they become a 5th order stream in the northernmost sub-basin of the watershed. From here the stream continues until it joins other streams and rivers becoming a part of a larger watershed eventually ending at the Chesapeake Bay. This strong connection between streams is what leads to water quality issues. As the water flows down through the system to the larger streams and rivers it has more time to pick up pollutants and degrade the water quality. This collection of pollutants throughout the various stream orders leads to major ecological issues throughout the system. PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311 and Arc GIS 07

4 Runoff occurs throughout the Spring Creek Watershed from a variety of sources. The impact of this runoff on the water quality of the streams could be significantly reduced with the implementation of buffer strips along the stream banks. In many cases, roads, urban development and agricultural fields end abruptly at the stream edge as is the case along Rock Road. Riparian buffer strips of anywhere from 50 to 100 feet in width6 would drastically improve the water quality of the streams in the Spring Creek Watershed.

Penn State University constructed a large retention basin in between campus and Millbrook Marsh in an attempt to reduce the flow of water from campus entering the marsh. This basin works to capture and slow down the water before it makes its way into the streams of the Spring Creek Watershed thus reducing erosion and sedimentation of the streams after storm events. The addition of water quality control basins and/ or rain gardens would help to reduce the pollution entering the watershed and eventually ending up in the Chesapeake Bay.

Agricultural Practices

Penn State Retention Basin

Fishermans Paradise

Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

The Millbrook Marsh Nature Center is located in the middle of sprawling urban development with the Penn State Campus on one side and Route 322 bounding the other. Beaver Stadium and the Penn State Campus can be seen in the distance. The runoff from the Penn State Campus drains down towards the marsh and causes eutrophication of the water. This decline in water quality can be seen by the presence of cattails in the marsh as they grow well in areas high in nutrients.

Rock Road

Spring Creek Watershed

Water Resources: Water Quality

Emily Hahn

The Spring Creek Watershed valley floor consists of large expanses of agricultural fields in addition to sprawling urban development. This combination of land uses leads to a lack of infiltration and high levels of runoff. Agricultural fields in particular add to the nutrient loads of the water flowing through the valley from fertilizers and pesticides used in farming . Cattle farms also increase nutrient levels due to concentrated amounts of manure and excessive gazing and compaction over large areas.

3 4 2 1

At Fishermans Paradise outside of Bellefonte, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission built jettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Spring Creek to reduce erosion and flooding along the Spring Creek. These jettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s help to maintain the stream in addition to providing valuable habitat for the native Brook Trout. Erosion and flooding control practices are becoming more prevalent and necessary in the watershed as the percent of impervious cover increases from development.

Emily Hahn

Surface Geology within the Spring Creek Watershed changes with the topography. Erosion resistant sandstone and quartzite make up the ridges in the region and give way to the faster eroding shale on the slopes. Limestone and Dolomite,

Spring Creek Watershed

Soil and Geology: Surficial Geology

the fastest eroding bedrock materials, fill the valley floor with a rich sedimentary soil, prime for farming. In addition to the three main lithographic groups, high calcium limestone bands can be found as well as calcareous shale in the northern corner of the watershed. These bedrock materials affect the plant communities found within the valley and create a variety of ecosystems on the ridges, slopes and valley floor.

Historic Geology

The surface geology of the Spring Creek Watershed was formed during the beginning of the Paleozoic era during the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian and Devorian periods9. The bedrock of the Gatesburg Formation is the oldest in the watershed, formed during the Cambrian period9, which gave the sandstone base material time to break down and form into the sandy loam soil found there today. A large portion of the watershed geology was formed during the Ordovician period9. During this period, the limestone and dolomite eroded quickly to carve out the valleys while the bands of sandstone now known as Mt Nittany, Tussey Ridge and Bald Eagle Ridge remained and divided the valley. The most recently formed materials within the watershed from the Silurian and Devonian periods9, are found along the outer edges of the ridges and in the northernmost corner of the valley. This northern corner is also the exiting point of the Spring Creek from the watershed resulting in the build up of younger, alluviated materials.

Phanerozoic Eon9

PA Plane North Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS, PASDA, USGS

Not to Scale PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS, PASDA, USGS

Emily Hahn

The Gatesburg Formation made of Shale

Limestone Residuum

makes up approximately 7.32% of the Spring Creek Watershed

and provides

19 MILLION gallons of water PER DAY

to Big Spring in Bellefonte through an underground

Soil Types

stream network

The soils of the Spring Creek Watershed can be broken down into 3 main categories; residuum, colluvium and alluvium. Residuum is used to describe a soil that was formed in place from the decomposition of the bedrock. The majority of the valley in the Spring Creek Watershed consists of limestone residuum formed from the limestone and dolomite bedrock shown on the surficial geology map. Colluvium describes a soil that was formed by parent material that has moved down a slope. The colluvium of the Spring Creek Watershed is mostly sandstone that has moved from the ridge tops and broken down on the slopes. The final category within the Spring Creek Watershed is alluvium. Alluvium is referred to as soil that has formed from erosion through movement in water. Alluviated soils are typically found in and around streams and bodies of water.

Spring Creek Watershed

Soil and Geology: Soil Types

Legend Parent Material and Process Quarry

355.09

00.38

Water

83.37

00.09

Other Alluvium

1594.49

01.71

Sandstone Boulder Fields

1045.84

01.12

Sandstone Residuum

11554.81

12.36

Sandstone Colluvium

14488.98

15.50

418.71

00.45

Sandstone Limestone Residuum

6837.86

07.32

Shale Residuum

2558.70

02.74

Shale Colluvium

2095.80

02.24

Limestone Residuum

49247.54

52.69

Limestone Alluvium

3181.12

03.40

Sandstone Alluvium

PA Plane North

Area in Acres % of Total

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS, PASDA 10

Emily Hahn

In the

Spring Creek Watershed there are... 175 sinkholes

16 caves

9,177 SURFACE DEPRESSIONS

Spring Creek Watershed

Soil and Geology: Karst Topography

and 18 pollution points including Kline

Karst Topography

Dump and a Metal Plant

The Spring Creek Watershed contains karst topography due to the abundance of limestone and dolomite bedrock within the valley. These calcareous rocks are easily eroded by rainwater which eats away at the limestone to create the sinkholes, caves and surface depressions characteristic of a karst landscape. The map to the left shows the existing karst features of the landscape. Within the watershed there are 9,177 surface depressions. A majority of these depressions are clustered downslope of the Gatesburg Formation. These depressions may appear here as a result of the high infiltration rates at the Gatesburg Formation which feed the subsurface stream flowing underneath through a cavern. These depressions are sinkholes waiting to happen. Areas with high concentrations of surface depressions are best avoided when developing and often end up as farm fields. Though a sinkhole ridden field is less dangerous than a town built on top of sinkholes, there are still hazards involved. Sink holes act as funnels which direct surface water flow into the groundwater through cracked and weakened limestone bedrock resulting in a very low filtration of chemicals and pollutants before reaching the groundwater. Within the watershed there are 18 major pollution points, one of which is a dump. Pollution points such as these are important to keep maintained to reduce the amount of leaching from chemicals and other hazardous pollutants into the groundwater.

PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS, PASDA 11

The sinkhole pictured above is found on the Penn State Russel E. Larson Research Farm. Unfortunately this sinkhole, along with many others, was used as a dumping site for trash and old farm equipment. Trash filled sinkholes can cause harmful pollutants to leach into the groundwater as limestone and dolomite bedrock do not provide adequate filtration of contaminants12.

The Millbrook Marsh Nature Center marshes are fed by Slab Cabin Run, Thompson Run, two branches of Bathgate Spring Run and a variety of springs connected to the underground river network of the Spring Creek Watershed. The springs which feed the site flow though the limestone and dolomite bedrock resulting in alkaline conditions at the surface of the marsh11. The one hectare calcareous fen within Millbrook Marsh is one of the largest in Pennsylvania and occurs as a result of the alkaline springs surfacing here, making it important to protect the groundwater within the Spring Creek Watershed to protect this resource11.

State Game Lands 176

Millbrook Marsh Nature Center

Water Filled Sinkhole at Larson Farm

Sinkholes in Karst Topography

The Spring Creek Watershed valley floor consists of primarily limestone and dolomite bedrock. Limestone and dolomite are calcareous rocks which can be easily dissolved by carbonic acid, commonly found in rainwater12. This mix of limestone and dolomite results in the formation of a karst topography ridden with sinkholes, surface depressions, underground streams and caves. The diagram above describes the process of sinkhole formation within a karst landscape. The first image shows a karst landscape before a depression has begun to form. As the acidic rainwater infiltrates, the bedrock begins to erode and pull soil into the cavern below creating a slight dip in the surface. As more soil is pulled into the cavern the surface breaks and a sinkhole is formed.

Sinkhole at Larson Farm

Spring Creek Watershed

Soil and Geology: Opportunities and Constraints

Emily Hahn

State Game lands 176, also known as The Scotia Barrens are located along the border of the Spring Creek Watershed at the Gatesburg Formation. This area is a unique blend of sandy soils within the valley creating a Pine Barrens. These Pine Barrens contain well drained acidic soils which support only specific types of vegetation, primarily pines, oaks and Savannah like prairie grasses10. The water that filters through these soils enters an underground river network which flows across the watershed until it resurfaces at Big Spring in Bellefonte as well as various other springs in the valley. Big Spring provides Spring Creek with 19 million gallons of water per day making it the second largest spring in Pennsylvania13. This makes the Scotia barrens an extremely important area to prevent contaminants from infiltrating the soils.

This massive sinkhole located at the Penn State Russel E. Larson Research Farm most likely took many years to reach its current depth of around 40 feet. In some cases sinkholes can fill up with groundwater from below12. Here, the sinkhole is deep enough that the bottom is below the water table, resulting in the formation of a small pond. When this occurs, contaminants can easily enter the groundwater completely unfiltered.

4,5

Emily Hahn

Spring Creek Watershed

Centre County was first explored by James Potter in 1764 while the land was predominantly occupied by the Shawnee Indians17. In 1769 the first white settler made his home in the valley and by the early 1770â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a group of Scots-Irish settlers began farming wheat in the valley. In 1784 iron ore was discovered17 and led to the development of mines, furnaces and small towns. The iron industry drove development throughout the county along waterways and resulted in the deforestation of most of the Spring Creek Watershed. After the industry died down, the treeless land of the valley was converted to farmlands and the mountains were left to regrow their forests. Centre County was officially formed in 1800 from sections of Mifflin, Northumberland, Lycoming and Huntingdon Counties17. In 1855 the Farmers High School was founded and grew to become The Pennsylvania State College in 1874 and later the Pennsylvania State University in 195315. As the university grew it became a major population center with approximately 42,000 people living in State College alone. The surrounding towns of Park Forest, Houserville, Lemont and Boalsburg also grew in size as housing communities for university workers and students. The development within the Spring Creek Watershed is focused mainly around the University and quickly turns into urban sprawl and agricultural land throughout the rest of the valley. Bellefonte, another large population center, is also a historically important town in the valley as it was the last stop for boats coming into the valley with supplies and for shipping goods out. These settlement patterns within Centre County closely follow geographic and historic trends within the landscape.

PA Plane North

Population of Centre County 1800 - 201020

Population

Human Populations: Size, Density, Distribution

Population History and Distribution

Year

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS

= 10,000 People

Spring Creek Watershed

Human Populations: Diversity Index

Diversity Index calculations can be used in mapping to determine race and ethnicity patterns within the landscape. When comparing the Centre County Block Groups from the 2010 census data, specific patterns can be seen. Diversity Index calculations use a complex formula to determine the percent likelihood of seeing a non-white person in a specific area, in this case within a specific block group. The majority of Centre County has a very low diversity index with less than 10% chance of seeing a non-white person. A few places in particular however are fairly diverse. The Rockview State Penitentiary has a diversity index of 66.5, the highest in the county. This diversity hot-spot is due to the relocation of inmates from other areas into the Rockview Penitentiary. In addition to the penitentiary, State College also has fairly high diversity index rates ranging from 14.9 up to 46.3. The diversity found within State College can be traced to the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prestigious standing worldwide and the range of students and professors who come from across the country as well as the world. Diversity Index Calculations16 Centre County Pennsylvania United States 22.3 35.2 60.6 When comparing the diversity within Centre County to Pennsylvania and the United States as a whole, Centre County is the least diverse. This lack of diversity overall can be traced to the large portions of the county that contain very little diversity. The bar graph to the right takes a different look at diversity by comparing the percentages of each race found within a specific region. This chart shows the shocking differences between the country as a whole, large cities and small rural towns like State College and Bellefonte.

100

Race and Ethnicity Comparison16,18

90 80

Percent (%)

Emily Hahn

Diversity within the Spring Creek Watershed

Legend

White

Black Hispanic

Asian

Two or More Races Pacific Islander/ Other

20 10 0

United States New York City Pennsylvania Philadelphia

Location

State College

Bellefonte

New York City has the most balanced diversity of the six places listed and Bellefonte is the least balanced with 95.2% of its population being white.

PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS

Along Atherton Street a range of ethnicities are served through culturally diverse development. The image above shows a Domino’s Pizza attached to a Korean Restaurant called Kimchi. Examples like this can be found throughout State College and show the diversity of the area through the stores and restaurants which cater to a variety of different ethnic groups.

In 1855 the Farmers High School was founded and the original Old Main was opened in 185914. This building was taken down in 1929 when the current Old Main was constructed14. Old Main stands today as a landmark for Penn State students, workers, and alumni representing years of education in the valley. The university fueled the growth of the valley by providing a draw for students as well as job seeking individuals. This drove the economy in the region and resulted in State College becoming the largest population center within the county, housing roughly 28% of Centre County’s population.

Iron Furnace Remnants

Old Main

Downtown State College

Rockview State Correctional Facility

The Rockview State Correctional Facility, built in 1912 and opened in 1915, was the first prison in Pennsylvania to use the electric chair and remained the only executional “death house” in the state from 1913 to 199319. The penitentiary marked the center of the state and housed convicts from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and other cities and towns awaiting death row19. It was also originally an agrarian penitentiary19 where the inmates cultivated the fields and produced applesauce for the state penitentiary system. The location of the prison in rural Pennsylvania, surrounded with mountains, proved effective in preventing the escape of prisoners. This hostile environment often led to their capture or voluntary return shortly after escape 19. The prison population began to grow in the 1980’s and 90’s with an increasing number of high risk convicts19. This led to an increase in security and a reduction of the agrarian practices at the penitentiary. Today, the Rockview Correctional Facility remains the most diverse area within the watershed as the facility houses inmates from diverse cities across the state.

Retail and Restaurant Diversity

Spring Creek Watershed

Human Populations: History and Diversity

Emily Hahn

Remnants of an old Iron Furnace along Route 26 East College Ave are left as a historic landmark to remind visitors of the iron industry which once fueled the growth of Centre County21. This furnace stack was built in 1846 to replace the original stack and could produce up to 1,500 tons of iron a year21. Centre Furnace along with the other furnaces in the region were the nations leading iron producers from 1800 to 185021. This piece of history now stands to educate visitors of the rich and unique history of the Centre County region.

4 Over time, as the university grew in popularity and size, development grew surrounding the campus to create a culturally diverse population center. High rise apartments can be found in these areas as rental units for off campus student housing. The image above shows downtown State College apartment complexes along Beaver Ave. These apartments and the mix of small grocery markets and stores in the downtown area cater to the range of students living highly walkable lifestyles.

2 3 5

Emily Hahn

Cultural Resources

Based on the 2010 Census Data

Land Use

Spring Creek Watershed

Cultural Resources: Historical and Recreational

there are .085 acres of parks for EACH PERSON in the watershed making up

The Cultural Resources of the Spring Creek Watershed show unique patterns across the landscape. The map below breaks down public land into a variety of categories. Parks, Penn State land, Rockview land and undeveloped land in particular show interesting trends within the valley. Parks make up roughly 14% of the land and are primarily concentrated around areas with high levels of development providing outdoor recreation opportunities where access to natural areas is limited.

14% of the valley

Penn State, the largest employer within the valley owns approximately 7.7% of the land within the valley. In the early history of the region, Bellefonte was the heart of the valley, a bustling hub of activity for industry and transportation due to its prime location near a canal as well as a way-point for railroads crossing the state. Over time, the importance of Bellefonte was reduced as the iron industry slowed and transportation methods shifted, making the university the main attraction of the valley. This shift caused Bellefonte, the once bustling city center, to be reverted into a historic district primarily used as a bedroom community, while Penn State took the spotlight for providing jobs and education in addition to drawing visitors from across the country. This new importance led to the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth as a major landowner within the valley. The Rockview Correctional Facility, occupies 4.66% of the land including the Spring Creek Canyon Parcels. Rockviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ownership of these parcels is the primary reason for their preservation and current ecological diversity. Had these parcels been privately owned it is highly unlikely they would still be around for consideration as natural lands. The final major category of land use within the valley is undeveloped land. This land holds the most potential for preservation as forest and open grasslands as well as for future development. Currently, 10.36% of the valley is undeveloped. While it is inevitable that a portion of this land will be developed to accommodate population growth within the valley, it is also essential that a portion be preserved as natural land and open space.

Railroads and Historic Markers In addition to land uses, this map also shows active and inactive railroads as well as historic markers. The currently inactive railroad lines provide opportunities for creating green-ways and pedestrian/ bicyclist connections across the valley. These green-ways and trails not only provide valuable recreational connections, but also preserve pieces of cultural history within the valley. The historic markers within the watershed can be used to pinpoint specific historic features with cultural significance. Bellefonte, as a historic town, holds the majority of these markers including the old Pennsylvania Match Factory, Gamble Mills and the town itself.

PA Plane North

Data Provided: LArch 311, Arc GIS, PASDA 16

Parks within the Spring Creek Watershed make up roughly 14% of the land cover with undeveloped land covering roughly 10%. This undeveloped land has the potential to become parks and greenways which will add to the available public green space within the watershed. Based on the 2010 census data, there are .085 acres of park land for each person in the watershed. If half of the undeveloped land were turned into parks, park land would go up to .15 acres per person, providing additional recreational opportunities within the watershed.

Many railroads in a variety of conditions, active, abandoned, and rails to trails, can be found throughout the Spring Creek Watershed. These railroads served as vital transportation routes throughout the valley in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s for transporting natural resources, supplies and people24. Additionally, the rail system connected the valley to the rest of the state and served as a way point for steel company executives traveling from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia24. Of the 54 total miles of railroad within the watershed, 38 miles remain inactive. Currently, only the portion of the Bellefonte Central Railroad that passes through Big Hollow, just north of the Penn State campus, has been converted into a biking/ walking trail. Plans are in place for turning sections of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Penns Valley as well as the stretch of the Bellefonte Central Railroad from the end of Big Hollow to Bellefonte, into trails for recreational use23. The conversion of these rails into trails is essential for helping to preserve them as cultural and historical resources in the valley.

Mount Nittany

Railroads

Mount Nittany, a prominent land-form in the valley has significant historical and cultural meanings. Penn State students, alumni and faculty recognize the mountain as a symbol of pride signifying their return to the valley22. However this prominent land-form was not always such a beautiful place. In the early 20th century the mountain had been clear cut and left with logging chutes as the only trails to hike22. By 1955 the logged mountain was just starting to regrow its forest, Tom Smyth recalls climbing Mount Nittany not for the beauty of the forest or the views but rather “because it was there22.” Since then, the Mount Nittany Conservancy was formed to maintain and preserve the mountain as a cultural resource and a place for recreation22.

Outdoor Recreation Opportunities

Bellefonte Historic District

In 1795 Colonel Dunlop and James Harris laid out the town of Bellefonte, named after the beautiful (belle) fountain (fonte), or Big Spring which feeds into Spring Creek and runs through the town25. In 1848 the Bellefonte branch of a canal, now Spring Creek, was opened and the first boat arrived providing the town with supplies from Philadelphia25. For the following 15 years, the canal was the main highway from Bellefonte to the east resulting in the growth of population and industry throughout the valley25. The historical and cultural roots of Bellefonte have led to the preservation of many historic buildings and locations. The Match Factory, shown above, is one example of a historic building which has been re-purposed into lease-able space for businesses, restaurants, studios and more26. Other historic buildings, such as the Gamble Mill and the Brockerhoff House, have undergone similar restoration processes to preserve and repurpose these valuable cultural and historical resources.

Parks and Undeveloped Land

Spring Creek Watershed

Cultural Resources: Historical and Recreational

Emily Hahn

1 4

2 3

Within the Spring Creek Watershed there are many opportunities for outdoor recreation. Joe Hays Vista, a popular overlook of the valley is shown in the image above. Views similar to this one can be found along the Mid state trail and from the ridges at Shingleton Gap. The variety of State Forests, State Game Lands and other public forests and natural areas within the watershed provide a wealth of recreation opportunities while maintaining natural land. State land, state game lands and state forests make up roughly 5% of the watershed.

5 17

CUMULATIVE WORD MAP The map below depicts various elements from the atlas as words, which demonstrate the interactions, relative size and location and relationships between features in the watershed. Combining these features expanded upon in previous portions of the atlas into one cumulative map provides a broader look at the watershed. The font sizes of the streams, shown in blue, correlate with their Strahler Stream Order. The smallest font represents the 1st order streams and the largest represents the 5th order segment of Spring Creek as it exits the watershed. Additionally, major population centers and cultural features such as Penn State University, Rockview Prison, the University airport, the Spring Creek Canyon and Bellefonte are shown and given a size based upon their role within the watershed. Landforms are highlighted with large bold fonts which form their shape, in turn, shaping surrounding features and illustrating relationships. Major cultural features and land use trends are highlighted. Primarily occurring are agriculture, sprawling development and undeveloped land. Additionally, pollution points are shown, concentrated in the upper corner of the watershed. This exposes a history of industrial activity surrounding Bellefonte, where the streams are of a higher order and were used to generate power for industry.

G N

A SAN

RID

D EL OP E

ILR OA

T N RU

UL TU RE

NI T

BRA

H NC

RA I

EK SPRI N E R

BRA

AN G LO

AN I

RE E

SLA BC

CABI NR U

UND

GA PR

AN BRANC H N BRA NCH L O G

AD PE N

ILRO

SYL VA

IA R AI

ANI R YLV A RAIL NS

R I C U LT U R E

C RE K S

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G AG CREE K SPRING C RI C N D ULTURE E VELOPE

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NR UN SLAB CABIN RUN SLAB C UNDEV AB I N ELOPED LAND UN DEVE UNDEVELO

LA U ND ND EV

NN S Y E P

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MOUNTAIN

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SEY S U T E RIDG IDGE Y BURG E SKI USS TUSSEY RE BI GE L S L OP T W TUSSEY RI D G S P RAWL S PRA RID ES EY S G E D I S SHINGLE TU TH KTU SEY R O S I R R U Y E T S GAP TON GETUSSEY RIDGE TSUSSEY RIDGGEE T STRAOTCE I Y R E ST S E S U T OR E F G TUSSEY

BELLEFON TE

SPRING C

HO AT LV LLO I AN TE W BIG O N N BI FO AL LE HO L L L BR A NCH LIN E BIEL L LO O W W B IG OA HO D

CREE K REEK S PRING ING C PR CREE K S

CEDAR RUN C DAR RUN E D RUN A R R U N CE AR

N RU

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R G A R IN

C CH

R A ILS TO TRAIL

REGIONAL HISTORY

BOALS

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SB ILS TO TR I G A H R O L L O W IL S

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D GE

A GR

OLD P E N

C UN RR DA CE

D I R Y E S S U ET G D I R Y Y RID E S E S U T S PINE GE EY S U T S GROVE E Y TUS GE D MILLS SS I R Y E S S U T LAB S N

IMPACT OF LANDFORM ON DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE VALLEY

Y NS S

AR I AN

SV N N PE

R G A

E R U E S T L R N RICU LTU P E N G I CU

USSEY

V AN E D L ED N P U O L E EV CABIN R

LAND

RAILR OAD

HISTORI

SYLV D PENN L DO A O LR

RAILROAD CONDITION COMPARISON

D E P O EL D

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COLLEGE

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N IA

N T N

N R N A O U T T S I T H I O N T N M RU

A T T I N

Y Y N N A

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BIG HOLLO W

G BI

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PENN

POINT

GAP

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POINT POLLUTION

PENN STATEUNI VERSITY STATE

OL D

NS A ON E I I T T R A O R RM SC BA O F

POINT

H NC

AD O ILR

E R U IS T T L L T I L U C N I A T D R N T E V N N Y R AG TA OU N A S U POLLU TA L T A U N L M NI T N A TION NI Y O ICU E YLV S T N N N P M R EN OU TA P IT Y AG IC OLD ALLEY

PED LV A SY LO ND E LA D V D ED N OP AN

N O I T A G TI R A M U R SB OR M F E O URG T F G GATESB R U O B F S R G U B E TES T GA

UN B F U

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STATE

LANDS

POINT A R AP G T

P L E POLL UTION

ROCK VIEW ON PR

CREEK

AIRPORT

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D L BA

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POLLUTION

UN EDAR R HC NC RA

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SPRING CREEK

EA PL

FFA

TAN T Y I I N R N SPR P A RECRE ING T T CREEK I L EK CA N YON N ICU SPRING CREEK

TA T I N

AD LRO I A

C ED

FF AL O C E N TRAL RU R N BU AILR

Y LLE A YV

POINT

LO G

SP R

A B E G

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LAND OWNERSHIP

LO R

POLLUTION

OAD

E CLO R T N A POLLUTION EFO FF L L BE BU

FONTE E L BEL N

O CANYON EL V E E E SPRING R NT GE B TU LLEFO CANYON E C B BU RI G N RE A RU U CANYON I N T L U C Y O I L E R A A L POLLUTION EK SP R SPR L AG CENT R AL R UFF A POINT ING V RE B NE Y N O T U N D UNIVERSITY B R F E AL A ALO LE F T F L E U CANYON B AD UN B O R R R D LO U LT U A AD G C I R STATE A O F L ELAND ILR UF I A G A R R E ED LLEY OW BIG A A AG V P NI E C A O Y G H O AWL V EL FONTE L O YL V S I E B A R BIG H GAME A DE ELL BUFF OL NN B N E L E O P N WB D E RID G ND U IG U SPRI SPRAWL SPR LANDS T OA HO N I POINT T R L AWL LL LA S N P O RAW W BIG ED L P G E I O O AL N B U H OW B LD EL L M L V G A U E Y L L OW BIG HOLL LV UND FF B N W A LO O O H L L G I B W RUN B U ALO R

DURING A RAIN EVENT WITH 1 INCH OF RAIN THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED HAS 271,540,000 GALLONS OF WATER RUN OFF FROM IMPERVIOUS SURFACES. THIS AMOUNT WOULD FILL THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING 99% OF THE WAY FULL.

99% of the Empire State Building

D PE

ND LA

I DG

IGL E R G BELLE R A IN E FONTE LBAL D G POLL AIDG E E R D UTION E L L G ALD EA POLL B POINT UTION A E POINT B Y G E Y E G E D L I ID LL L R A RE R V E A V NY E GL AI

RUNOFF FROM IMPERVIOUS SURFACES

HISTORIC

HL O

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY COMMUNITY IN CENTRE COUNTY

L G

K SP

E G D

A R A FF L U A TR N B N U E

THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED CONTAINS OVER 93 THOUSAND ACRES OF RURAL WOODS AND FARMLAND IN THE RIDGE AND VALLEY REGION OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA WITH 218 MILES OF STREAMS. IT IS HOME TO THE STATES LARGEST SPRING AS WELL AS A 1 HECTARE CALCAREOUS FEN. IT HAS KARST TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES, WITH 175 SINKHOLES, 9,177 SURFACE DEPRESSIONS, 16 CAVES AND 18 SIGNIFICANT POLLUTION POINTS. CENTRE COUNTY HAS 155,000 RESIDENTS, 42,000 OF WHOM LIVE IN STATE COLLEGE. IT HAS A UNIQUE HISTORY OF BEING THE NATIONS LEADING IRON ORE PRODUCER FROM 1800 - 1850 AND CONTAINS ONE OF THE NATIONS 50 MOST “UNDER PROTECTED” ECOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT PLACES, THE SPRING CREEK CANYON27.

POLLU TION

POINT

AD RU O O ILR L

PROFILE OF THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED

POLL POINT UTION

A SUMMARY

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

OF THE SPRING CREEK WATERSHED

Emily Hahn

Citations Landform 1. Benbennick, David. “Map of Pennsylvania Highlighting Centre County.” 12 Feb 2006. Digital Image. Wikipedia.com. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_Pennsylvania_highlighting_Centre_County.svg> , accessed 9 Sept. 2013 2. “Spring Creek Watershed Surface and Ground Water Boundary Map.” Welcome to the Clearwater Conservancy!.<http://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/SpringCreekWatershedMap.htm>, accessed 9 Sept. 2013 Water Resources 3. Clearwater Conservancy. “The Spring Creek Watershed Plan Phase 1 Final Report, Our Challenges and A Direction For the Future.” <http://www.clearwaterconservancy.org/CWC%20files/Spring%20Creek%20Water shed%20Plan.pdf>, accessed 18 Sept. 2013 4. D’Ambrosio, Jessica and Ward, Andy. “Stream Classification.” 2008. Fact Sheet Agricultural and Natural Resources. <http://ohioline.osu.edu/aex-fact/pdf/AEX44501StreamClassification.pdf>, accessed 9 Sept. 2013 5. Miller, Scott N, Guertin, Phillip D, Goodrich, David C. “Investigating Stream Channel Morphology Using a Geographic Information System.” <http://proceedings.esri.com/library/userconf/proc96/to300/pap291/p291. htm>, accessed 18 Sept. 2013

Citation Page

Spring Creek Watershed

6. “Riparian Buffers.” <http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/publications/BMPs/buffers.html>, accessed 18 Sept. 2013 7. Seaber, Paul R. et al. “Hydrologic Unit Maps.” 1994. United States Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2294. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/wsp/wsp2294/pdf/wsp_2294_a.pdf>, accessed 18 Sept. 2013 8. “Watersheds, Hydrologic Units, Hydrologic Unit Codes, Watershed Approach, and Rapid Watershed Assessments.” 18 June 2007. <http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb1042207.pdf>, accessed 18 Sept. 2013 Soil and Geology 9. Cohen, K.M., S., Gibbard, P.L. “International Chronostratigraphic Chart, International Commission on Stratigraphy.” 2013. Digital Image. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geologic_time_scale> accessed 2 Oct. 2013 10. Hughes, Mark. “A Geologic Wonder: Scotia Barrens.” Spring 2010. <http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Scotia.html> accessed 2 Oct. 2013 11. “Millbrook Marsh Nature Center Wetland Website.” Center Region Parks and Recreation. <http://millbrook.crpr.org/> accessed 2 Oct. 2013 12. Ogden, Albert. “Karst Topography: A Unique and Fragile Environment.” 2010. Video. Vimeo.com. <http://vimeo.com/14368976> accessed 1 Oct. 2013 13. “The Source of Big Spring.” PGWA. <http://www.pgwa.org/the_source_of_big_spring.htm> accessed 2 Oct. 2013 Human Populations 14. Bezilla, Michael. “Old Main: The History of a Penn State Landmark.” 4 October 2013. Penn State Alumni Library. <http://alumni.libraries.psu.edu/oldmain.html> accessed 11 Oct. 2013 15. “Brief Penn State History.” Centre County History. <http://centrecountyhistory.org/history/psuhistory.html> accessed 10 Oct. 2013 16. “Census Scope.” 2000. <http://www.censusscope.org/us/s42/chart_race.html> accessed 10 Oct. 2013 17. “Centre County.” Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. 2013. <http://genpa.org/county/centre-county-pennsylvania> accessed 10 Oct. 2013 18. City-Data.com <http://www.city-data.com/> accessed 10 Oct. 2013 19. Fenton, Michael. “PA’s Big House.” Spring 2010. The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. <http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Rockview.html> accessed 11 Oct. 2013 20. “Historical Census Browser.” 2004. <http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/> accessed 11 Oct. 2013 21. “Making Charcoal Iron.” Centre County Community Foundation. Informational Sign. Route 26 E College Ave, State College PA. accessed 10 Oct. 2013

Emily Hahn

Citations Cultural Resource Inventory 22. “A Legacy of Conservation Across Time.” 7 March 2013. Mount Nittany Conservancy. <http://mtnittany.org/> accessed 17 Oct. 2013 23. “Bellefonte Central Rail Trail.” Centre County pennsylvania. <http://centrecountypa.gov/index.aspx?NID=542> accessed 17 Oct. 2013 24. Bezilla, Mike. “The Bellefonte Train Station Story.” 2008. Bellefonte Victorian Charm in a Modern World. <http://bellefonte.com/ourtown/trainstation.html> accessed 17 Oct. 2013 25. “History of Gamble Mill.” Gamble Mill. <http://www.gamblemill.com/gamblemill/history.html> accessed 17 Oct. 2013 26. Yocum, Scott. “Match Factory Place.” Remax. <http://www.bellefontematchfactory.com/> accessed 17 Oct.2013

Citation Page

Spring Creek Watershed

Regional Analysis 27. “Spring Creek Canyon.” Environmental Planning and Design. <http://www.epd-pgh.com/springcreekcanyo.html> accessed 30 Oct. 2013