McCoy-Linn Dam Removal, Habitat Restoration, and Public Access Enhancement Project

McCoy-Linn Dam is an approximately 20-foot high dam impounding 16 acres of Spring Creek in Centre County between the towns of Bellefonte and Milesburg.  The dam was constructed in the 1920s to generate hydroelectricity, but it serves no purpose in the present day and significantly impairs upstream and downstream habitat.  It has a detrimental effect on water quality elevating water temperature and reducing habitat diversity, rendering it unattractive to certain species of fish and macroinvertebrates, thereby limiting overall natural diversity. The dam is also a hazard to anglers and boaters and is a liability to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC), who owns the dam. 

PFBC and ClearWater Conservancy are working with several partners to remove the dam, restore approximately 4,000 linear feet of stream habitat and riparian corridor, restore 1.5 acres of associated wetlands within the current impoundment, and develop public access to a 1.3 mile stretch of contiguous, publicly owned section of Spring Creek. 

• Dam Removal - Updates and Photos

• Riparian Restoration

• Public Access Enhancement

The project will be coordinated by the ClearWater Conservancy in partnership with Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, American Rivers, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program, U. S. Department of Agriculture, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Spring Creek Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Objectives of the project are to restore steam habitat, natural biodiversity and ecosystem function; improve water quality through the elimination of a point source contributor; decrease trapped sediment to augment stream channel and floodplain; restore stream and riparian habitat; eliminate invasive species (e.g., purple loosestrife, common carp); decrease occurrence of flooding; preserve, create, and enhance public space and access; provide educational opportunities on the benefit of dam removal; and eliminate a public safety hazard to water recreation (i.e. fishing, canoeing, kayaking). 

Additional riparian lands exposed by dewatering of the impoundment will also allow for the proposed trail and greenway connecting the towns of Milesburg and Bellefonte as recommended by the Nittany and Bald Eagle Greenways Plan and contribute to the Borough of Bellefonte's waterfront restoration initiative. 

The visual beauty of the water gap and the forested slopes of Bald Eagle Mountain deserve recognition as scenic resources of value to the entire community.  They tell a story of the geological processes, which have shaped our landscape, and they help us to remember the routes by which previous generation communicated with our region.  However, the narrow valley, impoundment, and adjacent transportation routes render Spring Creek highly inaccessible in the area of the McCoy-Linn Dam.  Upon completion of the project, the aesthetically pleasing, picturesque quality of the area will be enhanced and it will once again be accessible to the public. 

History

The water gap also includes some of the most important archaeological and historic artifacts and sites of the Spring Creek Corridor, which afford wonderful opportunities for interpretation and education.  Remnants of the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation Canal, including the stonework of a lock and earthen embankments can still be seen today. 

It is also the site of Harmony Forge, one of the region's first iron forges, powered by Spring Creek and a key to nineteenth century industrial development.  Remains of a forge can still be found near the McCoy-Linn Dam, which was later a hydroelectric facility.  Interpretation of these historic resources is an important component of the project.

The Harmony Forge-Milesburg Iron Works Site, at what is today known as the McCoy-Linn Dam property, has had at least five phases of continuous occupation in the historic era.  The active use of the land adjacent to the dam for industrial purposes spans approximately 125 years, from 1795 to at least the 1920s.

Left:  Postcard circa 1920s..

Right:  Sanborn map from 1887.

The forested slopes of Bald Eagle Mountain which frame the water gap constitute an important ecological resource as one of our region's largest patches of contiguous forest habitat.  These forests reduce runoff and erosion from the steep mountain slopes and gain even more value by directly connecting to its wetlands, flood plains, and riparian habitats adjacent of Spring Creek. 

Removal of the dam and associated habitat restoration will greatly enhance the trout fishery in the project area and downstream.  The restored riparian corridor will provide diverse habitats for neotropical migratory and resident birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles and enhance the outdoor experience for people frequenting the area. 

For more information about how you can enhance or protect your riparian property or to volunteer for the Riparian Restoration Crew, please contact Katie Ombalski at (814) 237-0400 or katie@clearwaterconservancy.org.