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Centre Daily Times August 9 2005
Funds pour in for dam removal
Idle structure poses obstacle to recreational use, officials say
By Lara Brenckle; lbrenckl@centredaily.com
"A federal grant could help pave the way for removal of a 70-year-old dam between Bellefonte and Milesburg, setting the stage for a stream restoration project that could improve water quality and make more of Spring Creek a recreation destination.
The removal of the McCoy-Linn Dam would be paid for, in part, with a $100,000 Legacy Grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation given to the ClearWater Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania.
If the project moves forward, the dam could be removed by December 2006.
ClearWater officials said the removal of the dam is desirable because it is no longer used, presents a hazard to anglers and boaters and impairs the creek habitat.
The project would restore about 4,000 linear feet of stream habitat and streamside vegetative corridor, according to ClearWater. In addition, 1.5 acres of wetlands within the area would be restored and about 1.3 acres of land would be used to create a public access to other parts of Spring Creek.
The project is a partnership between the state Fish and Boat Commission, the state Department of Environmental Protection and a number of local, state and federal environmental groups. An environmental review of the project is pending.
Jennifer Shuey, executive director of the conservancy, said the removal of the dam and restoration of the area around it is a key link in the Nittany/Bald Eagle Greenways Plan, which aims to create zones for environmental tourism and protection.
When completed, the project area would connect Bellefonte's planned Waterfront District through Milesburg to Bald Eagle State Park.
"It will give recreational users of that area connections; fishermen would have a higher-quality resource; it might give kayakers further opportunities to accommodate their needs and it brings additional attention to the streamside areas and Bellefonte's master planning project," Shuey said.
The dam is about 20 feet high and encompasses 16 acres of Spring Creek.
It was built in 1936 to generate hydroelectric power for West Penn Power. However, it was shut down in 1950 and has been idle ever since, said Sue Hannegan, Bellefonte assistant manager. In the 1980s, West Penn sold the area to the Fish and Boat Commission.
Although the dam is located in a neighboring township, Hannegan said the borough is involved because it has experience preserving and administering properties on the National Register of Historic Places.
Harmony Forge, near the dam, is a National Register site, and the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Canal, which served as a conduit for central Pennsylvania iron to reach Philadelphia, is thought to be located along the stream. Hannegan said she is interested in knowing how the dam might fit into a larger historical interpretation of the area.
Hannegan said Bellefonte met with representatives of the state Fish and Boat Commission last week to discuss the boundaries of the project.
The state is collecting information about the site, Hannegan said, because the project uses federal and state money. Any project that could in any way adversely affect a historic register property must submit to an environmental review, Hannegan said.
She said she has been told that the project should not affect the water level of Spring Creek in Bellefonte. However, Shuey said that the water level near the dam will be reduced.
Hannegan said she is inclined to support the project, once she knows its boundaries.
"It has the potential to open up an opportunity for boaters and kayakers and interpretations of local history," Hannegan said.
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