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Demographics of the Spring Creek Watershed

Centre County continues to grow with each U.S. Census. This growth is reflected in a 12% population increase from the 2000 Census which had a population of 135,758 residents to the 2010 Census with a population of 153,990. This population growth trend is continuing with the release of the Census Bureau’s 2016 American Community Survey (ACS) Centre County estimate of 161,464 residents which is approximately 5% more than the 2010 Census. Based on the 2016 ACS estimate, Centre County is the second fastest growing County in Pennsylvania by percentage. Knowing that Centre County has and will most likely continue to see population growth, we’ll need to take a closer look at where the majority o

The Soils of the Spring Creek Watershed

The Spring Creek Watershed is home to some of Pennsylvania’s most productive soils. These soils are a primary reason for the region’s economic success. They support agricultural and forestry operations that produce a wide variety of building materials, biofuels, and food products for humans and animals. Soils also act as engineering materials for roads, pipelines, residential and commercial buildings, and recreational opportunities like bike paths. Unfortunately, the best soils for food production are also the best soils for building homes or office parks. Finding a balance between these two needs is often a difficult challenge for any community. The Spring Creek Watershed is a rural, s

Status of Fish Populations

The following article has been condensed from the publication “The Fishery of Spring Creek – A Watershed Under Siege” by Robert F. Carline, Rebecca L. Dunlap, Jason E. Detar, and Bruce A. Hollender. Figures 1 and 2. (Left) Average-size wild brown trout from Spring Creek. (Right) Large wild brown trout. Few individuals reach this size in Spring Creek. Historically, native brook trout sustained the fishery, which was apparently good enough to attract the famous angler, Theodore Gordon, who raved about the excellent brook trout fishing near Bellefonte Borough in the early 1870s. In a 1915 letter, Gordon writes about a subsequent fishing trip to Bellefonte and notes that brown trout had “taken

Growth and Water

From the standpoint of water, this is an unlikely place for a city of 100,000 people. Water is the resource that limits local population growth. I have a personal perspective on the relationship between growth and available water supply. I grew up here; I studied hydrogeology here; during the 1990s, I more than doubled our well water supply capacity; and I now serve on the board of the sewer authority. Herein I discuss growth I have seen, where we have obtained our water supply during my time, and the degradation of Spring Creek resulting from our water resource management methods. I was not quite three when Father moved the family here in the spring of 1946. At the time there were 7,000

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