Spring Creek, McCoy Dam Removal

[dryflyguy]

Chaz,

I realize that removing both of those dams, in the long run, should benefit the stream. But I really caught a lot of fish around them over the years, and it's sad seeing them gone. And it makes me wonder - The McCoy dam was there for like 100 years if I remember correctly, and spring creek has done quite well all these years until now. Now, we need to improve things?

Troutbert,

When I saw the guys still working there - a month after the dam removal, - I just assumed they were removing muck. Do you know what they are still doing? Habitat improvement?

 

[troutbert]

Dryflyguy,

They've been doing a lot of stuff over the last month. Below the dam they put in temporary coffer dams to slow the sediment, and scooped out tons of it. Not muck, limestone gravel.

Upstream, they widened the channel to "design width." They created a narrow floodplain bench, which involved removing sediments alongside the stream on the Route 144 side, and moving those sediments up toward Route 144 and building that area up. They placed some boulders alongside the stream edge, to stablilize the channel, I reckon.

The last I checked they were sloping the bank on the west side (rr track side) at about a 45 degree angle. They hydroseeded some of the raw areas recently.

There will be more work for parking lots etc. And, uh, canoe and kayak launch pads. Good habitat for boaters. Maybe not so good for trout, but we'll see.

From what I understand the PFBC habitat work won't begin until next year sometime, allowing some time for the channel to adjust.

Regarding the biodiversity question. I'm not sure what the argument might be that removal of the McCoy Dam and the removal of the West Penn dam will increase biodiversity. The removals are making the stream and riparian habitats less diverse, more uniform. So that would likely lead to less diversity of plants and animals supported by the habitats.

 

[rrt]

I haven't yet seen the result of the removal of McCoy's Dam, but my brother-in-law saw it, and he said it's a ditch. Maybe over time it will be okay, but I am sad to see its removal. I already told of some special times there and at the old West Penn Dam. I don't have the heart to drive the 50 miles just to see the loss of something special that "once was" back in the day. Kind of sad to us old guys, I guess, at least to this old guy. :-(

 

[NoMoreCornChuckin]

I wonder how fast the Musky, and pickerel will move up into the area from Bald Eagle Creek.

 

[Sylvaneous]

One of the kinda unfair things is that so much damage was done by dams, turning a run or a pool into a small pond, that it's essentially impossible to compare it to what it looks like now. Trees were removed. Natural chanel development was negated. The habitat was basically ruined and they they removed the dam. What made the old habitat before the dam is long since gone. Dam removal is only one step. With no trees and the old bed replaced by gravel, it takes a long time for new habitat to develop. I really liked the water at Milesburg. Ivan boogered that up pretty well, but it will come back with other floods. It would be a great place for a stream project, if anyone can get their selves in gear.