Wallace Run

Wallace Run is a mountain stream located in the Bald Eagle watershed in Centre County . It originates in Pennsylvania Gamelands 103 and parallels route 144, traveling through the village of Runville until it enters Bald Eagle Creek near Wingate. Portions of the stream are classified as Class A wild trout stream (headwater and mouth areas) and the entire stream supports natural reproduction of trout. There are some major erosion concerns in the middle section of Wallace Run in the village of Runville . Private backyards have been and continue to be washed away and landowners are concerned about future property damage. These erosion concerns are so severe that they pose an ecological threat to the lower section of the stream that is classified as Class A. In the past landowners who have attempted to obtain solutions to their erosion problems have been largely unsuccessful.

In June 2006 a group of local residents in the Centre County portion of the Bald Eagle Valley came together to form the Bald Eagle Watershed Association. The group meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month in the Milesburg Borough Building . The mission of the Bald Eagle Watershed Association is to protect the quality and the beauty of the Bald Eagle Creek, including its feeder streams. The group has promised to promote actions that will “improve the quality of life within the watershed, including those which would help to prevent future flooding of the homes, businesses, and agricultural lands through storm water management in the watershed.” The Bald Eagle Valley is a rural, mixed land use community comprised largely of agriculture, forested land and its industries, villages, and rural housing. Urban sprawl has been comparatively slow to spread over the Bald Eagle Mountain from the Centre region surrounding State College and the Pennsylvania State University .  However, industrial and housing expansion is sure to increase with the completion of Interstate 99, bring with it increasing damage caused from storm water run off. 

The mission of the Bald Eagle Watershed Association (BEWA) is to protect the quality and the beauty of the Bald Eagle Creek including its feeder streams and to enhance life in the Bald Eagle watershed by:

• Promoting wise land use and management of natural resources in the watershed, especially when dealing with property owners and issues which affect the water quality of the Bald Eagle Creek, including its feeder streams.

• Protecting and enhancing open space and natural areas in the watershed and providing opportunities for the enjoyment of these natural areas.

• Promoting awareness and appreciation of environmental issues through education so that the community can make sound choices for a sustainable ecologically healthy future.

• Promoting actions that improve quality of life within the watershed including those which would help to prevent future flooding of the homes, businesses, and agricultural land through storm water management within the watershed. 

• Organizing exclusively for charitable, educational and scientific purposes, including for such purposes the making distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt under 501 c 3 of the Internal revenue code or corresponding section of future federal tax code

The vision of the Bald Eagle Watershed Association is that “the Bald Eagle Watershed can be restored to the “original quality of life” by undoing harmful effects of factors such as chemicals, leachate, siltation and partnering with community groups, industries, and agencies to help alleviate bank erosion and flooding.  The entire watershed can be “cleaned up’ so that an informed, knowledgeable public can enjoy a multi-variable land use and activities while preserving, monitoring and protecting natural fish reproduction.  This should include a habitat for a stronghold of fish, wild birds, and mammals and diversified plant life.

Step 1:  Gather data

• Utilize county GIS to create map and aerial views of the entire stream (in kind services from CCCD and Planning office, assessor)

• Determine length of stream and delineate watershed area (in kind services from CCCD, Assessor)

• Determine and list property owners through GIS parcels (in kind services from CCCD)

• Create large map for display purposes (in kind from Planning)

• Develop landowner survey. Include questions about erosion and stream stabilization issues. Obtain permission to access stream on their property. Send stream buffer information (Collaborative effort on part of the BEWA, Assessor)

• Create a habitat assessment check sheet (Collaborative effort on part of the BEWA, Assessor)

• Walk and/or drive as much of the stream as possible in order to conduct a visual habitat assessment (Assessor, in kind from Gamelands staff, in kind from CCCD staff, in kind from BEWA)

• Provide photo documentation of the stream (same as above)

• Create written anecdotal and pictorial information about any erosion concerns (Assessor)

• Because of the proximity to Jonathan Run and the ARD problem take conductivity and pH readings at upper tributary to determine if ARD has affected Wallace Run. (Assessor)

Step 2. Analyze the Data

• Identify severely eroded areas. Create map targeting eroded areas. Provide landowner contact information for targeted areas. (In kind from CCCD and Planning with input from Assessor)

• Invite various agencies to participate in a stream restoration brain storming on site meeting in order to make recommendations for stabilization and restoration activities.

• Send stream buffer information and survey results to landowners (Assessor and CCCD, BEWA)

• Hold streamside buffer workshop (BEWA, CCCD. Assessor will give report)

Step 3:  Recommend Solutions  

• Create list of specific stabilization recommendations for Wallace Run.  This list could be used by the Bald Eagle Watershed Association when applying for funding for implementation projects.

• Explore the possibility of creating a riparian buffer ordinance in Boggs and Union townships and Milesburg Borough and Unionville Borough

• Explore the existence of stormwater management plans under Act 167

• Inquire about Penn Dot stormwater management plans for routes 220 and 144. Incorporate those plans into the larger Act 167 plan.

• Purchase 10 riparian bundles from the Bureau of Forestry. Make those trees available to streamside landowners.

Step 4: Potential Next Steps

It is anticipated that the “Next Steps” to the Wallace Run Conservation Plan will include the implementation of specific projects, primarily in the middle section of stream, that will correct the severe erosion problems and protect and improve the watershed. Funding programs to consider include Adopt-A-Stream, Embrace-A-Stream and Growing Greener.

For More Information:

Paul Bartley, chairman of the Bald Eagle Watershed Association:  PBartley02@aol.com

John Sloyer, field assessor for the Wallace Run project: jss1998@verizon.net

Ann Donovan, Centre County Watershed Specialist:  amdonova@co.centre.pa.us 

Bald Eagle Watershed Association

P.O. Box 42

Milesburg , PA 16853

355-3583