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The Beech Creek Watershed is located in Northcentral Pennsylvania and includes parts of Centre and Clinton Counties. The head waters of Beech Creek, the main drainage of the watershed, originate to the north and south of the Snow Shoe Region of Centre County. Beech Creek flows in an generally easterly direction toward its mouth which is located southeast of the town of Beech Creek and below the Sayers Dam. Beech Creek drains into the Bald Eagle Creek at its mouth. The watershed is described on the USGS 7.5 minute series Topographic Maps that follow.

• Beech Creek Quadrangle
• Howard Quadrangle
• Howard NW Quadrangle
• Snow Shoe Quadrangle
• Snow Shoe SE Quadrangle
• Snow Shoe NE Quadrangle
• Snow Shoe NW Quadrangle
• Bear Knob Quadrangle
• Karthaus Quadrangle

The Beech Creek Watershed is part of the Susquehanna River Basin. - (HUC = 02050000) - (Drainage List L)

West Branch Susquehanna River - (HUC = 02050200) - (Drainage area = 6,992 Square Miles)
Bald Eagle Creek - (HUC = 02050204) - (Drainage Area = 770 Square Miles)
Beech Creek - (PA Stream Code: 22596, SWP: 09C) (Drainage Area = 171 Square Mles)

Beech Creek, a tributary to the Bald Eagle Creek, is located in Northcentral Pennsylvania. The Beech Creek Watershed consists of 171-square mile area that spans both the Appalachian Plateaus Province and the Ridge and Valley Province.

The portion of the watershed, from the mouth of Beech Creek to an upstream location near the town of Beech Creek, where the Creek crosses the Allegheny Front, lies in the Appalachian Mountain Section of the Ridge and Valley Province.

Upstream of the town of Beech Creek to a location near the town of Orviston, Beech Creek flows through the Allegheny Front Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province.

Upstream from Orviston, Beech Creek flows through the Deep Valleys Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province until a location near its forks. From this location, the North Fork of Beech Creek flows into the main stream from the Pittsburgh Low Plateau Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province and the South Fork of Beech Creek flows into the main stream from the Allegheny Front Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province.

Section Descriptions

Appalachian Mountain Section of the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province
Dominant Topographic Form: Long narrow ridges and broad to narrow valleys; some karst.
Local Relief: Moderate to very high.
Underlying Rock Type: Sandstone, siltstone, shale, conglomerate, limestone, and dolomite.
Geologic Structure: Open and closed plunging folds, having narrow hinges and planar limbs; variety of faults.
Approximate Elevation: Min. 440 feet / Max. 1,715 feet
Drainage Pattern: Trellis, angulate, and some karst.
Eastern Boundaries: Base of slope change of eastern ridges; arbitrary between ridges.
Origin: Fluvial erosion; solution of carbonate rocks; periglacial mass wasting.

Allegheny Front Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province
Dominant Topographic Form: In the East, rounded to linear hills rising by steps to an escarpment; hills cut by narrow valleys.
Local Relief: Moderate to high.
Underlying Rock Type: Shale, siltstone, and sandstone.
Geologic Structure: Beds having low northwest dip; some faults
Approximate Elevation: Min. 540 feet / Max. 2,980 feet
Drainage Pattern: Parallel and trellis.
Eastern Boundaries: Stream at base of hills below escarpment.
Origin: Fluvial erosion; some periglacial mass wasting.

Deep Valleys Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province
Dominant Topographic Form: Very deep, angular valleys; some broad to narrow uplands.
Local Relief: Moderate to high.
Underlying Rock Type: Sandstone, siltstone, shale, and conglomerate.
Geologic Structure: Moderate-amplitude, open folds that control valley orientations.
Approximate Elevation: Min. 540 feet / Max. 2,560 feet
Drainage Pattern: Angulate and rectangular.
Eastern Boundaries: Arbitrary at margins of deep valleys, either at top of valley slope or along drainage divide.
Origin: Fluvial erosion; periglacial mass wasting.

Pittsburgh Low Plateau Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Province
Dominant Topographic Form: Smooth to irregular, undulating surface; narrow, relatively shallow valleys; strip mines and reclaimed land.
Local Relief: Low to moderate.
Underlying Rock Type: Shale, siltstone, limestone, and coal.
Geologic Structure: Moderate-to low-amplitude, open folds, decreasing in occurrence northwestward.
Approximate Elevation: Min. 660 feet / Max. 2,340 feet
Drainage Pattern: Dendritic.
Eastern Boundaries: Arbitrary at topographic changes with adjacent sections.
Origin: Fluvial erosion; periglacial mass wasting, strip mining.

Source: PA DCNR, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey - "Physiographic Provinces - Map 13"
Map of Physiographic Provinces of Pennsylvania available from DCNR, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey

The bedrock geology that is exhibited in the Beech Creek Watershed results from depositonal events that occurred during three periods of geologic time. The oldest rocks exist to the south of the Allegheny Front Boundary in the region of the mouth of the watershed and were deposited during the Devonian Period, some 365-405 million years ago. The majority of the watershed is underlain by rock that was deposited during the Mississippian Period that lasted from 330-365 million years ago. The Pennsylvanian Period, that lasted from 290-330 million years ago, produced the youngest rocks that are found in portions of the upper watershed.

DEVONIAN PERIOD
(365–405 mil. yrs.)
Red sandstone, gray shale, black shale, limestone, and chert.
Flagstone, silica sand, clay, lime.

MISSISSIPPIAN PERIOD
(330–365 mil. yrs.)
Red and gray sand stone, shale, and limestone.
Flagstone, limestone, clay.

PENNSYLVANIAN PERIOD
(290–330 mil. yrs.)
Cyclic sequences of sandstone, red and gray shale, conglomerate, clay, coal, and limestone.
Coal, clay, lime, building stone.

Resources: Distribution of Pennsylvania Coals Map

State College, Centre County, PA	10-Year	30-Year	103-Year
Average Temperatures	49.31	49.21	49.31
Average Rain or Liquid Equivalent	41.78	39.70	38.63
Average Snow and/or Ice Pellets	53.80	49.10	46.40

Source: Pennsylvania State University Campus Weather Service

Stream Flow Data for Beech Creek at Monument, Center County, Pennsylvania

USGS Station Number 01547950 - Hydrologic Unit Code 02050204

Drainage Area = 152.0 square miles

Latitude: 41deg 06min 42sec Longitude: 77deg 42min 09sec NAD27

Station Location: On right bank 800 feet downstream from bridge at Monument, 850 feet downstream from Monument Run, 0.6 miles upstream from Twin Run and 8.7 miles upstream from mouth.

Gage datum 741.60 feet above sea level NGVD29

Year	Annual mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s	Year	Annual mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s	Year	Annual mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s	Year	Annual mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s
1969	185*	1970	327	1971	246	1972	397
1973	260	1974	307	1975	355	1976	241
1977	300	1978	276	1979	370	1980	170
1981	280	1982	260	1983	270	1984	324
1985	224	1986	267	1987	227	1988	164
1989	236	1990	355	1991	181	1992	234
1993	340	1994	335	1995	180	1996	387
1997	205	1998	259	1999	**	--	--

Source: USGS Water Data
*Partial Year (10/1/69 to 12/31/69 only)
**Partial Year (9/30/99 to 12/31/99 only)

North Fork of Beech Creek - Data Range (05/01/1969 to 10/14/1970)

Stream Flow Data for the North Fork of Beech Creek, Center County, Pennsylvania

USGS Station Number 01547770 - Hydrologic Unit Code 02050204

Drainage Area = 20.8 square miles

Latitude: 41deg 02min 54sec Longitude: 077deg 52min 11sec NAD27

Station Location: Within 500 feet upstream of mouth

Datum of gage is 1,230.00 feet above sea level NGVD29

Month/Year	Monthly mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s	Month/Year	Monthly mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s	Month/Year	Monthly mean streamflow, in cubic ft/s
05/1969	34.0	06/1969	18.6	07/1969	8.6
08/1969	13.4	09/1969	5.1	10/1969	5.1
11/1969	24.5	12/1969	26.5	01/1970	15.9
02/1970	46.1	03/1970	54.6	04/1970	85.7
05/1970	37.2	06/1970	15.2	07/1970	14.3
08/1970	10.2	09/1970	4.6	10/1970	6.2*

Source: USGS Water Data
*Partial Month (10/1/1970 to 10/14/1970)

In 1819 coal was discovered by a hunting party near the Snow Shoe area of the watershed. At this time most homes were heated with wood and coal mining was limited to local use. This all changed in 1859 when the Bellefonte and Snow Shoe Railroad was completed. Now trainloads of coal and timber could be moved to markets in the East. Eventually, the New York Central lines were connected and coal mining mushroomed. Mining practices at this time involved digging tunnels or shafts that sometimes sloped sharply downward for several hundred feet.

Many mining villages were scattered over the coal bearing regions of the watershed and local coal industries flourished. For example, in the 1880's about 100 coke ovens were located in the Clarence area. The coal was brought in by train and made into coke, which had a ready market in Pittsburgh as a fuel for the iron furnaces.

Deep mining in the watershed has ceased long ago and the mines were abandoned. Today, the names of the mining villages are no more than memories. But the problems associated with the early deep mining and the later "strip" mining methods linger on. They include openings such as deep mine entries, refuse piles, subsidence and 'ponding' areas, altered landscapes which were not reclaimed, and the exposure of acid bearing overburden to air and water. These problems are the source of the mine drainage that plagues the watershed. About 4 % or 7 square miles of the watershed had been disturbed by currently inactive coal and clay strip mines by the 1970's.

Beech Creek is impaired due to coal mine drainage resulting from inactive deep and strip mines located within the watershed. All of the mine drainage in the watershed eventually flows into Beech Creek, which is badly polluted with high acid, iron, and aluminum loadings. Beech Creek with its headwaters in the Snow Shoe Region, flows in an easterly direction through Centre and Clinton Counties toward its mouth, just south of the town of Beech Creek, where it enters the Bald Eagle Creek. The watershed extends over an area of 172-square miles. Today the result is that the beautiful, but polluted, waters of Beech Creek and much of the watershed represent a "lost treasure" to the people of central Pennsylvania.

Additional Factors Contributing to the Beech Creek Watershed Problems

• Gravity systems were used to drain mine waters below the water table.
• Gobbing, which refers to the practice of discarding refuse in the mine workings, was a common practice.
• Surface and ground water enter deep mines and flow over long distances and travel through acid-producing material before discharge.
• Refuse piles
• Fissured overburden increases water infiltration in deep mines close to the surface.

To view locations listed in the Watershed Inventory list, see the Watershed Stream Diagram

Watershed: Beech Creek

Sub-watershed: South Fork Beech Creek
  Drainage: South Fork Beech Creek
    Sub-sub-watershed: SF-1
      Drainage: SF-1
    Sub-sub-watershed: Stinktown Run
      Drainage: Stinktown Run
        Sub-drainage: STR-1
    Sub-sub-watershed: Horsehead Run
      Drainage: Horsehead Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: Butts Run
      Drainage: Butts Run
        Sub-drainage: BUR-A
    Sub-sub-watershed: Jonathan Run
      Drainage: Jonathan Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: SF-2
      Drainage: SF-2
    Sub-sub-watershed: SF-3
      Drainage: SF-3
    Sub-sub-watershed: SF-4
      Drainage: SF-4

Sub-watershed: North Fork Beech Creek
  Drainage: North Fork Beech Creek
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-1
      Drainage: NF-1
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-2
      Drainage: NF-2
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-3
      Drainage: NF-3
    Sub-sub-watershed: Cherry Run
      Drainage: Cherry Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-4
      Drainage: NF-4
    Sub-sub-watershed: Little Sandy Run
      Drainage: Little Sandy Run
        Sub-drainage: LSR-A
        Sub-drainage: LSR-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: LSR-B-1
        Sub-drainage: LSR-C
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-5
      Drainage: NF-5
        Sub-drainage: NF-5-A
        Sub-drainage: NF-5-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: NF-5-B-1
        Sub-drainage: NF-5-C
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-6
      Drainage: NF-6
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-7
      Drainage: NF-7
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-8
      Drainage: NF-8
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-9
      Drainage: NF-9
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-10
      Drainage: NF-10
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-11
      Drainage: NF-11
    Sub-sub-watershed: NF-12
      Drainage: NF-12

Sub-watershed: Beech Creek   Drainage: Beech Creek
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-1
      Drainage: BC-1
    Sub-sub-watershed: Rock Run
      Drainage: Rock Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-2
      Drainage: BC-2
        Sub-drainage: BC-2-A
    Sub-sub-watershed: Sandy Run
      Drainage: Sandy Run
        Sub-drainage: SR-A
        Sub-drainage: SR-B
        Sub-drainage: Contrary Run
        Sub-drainage: Beauty Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: BEA-A
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: BEA-A-1
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: BEA-A-2
          Sub-sub-drainage: BEA-B
        Sub-drainage: SR-C
          Sub-sub-drainage: SR-C-1
        Sub-drainage: SR-D
        Sub-drainage: SR-E
        Sub-drainage: SR-F
        Sub-drainage: SR-G
          Sub-sub-drainage: SR-G-1
    Sub-watershed: Wolf Run
      Drainage: Wolf Run
        Sub-drainage: WR-A
        Sub-drainage: WR-B
        Sub-drainage: WR-C
        Sub-drainage: WR-D
        Sub-drainage: WR-E
        Sub-drainage: WR-F
        Sub-drainage: WR-G
        Sub-drainage: WR-H
        Sub-drainage: Little Wolf Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: LWR-A
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-3
      Drainage: BC-3
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-4
      Drainage: BC-4
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-5
      Drainage: BC-5
      Sub-sub-watershed: BC-6
      Drainage: BC-6
    Sub-sub-watershed: Panther Run
      Drainage: Panther Run
        Sub-drainage: PR-A
        Sub-drainage: PR-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: PR-B-1
        Sub-drainage: PR-C
          Sub-sub-drainage: PR-C-1
        Sub-drainage: PR-D
          Sub-sub-drainage: PR-D-1
        Sub-sub-watershed: BC-7
      Drainage: BC-7
    Sub-sub-watershed: Eddy Lick Run
      Drainage: Eddy Lick Run
        Sub-drainage: ELR-A
        Sub-drainage: ELR-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: ELR-B-1
        Sub-drainage: ELR-C
        Sub-drainage: ELR-D
          Sub-sub-drainage: ELR-D-1
          Sub-sub-drainage: ELR-D-2
        Sub-drainage: ELR-E
        Sub-draniage: ELR-F
        Sub-drainage: ELR-G
          Sub-sub-drainage: ELR-G-1
        Sub-drainage: ELR-H
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-8
      Drainage: BC-8
    Sub-sub-watershed: Logway Run
      Drainage: Logway Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: Council Run
      Drainage: Council Run
        Sub-drainage: CR-A
        Sub-drainage: CR-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: CR-B-1
          Sub-sub-drainage: CR-B-2
          Sub-sub-drainage: CR-B-3
        Sub-drainage: CR-C
          Sub-sub-drainage: CR-C-1
        Sub-drainage: CR-D
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-9
      Drainage: BC-9
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-10
      Drainage: BC-10
    Sub-sub-watershed: Two Rock Run
      Drainage: Two Rock Run
        Sub-drainage: TR-A
    Sub-sub-watershed: Three Rock Run
      Drainage: Three Rock Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: Hayes Run
      Drainage: Hayes Run
        Sub-drainage: HR-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: HR-A-1
        Sub-drainage: HR-B
        Sub-drainage: HR-C
        Sub-drainage: Little Hayes Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: LHR-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: LHR-B
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-11
      Drainage: BC-11
    Sub-sub-watershed: Big Run
      Drainage: Big Run
        Sub-drainage: East Branch
          Sub-sub-drainage: EB-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: Swamp Branch
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: Coon Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: EB-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: EB-C
        Sub-drainage: Middle Branch
          Sub-sub-drainage: Spring Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: MB-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: MB-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: MB-C
          Sub-sub-drainage: MB-D
          Sub-sub-drainage: Sinking Spring Branch
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: SS-A
        Sub-drainage: BR-A
        Sub-drainage: West Branch
          Sub-sub-drainage: WB-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: WB-B
          Sub-sub-drainage: Panther Branch
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: PB-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: WB-C
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: WB-C-1
          Sub-sub-drainage: Owl Hollow Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: Little Bear Run
          Sub-sub-drainage: Bear Run
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: BER-A
          Sub-sub-drainage: WB-D
        Sub-drainage: BR-B
        Sub-drainage: BR-C
          Sub-sub-drainage: BR-C-1
          Sub-sub-drainage: BR-C-2
          Sub-sub-drainage: BR-C-3
    Sub-sub-watershed: Salt Lick Run
      Drainage: Salt Lick Run
        Sub-drainage: SLR-A (Trapping Hol.)
    Sub-sub-watershed: Green Run
      Drainage: Green Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: Monument Run
      Drainage: Monument Run
        Sub-drainage: MR-A
        Sub-drainage: MR-B
        Sub-drainage: MR-C
        Sub-drainage: MR-D
        Sub-drainage: MR-E
          Sub-sub-drainage: MR-E-1
            Sub-sub-sub-drainage: MR-E-1-a
        Sub-drainage: MR-F
        Sub-drainage: MR-G
    Sub-sub-watershed: Twin Run
      Drainage: Twin Run
        Sub-drainage: TWR-A
        Sub-drainage: TWR-B
        Sub-drainage: TWR-C
        Sub-drainage: TWR-D
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-12
      Drainage: BC-12
        Sub-drainage: BC-12-A
        Sub-drainage: Sugar Camp Run
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-13 (The Cove)
      Drainage: BC-13
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-14
      Drainage: BC-14
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-15
      Drainage: BC-15
        Sub-drainage: BC-15-A
        Sub-drainage: BC-15-B
        Sub-drainage: BC-15-C
    Sub-sub-watershed: BC-16
      Drainage: BC-16
    Sub-sub-watershed: Bitner Run
      Drainage: Bitner Run
        Sub-drainage: BIT-A
        Sub-drainage: BIT-B
        Sub-drainage: BIT-C
    Sub-sub-watershed: Sugar Run
      Drainage: Sugar Run

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