TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
 
 

LIST OF TABLES viii

LIST OF FIGURES ix

LIST OF MAPS xi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xiii

INTRODUCTION 1

Methods 3

Chapter 1   POLITICAL AND HISTORICAL SETTING 5
Location-Political Setting 5
Historical-Cultural Setting 6

Chapter 2  PHYSICAL SETTING 13
Watershed Context 13
Climate 13
Description 14
Land Use On-Site 21

Chapter 3   HYDROLOGY AND AQUATIC HABITATS 24
Springs 24
Stormwater 28
Water Quality 34
Dissolved Oxygen 38
Turbidity 39
Nitrogen 41
Phosphorus 44
Chloride 46
Fecal Coliform 47
pH………. 48
Other Contaminants 49
Stream Morphology, Habitat, and Discharge 52
Discussion 58

Chapter 4    GEOLOGY and SOILS 64
Physiography 64
Soils 66
Discussion 70

Chapter 5   VEGETATION 71
Cover Types 71
Species of Special Concern 82
Non-Native and Invasive Vegetation 85
Cover Type Changes 89
Discussion 93

Chapter 6    FAUNA 98
Invertebrates 100
Stream Macroinvertebrates 101
Wetland Macroinvertebrates 120
Fish…………… 124
Amphibians and Reptiles 130
Birds 131
Mammals 140
Discussion 142

Chapter 7   RECOMMENDATIONS 144

REFERENCES 156

APPENDIX……. 165

MAPS  169

 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1-1    Centre County Population and Projected Population 12
Table 1-2    Centre Region Population and Projected Population 12
Table 3-1    Stream Discharge Data for Millbrook Marsh on June 13 and October 21, 1997 28
Table 3-2    Summary of EPA Rapid Bioassessment Protocol III for macroinvertebrate sampling stations within Millbrook Marsh, July, 1997 36
Table 3-3    Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1959-1989 39
Table 3-4    Turbidity Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1978-1989 40
Table 3-5    Ammonia Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1959-1989 42
Table 3-6    Kjeldahl Nitrogen Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams and Springs 1959-1980 43
Table 3-7    Nitrate Nitrogen Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1960-1989 43
Table 3-8    Total Phosphorus Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1960-1989 45
Table 3-9    Ortho-Phosphorus Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1960-1980 45
Table 3-10   Phosphate Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1962-1986 45
Table 3-11   Chloride Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1963-1989 46
Table 3-12   Fecal Coliform Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1959-1989 47
Table 3-13   pH Levels in Millbrook Marsh Streams 1941-1989 49
Table 3-14   Summary of habitat composition in reaches of Slab Cabin Run and Thompson Run within Millbrook Marsh 53
Table 3-15   1997 Millbrook Mash Streams and Springs Discharge 58
Table 4-1    Water Analysis Data for 3 Locations in Millbrook Marsh Calcareous Fen 70
Table 5-1    Millbrook Marsh Vegetation 1954-1997 75
Table 5-2    Non-Native Vegetation in Millbrook Marsh, 1954-1997 86
Table 6-1    1997 Millbrook Marsh Benthic Macroinvertebrates  103
Table 6-2    1978 Millbrook Marsh Qualitative Benthic Macroinvertebrates 107
Table 6-3    1980 Millbrook Marsh Benthic Macroinvertebrates 110
Table 6-4    List of benthic taxa collected from Thompson Run in 1983 and 1984 112
Table 6-5    1987-89 Millbrook Marsh Qualitative Benthic Macroinvertebrates 114
Table 6-6    Millbrook Marsh Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity, 1980 and 1997 117
Table 6-7    Percent Dominant Taxa in 1980 and 1997 Millbrook Marsh Macroinvertebrate Communities 119
Table 6-8    1997 Millbrook Marsh Wetland Macroinvertebrates of Reference Wetland Site #56 and #57 122
Table 6-9    1997 Fish Collected in Millbrook Marsh 126
Table 6-10   Millbrook Marsh Fish Inventory 1979-1997 127
Table 6-11   Electrofishing Data for Brown Trout in Millbrook Marsh Streams 128
Table 6-12   Electrofishing Data for Rainbow Trout in Millbrook Marsh Streams 129
Table 6-13   Amphibians and Reptiles Observed in Millbrook Marsh 1993 to 1997 131
Table 6-14   Millbrook Marsh Bird Inventory 1995-1998 138
Table 6-15   1993-1998 Millbrook Marsh Mammal Inventory, Species or Sign of Mammals Observed 142
Millbrook Marsh Stream Transect Data Collected 7/29-31/97 165
Millbrook Marsh Stream Morphology Data 1997 168
 

 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1-1  Centre Region Population Growth 12
Figure 2-1  Millbrook Marsh and Farm 12 , Puddintown Rd. on left, Rte. 322 at top. July 16, 1997……. 15
Figure 2-2  Bathgate Spring Run. Early spring, 1997. 15
Figure 2-3  Millbrook Marsh from southeast corner. East College Ave. on bottom, Rte 322 on right. July 1997. 17
Figure 2-4  Thompson Run at Puddintown Rd. and East College Ave. 1997.  17
Figure 2-5  Palustrine Emergent Wetland between Thompson Run and Slab Cabin Run. July 1998. 19
Figure 3-1  Bathgate Spring Run. July 1998. 26
Figure 3-2  Stormwater drainage ditch above the duck pond. The height of the author is 160cm. 30
Figure 3-3  Parking lot drainage entry into southeast corner of Millbrook Marsh behind College Township Building. 33
Figure 3-4  Swath left in emergent wetland vegetation within 100-yr floodplain from parking lot drainage, southeast corner of Millbrook Marsh. 33
Figure 3-5  Gravel bar formation in Thompson Run. July 1998. 54
Figure 3-6  Gravel bar formation in Thompson Run. July 1998. 54
Figure 3-7  Confluence of Slab Cabin Run (left) and Thompson Run (right), looking upstream. July 1998. 56
Figure 3-8  Slab Cabin Run just after Thompson Run confluence. Degraded streambank is opposite the confluence. July 1998. 56
Figure 5-1  Reference Wetland Site #56 Severely disturbed riparian depression,to the right of Bathgate Spring Run in photo mid-ground. July 1998. 74
Figure 5-2  Reference Wetland Site #57 Severely disturbed headwater floodplain along east side of Thompson Run, opposite the confluence with Bathgate Spring Run, just right of center in the photograph July 1998. 74
Figure 5-3  Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata in Millbrook Marsh.  July 1998. 79
Figure 5-4  Foxtail Sedge, Carex vulpinoides in Millbrook Marsh. July 1998. 80
Figure 5-5  Blue Vervain Verbena hastata and Green bulrush Scirpus atrovirens in Millbrook Marsh. July 1998. 80
Figure 5-6  Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata in Millbrook Marsh. July 1998. 81
Figure 5-7 Sedge, Carex sp. and Cattail, Typha latifolia in Millbrook Marsh 1998. 81
Figure 5-8  Canada Thistle, Cirsium arvense, in field along Bathgate Spring Run in Millbrook Marsh. July 1998. 90
Figure 5-9 Shrub invasion, mainly Multiflora Rose, Rosa multiflora and Japanese Honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica College Township Building in lower left. July 1998. 90
Figure 5-10  Historical aerial photographs of Millbrook Marsh and vicinity documenting changes in land use and land cover  1948 - 1994. 91
Figure 5-11  Gravel deposit on Thompson Run bank in Millbrook Marsh 97
Figure 7-1  Stormwater drainage ditch above duck pond. July 1998. 146
Figure 7-2  Thompson Run streambank erosion in Millbrook Marsh July 1998. 146
Figure 7-3  Slab Cabin Run eroded streambank in Millbrook Marsh after confluence with Thompson Run. July 1998. 147
Figure 7-4  Confluence of Bathgate Spring Run (right) and Thompson Run (left) in Millbrook Marsh July 1998. 155

 LIST OF MAPS
Map 1 Study Area and Context 169
Map 2 Spring Creek Watershed 170
Map 3 Land Use 171
Map 4 Circulation and Access 172
Map 5 Concept 173
Map 6 Management Zones 174
Map 7 Hydrology 175
Map 8 Soils 176
Map 9 Vegetation 177
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I grant The Pennsylvania State University the nonexclusive right to use this work for the University's own purposes and to make single copies of the work available to the public on a not-for-profit basis if copies are not otherwise available.

 Cheryl Joy Lipton
 
 
 
 

We approve the thesis of Cheryl Joy Lipton.
 

Robert P. Brooks
Professor of Wildlife and WetlandsThesis Advisor

Kenneth Tamminga
Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture

C. Andrew Cole
Research AssociateAffiliate Assistant Professor of Landscape Architecture

Richard H. Yahner
Professor of Wildlife Conservation
In Charge of Graduate Programs in Ecology
 
 
 
 
 

ABSTRACT

The 36 ha Millbrook Marsh, an exceptional collection of habitat types in an urbanizing area, consists of riparian zones, palustrine emergent wetland, palustrine scrub-shrub wetland, calcareous fen, early successional upland brush and forest, and pasture and farmland interspersed with woody hedgerows.  It provides habitat for abundant flora and fauna, including many wetland species, and offers an outstanding educational opportunity to the community.  The new Millbrook Marsh Nature Center encompasses 25 ha of the marsh and the remaining 11 ha are privately owned.

This paper is a compilation, synthesis and analysis of documents and research regarding the natural history of Millbrook Marsh, historically and up to the present.  Information was gathered from interviews, published and unpublished papers, reports and data and personal observation.

 Disturbance levels within the marsh range from minimal to severe.  Some impacts upon it have ceased while others have increased.  Sewage treatment plant effluent had tremendous impact upon the streams until 1983.  Population growth, projected to be more than 26% over the next 20 years in the surrounding region, is causing increases in proximity to development and in stormwater.  Stormwater, with its typical contaminants, is now one of the major detrimental forces acting upon numerous biotic and abiotic components of the marsh.

Millbrook Marsh contains a full range of hydrological regimes from persistent saturation to dry upland areas.  Two "Cold Water Fish" classified streams, Thompson Run and Slab Cabin Run, traverse and converge within the site.  The morphology of Thompson and Slab Cabin Run are significantly affected by large amounts of stormwater origination in the surrounding areas that include residential, commercial, agriculture, and University land use.  Bathgate Spring Run, fed by two springs off site, travels through the Nature Center area.  Bathgate and the many small springs are the most consistent in discharge throughout the year, while the discharge of  Slab Cabin Run varies significantly during dry seasons.  The discharge of Thompson Spring seems to have decreased gradually yet significantly over the past 60 years.

The geological conditions of the area result in the high water table and numerous springs.  The limestone bedrock causes the alkaline conditions necessary to support the plant community of the calcareous fen.  Almost 2/3 of the part emergent, part shrub fen was covered with urban fill during the late 1960s, yet it remains one of the largest in Pennsylvania.

There are at least 155 plant species in Millbrook Marsh, including the entire range from obligate wetland to upland species as well as some of special concern.  Non-native invasive vegetation is another major detriment to Millbrook Marsh.  Non-native plant species have increased from 20% in 1980 to 32% in 1997.  A very significant increase in upland non-native shrub species has occurred in the past 50 years, with most of the change occurring in the past 10 to 15 years.

The fauna observed within Millbrook Marsh includes invertebrates and all vertebrate groups.  Stream macroinvertebrate communities reflect moderate degradation due to stormwater input.  Fish species richness has declined, but most species lost were warm water fish.  Bird species richness is  to date, including 16 wetland species.  Of the 12 mammal species observed, 5 are wetland dependent.

Recommendations for Millbrook Marsh address the problems related to stormwater and invasive, non-native vegetation.  Stabilization of streambanks is necessary for restoration and to prevent further degradation, as is reduction of stormwater quantity and improvement of stormwater quality.  Initial baseline inventories are needed for reptiles, amphibians and mammals, as well as additional inventories in sections of the marsh that have not been formally studied.  Continued research within the calcareous fen could result in recommendation for restoration.  Water quality monitoring should include testing for typical stormwater contaminants, as well as inventories of stream and soil macroinvertebrates.  A periodic monitoring schedule should be established to determine changes in the marsh and to determine actions that will prevent further degradation.

To obtain the greatest benefits of Millbrook Marsh, it should be protected, restored, and managed in conjunction with public access and education.  With this initial Natural History of Millbrook Marsh and the Protection and Management Plan for Millbrook Marsh (Brooks et al. 1998), the wonderful variety of flora, fauna and habitats that is Millbrook Marsh can thrive and continue to be a place of inspiration, discovery, and preservation.
 

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

 I would like to acknowledge the support and cooperation of the Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Center, which is jointly supported by the Environmental Resources Research Institute and the School of Forest Resources.  In addition, the cooperation and assistance given by the Pennsylvania State University Land Analysis Laboratory was invaluable.  I would also like to acknowledge the cooperation and materials made available by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Centre Regional Planning Agency, and the Penn State Office of Physical Plant.

 I especially thank my advisor, Rob Brooks for his support and guidance throughout this project and for welcoming me to the Cooperative Wetlands Center.  Though he is one of the busiest people I have met, he always, somehow, finds more time and energy to give.  I never lacked advice and encouragement from him.  Thanks also to Ken Tamminga and C. Andrew Cole, my committee members, for advice during the writing stages.  It has been a wonderful experience working with Rob Brooks and Ken Tamminga on the Millbrook Marsh projects.  Thanks also go to the Millbrook Marsh Advisory Committee for their welcome and for their enthusiasm for the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center.  Many thanks to Rick Day and especially Cindy Hendricks at the Land Analysis Laboratory for her time and assistance in Arcview and Arcedit.  Thanks go to Tim O’Connell for sharing his wealth of information on birds.

 Special thanks go to my mother, who has taught me to work for what I want, and to my father, who taught me that learning is a joy that never ends.  Thank you, Glenn, for physics.  Thank you to Marianne and Lori.  I am most thankful to Joe Pierce, who supported me in many ways through the whole of this project and before, and without whom it couldn’t have been done.