Before the passage of the federal Clean Water Act in 1972, many streams in Pennsylvania were severely polluted. The Clean Water Act established requirements to restore polluted rivers and streams and to prevent further degradation. Each state is required to develop water quality standards to protect and maintain water quality. These standards set designated uses for each river, stream and lake in Pennsylvania. Designated uses may be categorized as aquatic life uses, water supply uses or recreational uses. Specific types of aquatic life designated uses include Cold Water Fishes (CWF), Warm Water Fishes (WWF) and Trout Stocked Fisheries (TSF).
The CWF, WWF and TSF designated use levels do not offer enough protection to the highest quality rivers and streams. To afford those waters sufficient protection, two special protection aquatic life designated uses are also established - High Quality (HQ) and Exceptional Value (EV). Waters with HQ or EV designated uses are among the cleanest and most outstanding waters in all of Pennsylvania, and support excellent diversity and populations of aquatic life. Such a waters are valuable assets to the surrounding communities, and there are special protections in place to ensure that its water quality is protected and maintained.
The tables below are adapted from Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards of Title 25 Environmental Protection of the Pennsylvania Code.
High Quality Waters in Bedford County
Stream Name |
Limits of Designation |
Location and Other Notes |
| Shobers Run | entire basin (all tributaries) | Bedford Borough, Bedford and Cumberland Valley Townships |
| Bobs Creek | From confluence with Deep Hollow Run/Pavia Run upstream to source (including all tributaries) | Pavia Township and portions in Cambria and Blair Counties including Wallacks Branch, Rhodes Run, Ciana Run and unnamed tributaries) Note: Bobs Creek is undergoing evaluation for upgrade of designated use to Exceptional Value status |
| Deep Hollow Run | entire basin (all tributaries) | Pavia Township |
| Yellow Creek | entire basin (all tributaries) | Bloomfield, Woodbury, South Woodbury, and Hopewell Townships |
| Wills Creek | all tributaries including Little Wills Creek and its tributaries | Juniata, Harrison, and Londonderry Townships Note: The mainstem of Wills Creek in Bedford County is designated as CWF. Wolf Camp Run, Tar Water Run, and Tiger Run, Little Wills Creek and all tributaries to Little Wills Creek are all HQ-CWF |
| Evitts Creek | entire basin (all tributaries in PA) | Cumberland Valley Township |
| Town Creek | entire basin (all tributaries in PA) | Monroe and Southampton Township |
| Amorine Branch | entire basin (all tributaries in PA) | Southampton Township |
| Flintstone Creek | entire basin (all tributaries in PA) | Southampton Township |
| Lost Creek | entire basin (all tributaries) | Southampton Township |
| Twigg Hollow | entire basin (all tributaries) | Southampton Township |
| Laurel Branch | entire basin (all tributaries) | Southampton Township |
Exceptional Value Waters in Bedford County
| Cove Creek | entire basin (all tributaries) | Colerain and Snake Spring Townships |
| Sideling Hill Creek | main stem | Mann Township |
| West Branch of Sideling Hill Creek | entire basin (all tributaries) | Monroe and Southampton Townships |
| East Branch of Sideling Hill Creek | entire basin (all tributaries) | Monroe and Southampton Townships |