When the Falls Runs Low

The Seasonal Rhythm of Howard Falls

This August has had unusually wet periods (as well as dry ones) in Erie County, and Howard Falls has certainly shown it. Those heavy rains sent the waters of Falls Run surging over the brink, scenes more reminiscent of spring than late summer, when the waterfall is typically at its quietest. Seeing all that water got us thinking about a question we are often asked:

“Does Howard Falls ever dry up?” 

The short answer is “No,” but to understand why it does not, we will have to wade into Falls Run, the small stream that feeds the waterfall. Its flow can change dramatically with the weather, from a rushing stream after heavy rain or snowmelt to barely a trickle during those driest stretches of summer. From its ecologically significant headwaters to the changing seasonal flow of the stream and a natural spring just above the falls, the complex answer lies in the water’s journey to Howard Falls.

The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program

The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program defines Natural Heritage Areas as places that support rare plants or animals, exemplary ecological communities, or particularly important examples of Pennsylvania’s native biodiversity. These areas include not only the immediate habitat of species of concern, but also the contiguous lands necessary to support them. Identifying these areas gives communities, landowners, and conservation organizations a tool for recognizing sensitive habitats and making informed decisions about their long-term protection.

Falls Run passes through three of these Natural Heritage Areas on its journey from its headwaters to Howard Falls and onto Elk Creek. We already explored one of them, the Falls Run Gorge NHA, in our previous blog post, “Hillside,” where we looked at the gorge and the history of the surrounding land. Much of the Falls Run Gorge NHA is now protected by the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania and the Howard Falls Trust. Together, their holdings protect approximately 75 percent of the Natural Heritage Area’s Core Habitat. But the Falls Run Gorge NHA is not the only Natural Heritage Area connected to Howard Falls. Following Falls Run upstream from the gorge leads through two additional Natural Heritage Areas, meaning much of the stream’s journey from its headwaters to Elk Creek has been recognized for its ecological importance.

So let’s take a walk up Falls Run toward its origins a few miles to the south and see what we find along the way.

Falls Run Natural Heritage Area

As we head south along Falls Run above Howard Falls, we first notice that the stream has become mostly a surface stream with no significant gorge associated with it. We soon come across a section of the stream that has been designated the Falls Run Natural Heritage Area, also ranked as being of state significance, with this designation centered on the stream itself and the quality of its aquatic habitat.

The Natural Heritage Program identified two sensitive species of concern within this stretch of Falls Run. Their names are withheld at the request of the agency responsible for their protection to prevent exploitation, illegal collection, or purposeful harm to vulnerable populations, but both depend upon good water quality. The report notes that their habitat may extend beyond the boundaries of the designated Natural Heritage Area, both upstream and downstream.

Here again, the surrounding landscape matters. Forest along Falls Run helps shade and regulate the temperature of the stream while reducing erosion and sediment entering the water. The Natural Heritage Program recommends conserving and expanding these forested riparian buffers along Falls Run and its tributaries, particularly where agricultural land reaches the stream.

Falls Run – Shenango Creek Headwaters Natural Heritage Area

Now let’s continue our journey upstream to find the origins of Falls Run.  It won’t take long to get there, and when we do, we will be standing on the St. Lawrence River Divide. This continental divide is a major defining feature across central and eastern North America, separating the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence river basin from other major Atlantic and Gulf watersheds. Here it cuts diagonally across Franklin Township, where rain or snow falling on opposite sides of the Divide flows into completely different regional water systems.

To the north, waters flow into Falls Run, eventually reaching Lake Erie, then over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario, down the St. Lawrence River, past the ancient Viking settlement of L’Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, and into the North Atlantic.  To the south, waters flow into Shenango Creek, reaching Edinboro Lake, the Allegheny River system, into the Ohio, Mississippi River, and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico.  Quite a difference indeed, depending on which side of the Divide you happen to be on!

So along the way to the Divide, our walk along Falls Run meandered approximately 3 miles southeast through farmland and woodlands to the headwaters. The headwaters lie within an approximately 2.3-square-mile rural block bounded by Old State Road to the north, Crane Road to the south, Eureka Road to the west, and Silverthorn Road to the east. A large wetland complex sits fairly centered in the block where the watershed divides inconspicuously between Falls Run and the Shenango Creek.

This area has been classified as the Falls Run – Shenango Creek Headwaters Natural Heritage Area. The wetlands provide habitat for several species of concern, including the harlequin darner, a dragonfly that breeds in shallow pools within wooded wetlands; the rarely seen fingered Lemmeria moth; and early coral root, an uncommon Pennsylvania orchid.

The health of these wetlands is closely tied to water. Changes to the site’s hydrology, sediment and agricultural runoff, nutrient pollution, and pesticide use are among the threats identified by the Natural Heritage Program. Its conservation recommendations emphasize maintaining and expanding forested buffers around the wetlands and waterways to reduce erosion, sedimentation, and pollution.

The Falls Run Drainage Basin Above Howard Falls.

From its origins at the Continental Divide, Falls Run drains more than four square miles of Franklin Township from its headwaters to Howard Falls (indicated in yellow on the map below).  The following map also shows the three Natural Heritage Areas along its course, beginning at the Continental Divide.

With four square miles of drainage, it is not surprising that the Falls can see a lot of water when there is significant precipitation.  Consider these facts.  Each inch of precipitation on a square mile of land is the equivalent of 17 million gallons!  With Falls Run draining more than four square miles, water that does not soak into the ground feeds the small tributaries of Falls Run and eventually surges over the falls.  Once this event has passed, the Falls becomes tranquil again until the next weather event.

Streams that exhibit this type of behavior are called ‘Seasonal or Intermittent streams’. Characteristically, these streams flow during certain times of the year or during weather events when smaller upstream waters are flowing and when groundwater provides enough water for stream flow. Runoff from rainfall supplements the flow of a seasonal stream. During dry periods, seasonal streams may not appear to have flowing surface water. Larger seasonal streams are more common in dry areas.

But, as mentioned earlier, Howard Falls has never been observed to completely run dry even though Falls Run exhibits the characteristics of a seasonal stream.  This dilemma is resolved by recognizing the small amount of water that flows into Falls Run from springs that are occasionally found along the banks of the stream.

An excellent example of this type of water source is a spring located just above the Falls.  In published historical accounts of the area, this spring was called ‘Deer Lick’ spring, as deer were found to frequent the spring to lick the minerals built up there.  This spring flows at about 300 gallons per day, and the flow is has been observed to be consistent through dry and wet seasons.  The spring is fed by groundwater that penetrates the Devonian shale layers that make up the underlying bedrock of Franklin Township.  Falls Run is fed by numerous of these springs along its course, and this supplemental water keeps the Falls active throughout the year, albeit at a ‘trickle’ in dry seasons.

Conclusion

So in our journey to the headwaters of Falls Run we have learned how the stream has its origins at the St. Lawrence Continental Divide of North America, how important ecological environments are found along its course, and how its drainage basin includes over four square miles of Franklin Township.  Important too are the numerous small springs that emanate from the Devonian shale along the banks of the stream.  While minuscule compared to the flow during weather events, these springs provide constant water to the environment of the stream bed and are the source of the constant trickle of water over Howard Falls, even in the driest of times.  It is a small but remarkable reminder of how interconnected the landscape around Howard Falls really is, and why protecting Falls Run from its headwaters down through the gorge to Elk Creek matters.

And now, if you ever want to know how Howard Falls is flowing, you can check out the Howard Falls Live Stream.

DDHoward

August 2026