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Hello partners for water quality!
We have much news to share on progress by state, local, and sector partners to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution and improve water quality in Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
For more details on the Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan and Countywide Action Planning, visit the Phase 3 WIP website. For a broader educational look at nutrient and sediment pollution in local streams, rivers, and lakes in the watershed, including tips and success stories, visit Healthy Waters, Healthy Communities. Please consider how you might join in or help support this work. Check out each county’s Phase 3 WIP Countywide Action Plan and make connections with your county team! Also, please share this newsletter with your networks and encourage them to subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
— DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management
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DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM)
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Reimbursement Training Updates Available for CAP Grantees
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division recently made available Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Grant Trainings (2025) on the Clean Water Academy. The intended audience is grantees who have received funding through the CAP Grant Program. The trainings guide the user through various aspects of the grant program including reimbursement requests, contractor responsibility provision (CRP) checks, and the final reimbursement end report. These trainings are publicly available, self-guided, and interactive.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Governor Shapiro Formally Nominates Jessica Shirley to be DEP Secretary
On February 18, 2025, Governor Shapiro announced the nomination of Jessica Shirley to serve as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). She has been Acting Secretary of DEP since the resignation of Richard Negrin on October 26, 2023. The nominations are subject to confirmation by the Pennsylvania Senate.
Governor Shapiro said DEP, under Acting Secretary Shirley, has worked diligently to protect Pennsylvanians’ constitutional rights to clean air and pure water while improving the permitting experience for Pennsylvania businesses. Previously, as Executive Deputy Secretary, she oversaw the agency’s core programs and helped manage the implementation of federal funding for well plugging, abandoned mine land reclamation, and local water infrastructure. Jessica Shirley’s tenure at DEP includes serving as Policy Director, where she helped direct the agency’s work addressing PFAS contamination, the Chesapeake Bay cleanup, energy conservation, and environmental justice.
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Acting DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley, nominated by Governor Josh Shapiro to serve as Secretary of DEP.
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Governor Shapiro Provides Update on the Impacts of the Federal Funding Freeze; All Federal Funding Identified at the Filing of Lawsuit Unfrozen
On February 24, 2025, Governor Josh Shapiro announced that all $2.1 billion in Congressionally-appropriated federal funding owed to Pennsylvania identified at the time of filing his lawsuit against the Trump Administration has been unfrozen. This included funding to prevent sinkholes and make abandoned mines safe, plug abandoned wells, reduce energy costs for homeowners, and ensure clean water. As a result of the Governor’s lawsuit – and direct engagement with the Trump Administration – federal funding is once again accessible to Pennsylvania state agencies.
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Governor Shapiro Recruits Federal Employees to Fill Critical Public Service Vacancies in Pennsylvania
On March 5, 2025, Governor Shapiro signed Executive Order 2025-01 to help fill critical vacancies in the Commonwealth workforce with experienced former federal employees who have specialized expertise in important fields like civil engineering, nursing, corrections, accounting, and more. The Governor’s Executive Order directs the Office of Administration to accept federal government experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience for civil service roles, ensuring former federal employees with valuable experience can more easily apply for essential vacant positions with the Commonwealth. The Executive Order focuses on adding workforce in already-funded job positions to serve Pennsylvanians more efficiently and effectively.
As part of this Executive Order, the Shapiro Administration will also begin an aggressive effort to recruit federal employees into Pennsylvania’s workforce, launching a new website with key information about exciting state government opportunities that align with their experience and hosting virtual and in-person job fairs for federal employees. That effort builds on the Shapiro Administration’s work to streamline Commonwealth hiring processes, open the doors of opportunity for those who want to serve, and recruit a team that represents all of Pennsylvania. As a result of that work so far, the Shapiro Administration has reduced hiring times by 32 percent and filled nearly 600 previously vacant permitting, licensing, and certification (PLC) jobs.
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2023-2024 Bay Barometer Is Released
On March 10, 2025, The Bay Barometer was published by the Chesapeake Bay Program – a regional partnership that works across political and geographic boundaries to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Bay Barometer is an annual publication covering the most recently updated outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. This year’s publication covers 12 outcomes that were updated from November 2023 to November 2024. These outcomes cover a variety of health and restoration indicators including blue crab abundance, wetland restoration, forest buffer planting, and water quality indicators among others. The report provides insights into the progress made toward the Chesapeake Bay’s restoration and protection. It also highlights partnership successes over the past year.
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Pennsylvania Invests Nearly $6.7 Million to Protect 19 Farms in 16 Counties from Future Development
On February 13, 2025, the Shapiro Administration announced that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $6.7 million to purchase development rights for 1,837 acres on 19 farms in 16 counties, protecting them from future residential or commercial development. These joint investments by state and local government ensure that Pennsylvania farmers will have the prime-quality land they need to continue supporting families, communities, and jobs. These easement purchases multiply the impact of Pennsylvania dollars invested in conservation initiatives, like the Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), Clean & Green tax incentives, Resource Enhancement and Protection tax credits, as well as historic levels of state support for Pennsylvania farmers who are conserving priceless resources and working for cleaner water and healthier soil.
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Lancaster Conservancy Announces Acquisition of Historic Hellam Preserve in York County
On February 18, 2025, Lancaster Conservancy announced the acquisition of a 56-acre property currently known as the Historic Hellam Preserve located in both Hallam Borough and Hellam Township in York County. The property includes floodplain forest, meadow, a section of Kreutz Creek, and agricultural land. The preserve also includes several historic structures including a renovated 19th century bank barn and farmhouse and a restored 18th century log cabin. In honor of Ingrid Graham, whose vision led to the development of what is a cultural, historic, and conservation site, the Conservancy will rename the preserve the Ingrid Graham Historic Hellam Nature Preserve. In addition to serving as a future public nature preserve readily accessible to the residents of Hallam Borough and Hellam Township, the Ingrid Graham Historic Hellam Nature Preserve will serve as the Conservancy’s engagement and education center in York County.
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Kreutz Creek at Ingrid Graham Historic Hellam Nature Preserve (Provided by Anne Harnish).
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Registration Open for the Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium
The 12th annual Pennsylvania Groundwater Symposium will begin on May 7, 2025, with an optional field trip showcasing the management and protection of water resources. Groundwater professionals, natural resource managers, educators, and anyone interested in the management and protection of water resources are invited to attend. The symposium will be held at the Best Western Conference Center in Harrisburg.
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A seepage spring (Provided by A. Yencha).
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Landowner Tree Planting Supported by Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
The Western PA Conservancy (WPC) is accepting applications year-round through June 2027 for its Riparian Restoration Tree Planting Initiative, which provides native trees to landowners planted at no cost as part of Pennsylvania’s statewide water quality improvement goals. The Conservancy plans to plant 75 acres of unforested riparian areas with approximately 15,000 trees through 2027. Some native tree species available include oaks, maples, hickory, sycamore, dogwoods and willows.
Landowners with open (or mostly open) land along waterways in more than 30 counties may apply. Several of these counties fall within the Chesapeake Bay watershed including Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Fulton, Huntingdon, Potter, and Tioga. Landowners in other locations may also apply because other funding sources are available for those in locations outside of the named counties. Planting by WPC staff (or contractors selected by WPC) will begin in the fall of 2025 and continue during the 2026 and 2027 spring and fall planting seasons.
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Master Watershed Stewards Use Live Stake Nurseries to Engage Communities in Stream Health
The Master Watershed Steward (MWS) Program was established to strengthen local capacity for the management and protection of watersheds, streams, and rivers by educating and empowering volunteers across Pennsylvania. One of the projects that helps the MWS program meet this mission is the Live Stake Nursery project, which provides community engagement through a combination of boots-on-the-ground restoration work and educational outreach.
Live staking is a process of taking branch cuttings from certain native shrub and tree species and inserting those cut branches into eroded stream banks to provide bank and soil stabilization. These branch cuttings are harvested when the host plant is dormant and before bud breaks in the spring. When properly planted, these branch cuttings are called live stakes and will grow roots into the soil, helping to prevent further stream bank erosion into the stream or river. Once stakes mature into healthy shrubs and trees, additional live stakes can be harvested to restore other streamside areas.
The MWS program has installed several nurseries across the state consisting of six native shrub species that grow readily along stream banks and grow successfully when planted as live stakes. Those native species include redosier dogwood, common ninebark, buttonbush, pussy willow, silky dogwood, and elderberry.
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Map showing the locations of the 19 current live stake nurseries in 16 counties. Two additional live stake nurseries and one new county will be added by Fall 2025.
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Rain Barrel Kits Available
The Master Watershed Steward Program is offering rain barrel kits for purchase at select Penn State Extension offices. These kits can be paired with an HDPE plastic barrel to create a fully functional rain barrel that is ready for installation. Rain barrels are a relatively inexpensive and an easy best management practice that can help to reduce the effects of excess stormwater. They function by capturing precipitation before it can become stormwater and saving it for a variety of uses at a later time. A list of programs/counties offering kits at their extension offices can be found on Penn State Extension’s webpage.
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Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Maps Bird Detections on West Branch Kayaking Trip
In May 2024, Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Board President Michael Kinney and his companion, Missy Gray, paddled the West Branch of the Susquehanna River over 24 days. They brought with them a mobile unit, BirdNET, equipped with a hotspot and powered by solar panels to record and upload bird calls across 228 miles. BirdNET was developed by Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology and was designed to be a citizen science platform to better develop and understand how AI can identify bird species based off their calls. The unit detected more than 22,000 calls representing over 170 different species. Another member, Eric Belfanti, created an interactive GIS storymap to document the journey. The collected data helps provide a picture of water quality, habitat quality, and birding populations along this portion of the Susquehanna River.
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This map shows the route Michael and Missy followed on their kayaking trip and various data points collected along the way.
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A collection of birds spotted by Michael and Missy throughout their journey.
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DCNR Peer Program and Circuit Rider Program Accepting Applications
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR) Peer Program and Circuit Rider Program fund projects that help municipalities, counties, multi-municipal partnerships, and councils of government to increase local capacity for recreation, parks, and conservation. The Peer program funds projects that, through a collaborative process, focus on a specific need identified by the grantee and its partners. The Circuit Rider program aides in the hiring of a full-time park, recreation, or conservation professional whose services are shared by the members of a formal partnership, commission, or authority. Applications are open year-round.
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Technical Service Programs
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) provides strong technical services through a variety of programs to address an array of water resources issues in the Chesapeake Bay region. The Floodplain Management Services (FPMS) program, Planning Assistance to States (PAS) program, Silver Jackets teams, Continuing Authorities Program (CAP), Rehabilitation and Inspection Program (RIP), and National Hurricane Program grant USACE the ability to provide technical water resources services through federal funding or a combination of federal and non-federal funding. Baltimore District serves communities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New York, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.
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Blair County Successfully Completes National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant
The end of 2024 marked Blair County Conservation District’s (BCCD) successful completion of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grant; a significant funding opportunity aimed at improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This grant supported efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff through agricultural best management practices, urban stormwater management, and riparian buffer restoration over the last three years.
Through this project, BCCD leveraged existing funding programs and partnerships to accelerate water quality improvements across the Juniata Watershed. They collaborated with streamside landowners to complete 12 stream restoration projects, restoring 2.17 miles of streambanks. Additionally, BCCD worked with eight landowners to establish seven acres of riparian buffers, planting nearly 2,000 trees and shrubs to enhance water quality and habitat.
To strengthen green infrastructure initiatives and address long-term maintenance issues, BCCD hosted a two-day professional workshop with Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professionals. This training connected consultants, municipal engineers, and agencies to build a regional network of green infrastructure experts. As a result, BCCD connected with a local volunteer group who adopted two rain gardens, and BCCD is planning to partner with Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Huntingdon County Conservation District to launch the Riparian Rangers program, focused on buffer planting and maintenance.
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Lebanon County Conservation District Funds Stream Gauge
The Lebanon County Conservation District is contributing to funding a stream gauge called a Super Gauge through the United States Geological Survey (USGS) using county funding. The gauge continuously monitors multiple measures of water quality and posts the data on a website for public viewing. The USGS created a storymap about their monitoring work in this portion of the Susquehanna River watershed. The water quality information collected by the gauge is used to guide resource management decisions, track the effectiveness of management practices, and inform the public of current water quality conditions. The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Pennsylvania Office has partnered with the USGS to use this water quality data to measure the effects of conservation practices implemented in the Chiques and Swatara Creek watersheds.
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This stream gauge along Chiques Creek houses all the sensors, battery power, and electrical components needed to collect continuous data. The stream gauge also regularly transmits data to a USGS database (Provided by USGS).
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Trout Unlimited and Lycoming County Conservation District Complete Streambank Stabilization Project on Blockhouse Creek
Trout Unlimited, with assistance from the Lycoming County Conservation District, led Phase Two of a streambank stabilization project along Blockhouse Creek (a tributary to Little Pine Creek) at the Spring Garden Hunting Club in Lycoming County. The project was a continuation of implemented work begun on the property in 2023. Trout Unlimited provided construction oversight for the installation of eight fish habitat enhancement structures from September 23 through September 25, 2024. The devices stabilized 600 feet of eroding streambank and will reduce an estimated 22,389 pounds of sediment, 25.5 pounds of nitrogen, and 11.8 pounds of phosphorus each year.
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A view of Blockhouse Creek with eroding streambanks (left) and with a modified mudsill protecting the streambank after construction (right).
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Watershed Restoration Completed at the Confluence of Bald Eagle and Sparrow Run
At the confluence of Sparrow Run and Bald Eagle Creek in Taylor Township, Centre County, there have been significant flooding and erosion problems due to concentrated stream flows, several narrow bridges, and runoff from I-99. Additionally, three livestock crossings were in disrepair, which allowed livestock to freely access the streams. The project was designed to reconnect the streams with their floodplains, control and channel stream flow, reinforce the banks, and repair the livestock crossings. Construction was completed in June and July 2024 along nearly 2,994 linear feet of stream through the installation of mudsills, rock/log cross vanes, repaired cattle crossings, and additional in-stream structures.
US Fish and Wildlife Partners Program representatives spearheaded the work, along with other partners including Walk Logging, the landowners, the Centre County Conservation District, and ClearWater Conservancy. The total project cost was $240,346z, with CAP providing $45,100 in funding. The project resulted in 236 tons of sediment reduction, 392 pounds of nitrogen reduction, and 112 pounds of phosphorus reduction.
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Sparrow Run exhibiting degraded, eroding streambanks (left) and after construction with a mudsill to protect the streambank (right).
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First Phase of Slab Cabin Run Watershed Restoration Project at Millbrook Marsh Completed in Centre County
The Slab Cabin Run watershed was identified as a major contributor to water quality degradation in Centre County due to agriculture runoff, sedimentation from high-flow events, and ever-increasing non-permeable surface runoff. This restoration project called for the installation of in-stream structures to limit erosion, reconnect the stream to the floodplain, and restore fish habitat.
Twelve different types of in-stream structures were installed in the first phase of the restoration of Slab Cabin Run in Millbrook Marsh. Types of structures included rock and log cross vanes, mudsills, brush mattresses, and random boulder clusters. In total, 59 individual structures were constructed in the stream to provide channel and bank stability as well, enhancing the natural habitat for aquatic species and macroinvertebrates that provide a food source for aquatic species. In addition, two vernal pool features were constructed in the upland riparian zone, one at the confluence with Thompson Run and one set back from the stream on the upland side of the stream. It is estimated that the entire project will eliminate 422 tons of sediment, 718 pounds of nitrogen, and 133 pounds of phosphorus annually through 4,409 feet of stream restoration. The total project cost of the first phase of work was $258,438, with CAP contributing a portion of those funds.
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Log cross vanes center high velocity flow within the stream and protect the streambanks (left), brush mattresses slow stream flow along the bank and provide habitat for macroinvertebrates and aquatic species (center), and mudsills’ cantilevered structure slows stream velocity by the bank and provides habitat for aquatic species (right).
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Streambank Repaired on Pine Creek in Tioga County
For years, Pine Creek has been experiencing erosion issues at a local vacation spot called Rough Cut Lodge in Tioga County. After management changed hands, they reached out to their local Tiadaghton Chapter of Trout Unlimited (#688), which then reached out to the Tioga County Conservation District and Trout Unlimited National to come up with a plan to protect the streambank from erosion. After completing the project, Hurricane Helene devastated Tioga County the following week. The structures held strong despite the loss of some soil due to lack of vegetation because of construction having only been recently completed. The site was regraded, seeded and mulched, and has since been performing for fish and for the landowners.
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Eroding streambanks along Pine Creek before construction (left) and after construction (right).
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“With 2025 underway, we are at a critical juncture for Bay restoration. We have the opportunity to influence the next phase of conservation and restoration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and I’m confident that we have the expertise, talent and determination necessary to set the partnership on the best possible path."
- Lee McDonnell, Acting Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office, Environmental Protection Agency
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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