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Hello partners for water quality!We have much news to share on progress by state, local, and sector partners to improve water quality by reducing nutrient and sediment pollution in Pennsylvania waterways that eventually flow to the Chesapeake Bay.
For more details on Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (Phase 3 WIP) 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 (CAP) and make connections with your county team. Also, please share this newsletter with your networks and encourage them to subscribe!
— 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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Pennsylvania Chesapeake Bay Watershed Counties Close Original CAP Agreements
June 30 marked the official completion of the original five-year CAP implementation and coordinator grant agreements for 34 counties within Pennsylvania's Chesapeake Bay watershed. This milestone represents a major achievement for Pennsylvania's Phase 3 WIP, the CAP program, and the county partners whose hard work has helped advance local watershed restoration efforts!
Building on that success, new CAP implementation and coordinator grant agreements are now in place for all participating counties for the next three years with the potential to extend to five years. These renewed agreements will support the continuation of locally led projects and initiatives to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution, helping counties meet their pollution reduction goals under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). Together, these partnerships will continue to play a vital role in improving local water quality and restoring the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Shapiro Administration Honors 26 Projects Advancing Cleaner Air, Water, and Environmental Stewardship Across Pennsylvania with 2026 Governor’s Awards for Environmental Excellence
The Shapiro Administration recognized 26 projects from across the Commonwealth with the 2026 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence, honoring innovative efforts that are improving air and water quality, reducing pollution, restoring ecosystems, and building healthier, more sustainable communities throughout Pennsylvania. The award-winning projects include restoring streams and watersheds, advancing environmental education and stewardship, installing community air quality monitors, developing passive treatment systems for abandoned mine drainage, diverting surplus food to local food banks, and expanding recycling efforts.
Applications were evaluated for their degree of environmental protection, innovation, collaboration, economic impact, climate resilience, sustainability, environmental justice, and measurable results. The award ceremony took place on June 25 in Harrisburg at a dinner hosted by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. Of the 26 projects recognized, seven were located within Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Shapiro Administration Agricultural Innovation Grants are Helping Pennsylvania Fruit Growers Innovate and Thrive
On June 18, Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding toured Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center (FREC), where a $19,000 investment through the nation’s first Agricultural Innovation Grant Program funded a drone-based, precision scanning and spraying system that will help Pennsylvania fruit growers thrive amid challenges like the catastrophic late-season freeze this spring.
Governor Josh Shapiro proposed a $19 million investment in his 2026-27 budget to expand the program that is helping Pennsylvania farmers innovate, succeed, and grow their bottom line. One of 88 projects funded in the first $10 million round of Agriculture Innovation Grants, the state-of-the-art drone-based precision scanning spraying system, is being tested and validated at FREC under real growing conditions. Connecting lab to orchard, the project is creating a proving ground for how this technology will work for Pennsylvania’s growers, and how the innovation will matter to their individual businesses. The $19,000 innovation grant project works in concert with Penn State’s College of Agricultural Science’s Agriculture Resource Center, which supports specialty-crop applied research. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture invested $300,000 in the center in early 2026 as one of $2.2 million in research grants at work feeding growth in the state’s powerhouse agriculture industry.
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Credit: Commonwealth Media Services
Secretary Russell Redding touring at Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center
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Shapiro Administration Commemorates Juneteenth at Historic Mifflin Farm in York County, Highlights Investment in Future Heritage Park
On June 19, the Shapiro Administration commemorated Juneteenth at the historic Mifflin Farm in York County, where community members participated in a guided hike and paddle tracing the journey of freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad while highlighting the Administration's investment in the future Susquehanna Discovery Center and Heritage Park.
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn joined the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, African American Historical Society of South-Central Pennsylvania, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Living the Experience, and the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association for Juneteenth programming celebrating the site's significance in Pennsylvania and American history. The event also highlighted the Shapiro Administration's continued investment in preserving one of Pennsylvania's most significant Underground Railroad sites and transforming it into a destination for education, recreation, and heritage tourism.
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DCNR Invests $500,000 to Expand Trail Network in Rothrock State Forest
On June 25, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, alongside trail volunteers and local officials, officially opened the second 11-mile stretch of the new Musser Gap Trail in Rothrock State Forest, Centre County. This new addition marks the latest significant step in the development of approximately 50 new miles of sustainable trails connecting communities and providing outdoor adventure in Centre and Huntingdon counties.
DCNR has invested nearly $3 million in land acquisitions, trail development, and the extension of the Musser Gap Trail, including $500,000 for the second phase. This effort is made possible through collaboration with the Rothrock Trail Alliance, Clear Water Conservancy, local governments, The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and other private supporters.
The long-term vision for the new trail is a 50-mile loop system of natural-surface, sustainable biking, hiking, and equestrian paths that will connect hundreds of existing miles of trails throughout Rothrock State Forest. The project aligns with Governor Shapiro’s broader strategy to improve quality of life and economic opportunity in the Commonwealth by supporting infrastructure that encourages outdoor recreation, all modes of transportation, and vibrant main streets.
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Map of Rothrock State Forest highlighting trail system
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NRCS Announces Funding to Address Resource Concerns at Mushroom Composting Sites in Southern Chester County
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Pennsylvania announces the availability of federal assistance for the Addressing Resource Concerns from Mushroom Composting Facilities in Watersheds of Southern Chester County Project. This project will provide necessary infrastructure to improve local water quality by addressing existing resource concerns, such as nutrient runoff to surface waters and leaching to groundwater, present on existing mushroom composting operations within the Octoraro Creek, Little Elk Creek, Big Elk Creek, White Clay Creek, and Red Clay Creek watersheds in Southern Chester County.
Work on this project is being conducted under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention (WPFPP) Act (Public Law 83-566) at the initiative of citizens in Pennsylvania. Locally, the project is sponsored by the Chester County Conservation District. Total project costs for the Addressing Resource Concerns from Mushroom Composting Facilities in Watersheds of Southern Chester County Project are estimated to be $12.4 million, of which $9.5 million will be covered by the WPFPP funds, and $2.9 million will be paid by the Chester County Conservation District with local funding, as appropriated funds are made available.
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PENNVEST Board Invests in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed
During its July 15 meeting, the PENNVEST Board of Directors approved funding for seven drinking water and three wastewater projects within the Chesapeake Bay watershed totaling $67,162,954 in low interest loans and $32,844,979 in grants.
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100,000 Live Stakes Planted to Restore Pennsylvania Streams
100,000 live stakes were put into the ground along Pennsylvania’s streambanks, marking a major milestone in an effort to restore riparian buffers and improve water quality across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. According to Penn State Extension, live stakes are stem cuttings taken from trees during their dormant season (before the buds break in the Spring) that are directly inserted into stream banks that eventually grow into new trees. The 100,000 milestone reflects seven years of work through the Live Stake Collaboration, a partnership led by the Chesapeake Conservancy, Susquehanna University, DCNR, Merrill W. Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and Bucknell University.
Chesapeake Conservancy coordinates the effort with the help of a live stake coordinator, often filled by a CORE Susquehanna AmeriCorps member. Susquehanna University provides storage and engages students each semester in live stake collection, transport, and planting, offering course credit and volunteer hours across disciplines.
More than 1,000 volunteers have contributed over 3,800 hours through 129 events. Across project sites, live stakes are helping establish streamside buffers that strengthen stream health over time. The collaborative is now working toward its next goal of 200,000 live stakes planted.
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Photo by Brodie Bard
Susquehanna University Students and Chesapeake Conservancy Staff
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Choose Clean Water Coalition Recognizes Robert Hughes and John Dawes with Lifetime Achievement Awards
The Choose Clean Water Coalition (Coalition) recognized Robert Hughes, Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation and John Dawes, recently retired from Foundation for PA Watersheds, with Lifetime Achievement Awards at their 2026 conference in Lancaster. For decades, Bobby and John have been two of the Chesapeake Bay’s strongest advocates for restoration funding, education, outreach, and awareness.
Both sit on the Chesapeake Bay Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee, appointed by the Governor. Bobby has been a member of the coalition since its inception, which is 350 organizations strong across the watershed, and he has been a member of the Coalition Steering Committee for nearly two years. Bobby and John have provided and continue to provide valuable information, input, and suggestions to the Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee on several watershed issues, including acid mine drainage impacts and solutions that will be addressed in the revised Chesapeake Bay Management Plan.
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The GIANT Company in Partnership with Keep PA Beautiful Awards 21 Community Grants to Support Local Native Plant Projects
On June 25, The GIANT Company, known locally as GIANT and MARTIN’S, in partnership with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, announced the 21 recipients of its 2026 Healing the Planet Grant Program. A total of $100,000 was given to support projects across the company’s operating areas in Pennsylvania. Since 2021, GIANT has partnered with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to offer over $1.4 million in Healing the Planet grants to recipients, empowering projects that connect communities with green spaces; protect and improve local waterways and water resources; prevent, reduce, and recover food waste; and support native plantings and habitat restoration. Eight of the recipients that received funding are located within Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed. These counties include Centre, Dauphin, Cumberland, Clearfield, Lancaster, York, Sullivan, and Luzerne.
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Chesapeake Watershed Initiative at Franklin and Marshall College Release Video Highlighting Stream Restoration in Lancaster County
The Chesapeake Watershed Initiative (CWI) at Franklin and Marshall College (F&M) produced a short video that highlights a novel stream-wetland restoration practice that returns degraded streams to a quasi-native state that existed for thousands of years before colonial settlement of the region. The science behind this restoration was pioneered by Dorothy Merritts and Robert Walter at F&M, while the restoration design and construction techniques were developed by LandStudies Inc., an environmental engineering firm in Lititz.
CWI is co-directed by Robert Walter, Dorothy Merritts, Patrick Fleming, and Christopher Williams. The film was funded through a grant to CWI and F&M from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and was made by Haverstick Films, with an original score by Michele Mercure. The restoration began in April 2025 and was completed in June 2025.
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Image captured from the Revealing Ancient Wetlands: Stream Restoration in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania video
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Apply for the Sustainable Agriculture Program
The State Conservation Commission has announced a new request for proposals for Sustainable Agriculture Grants, using Most Effective Basin Funding from EPA, which is open for applications from 8 am on July 13 to 11:59 pm on August 28. Eligible applicants include farmers, farm enterprises, and nonprofit educational institutions who are implementing Agricultural conservation practices.
Projects must be located within the Most Effective Basin geography and improve or protect water quality using approved best management practices. Applicants may request up to $25,000 or match each dollar above $25,000 for a total award of up to $50,000. Past projects have included practices such as fencing for rotational grazing, livestock watering facilities, silvopasture design and installation, alley cropping, cover crops, and associated conservation equipment.
For a full list of eligible practices and expenses, program requirements, and to apply please visit the Sustainable Agriculture Program webpage or contact Mike Roth at 717-210-1217 or michroth@pa.gov.
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Buffer planting project
Photo credit: State Conservation Commission
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Lancaster Conservancy to Purchase 31 Acres to Add to Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve in York County
The Lancaster Conservancy (Conservancy) has agreed to purchase 31 acres of land to add to the Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve in Hellam Township, York County. With this new addition, the Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve will total 829 acres. The Conservancy said the property under agreement includes 630 feet of Susquehanna River shoreline and protects critical undeveloped forestland. The Conservancy said the property’s forested slopes buffer and protect the water quality of Wildcat Run and another unnamed tributary flowing to the Susquehanna River.
The Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve is in the Susquehanna Riverlands Conservation Landscape. This state-designated landscape, led by DCNR and the Conservancy, includes the municipalities that border the Susquehanna River in Lancaster and York counties. Since 2015, the Conservancy has protected more than 4,000 acres in York County along the Susquehanna River.
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Collaboration Turns Conservation into Action in Lancaster County
Protecting Pennsylvania's waterways takes more than funding or technical expertise. It takes trust, collaboration, and partners willing to work toward a shared goal. A recent agricultural conservation project in southern Lancaster County demonstrates what is possible when those pieces come together. As one multi-generational farm transitioned to the next generation, the family saw an opportunity to modernize its operation while improving water quality. Rather than tackling the project alone, they partnered with conservation professionals, engineers, contractors, and public funding programs to develop practical solutions that benefit both the farm and the environment.
Working together, the team replaced aging manure management infrastructure with a roofed manure stacking facility, heavy use area, and runoff controls that keep clean water clean and ensure nutrients remain where they belong. Support through Pennsylvania's CAP and Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) helped make the improvements possible.
The project highlights an important lesson: meaningful conservation happens when landowners, technical experts, government agencies, and local organizations build relationships based on trust and shared purpose. Each partner contributed unique expertise, resulting in a solution that strengthens farm operations while protecting local streams. Across Pennsylvania, projects like this show that collaboration is more than a strategy. It is the foundation for achieving cleaner water and healthier communities for generations to come.
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Horst Farm Project, Photo Credit: Lancaster Clean Water Partners
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Adams County Conservation District Hosts Targeted Training Sessions
On June 17, the Adams County Conservation District, in partnership with the DEP Southcentral Regional Office, hosted two targeted training sessions addressing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements and Urban Chapter 102 Erosion and Sediment Control regulations. These sessions provided professional development opportunities for stakeholders, municipalities, and consultants involved in land development and compliance with Chapter 102 standards.
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Weathering the Storms in Lancaster County
Lancaster County's stream and wetland restoration projects continue to demonstrate their value when communities need them most. The June 2026 issue of the Municipal Reporter, which focused on extreme weather events, featured a story on how restoration and stormwater mitigation projects withstood the severe storms of 2025 while helping to reduce flooding in areas that had historically been vulnerable. A year later, history repeated itself. Over the Fourth of July weekend, powerful storms once again swept across Lancaster County, bringing torrential rain, damaging winds, flash flooding, and widespread power outages. Roads were closed, streams overflowed, trees fell onto homes and power lines, and utility crews spent days restoring electricity to thousands of residents. The storms served as another reminder that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense, underscoring the need to build resilient communities.
In the days that followed, Lancaster Clean Water Partners and its partners began assessing how local clean water and conservation projects performed under these real-world conditions. These evaluations provide valuable insight into how investments in natural infrastructure can reduce flooding, improve water quality, and help communities better withstand future storms. Once again, the results were encouraging. According to project managers and township representatives, the Blue Green Connector, Lititz Run at Ballstown Road Floodplain Restoration, Overlook Park, and Hickory Lane Floodplain Restoration projects all "performed exactly as designed," successfully managing stormwater and helping to lessen the impacts of extreme rainfall.
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Photo from after 2026 storm
Photo Credit: Lancaster Clean Water Partners
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“These projects show what's possible when local organizations, schools, businesses, and volunteers come together to solve environmental challenges and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.”
- Jessica Shirley, Secretary Department of Environmental Protection
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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