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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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Second Annual Clean Water Gathering of State Program and Local County Action Leaders
The second annual Clean Water Gathering was held January 23, 2025. This year’s theme was “Moving from problem solving and strategizing to action.” Since January 2024, over 60 participants have contributed nearly 1,000 hours across three Clean Water Progress Teams to address the priority action area challenges generated at the inaugural October 2023 Clean Water Gathering. These efforts have culminated in 25 actionable Success Strategies aimed at accelerating Pennsylvania’s clean water progress as we work collectively to reach Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) and Countywide Action Plan (CAP) nutrient pollution reduction goals benefitting local water quality throughout Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This ongoing, collaborative effort has been the ultimate “win-win” for all partners, as this type of multi-level, collaborative approach is needed to sustain the momentum driving PA’s clean water progress, while also supporting the work of our many local partners across PA’s vast Bay watershed.
The Progress Teams’ recommended Success Strategies discuss what could be done to address each action item, who should or may be engaged, how steps could be taken to move forward, and when that could occur. This second Clean Water Gathering provided the opportunity to share and respond to presented Success Strategies that move clean water projects forward. The Gathering facilitated connection and action among multiple state program and local county action leaders, policymakers, and other key stakeholders in moving the Success Strategies forward.
The Progress Teams' 25 unique recommended "Strategies for Success" are categorized into six key themes aimed at overcoming challenges identified during the first Clean Water Gathering in October 2023. These challenges hinder or prevent partners from being more successful and slow down progress toward cleaner waters in the following priority action areas:
- Staff Building/Staff Retention
- Technical and Administrative Assistance
- Funding and Multi-Grant Coordination
Thematic Groupings of Recommendations:
- Digital Tools: Enhance funding processes and administration through centralized tools and simplified and streamlined grant applications.
- Streamline Best Management Practices: Standardize practices for clean water management verification by entities outside of PA DEP.
- Research and Improvement: Conduct studies and research to identify improvements to programs, partnerships, hiring, project support, and hiring practices.
- Advocacy for Funding: Ensure adequate and stable long-term funding for clean water projects to enhance planning and execution.
- Networking and Collaboration: Form workgroups and coordinated networks to address challenges and enhance knowledge sharing.
- Leadership Development: Focus on leadership development, training, and capacity-building for conservation staff.
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2024 PA Chesapeake Bay BMP Reporting Progress Year Update
The 2024 Chesapeake Bay Best Management Practice (BMP) Progress Year reporting process is nearing completion, with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division having finalized its nonpoint source data submissions ahead of EPA’s deadline. Based on the initial submission of all of PA’s partners’ nonpoint source data, PA is currently reporting nearly 16,700 Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the 2024 Progress Year, which is an increase of more than 2,100 BMPs. Official reports will not be generated until early February, and as such, the reported number of BMPs is an estimated figure. Some adjustments may occur during the final validation process. Validation reports will continue to be processed every Friday through January, to address any necessary corrections and ensure accuracy of the BMP data.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program Recognizes Pennsylvania’s Bay Restoration Efforts in 2024
In December 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program recounted Chesapeake Bay jurisdictions’ big wins from the year. They recognized and celebrated Pennsylvania’s efforts to delist streams at a rapid pace.
Pennsylvania conservationists are focused on restoring the health of small, local streams that are on the Clean Water Act’s impaired waters list. Partners within the Commonwealth are working to delist 30 streams impaired by farm runoff by installing BMPs such as streamside trees, stream fencing, and manure storage facilities.
In 2024, five stream segments were delisted and an additional 12 segments were close to joining them. This effort was largely inspired by work completed in the Turtle Creek watershed, where 12.7 miles were delisted after farmers, local conservation groups, and state leaders joined together to install roughly 1,368 stream-stabilizing structures and 10,927 feet of streambank fencing.
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Turtle Creek flows through farmland in the West Branch Susquehanna River watershed in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania (Provided by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program).
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Shapiro Administration Celebrates Investment in Trails, Highlights Work to Extend Susquehanna River Walk
On December 11, 2024, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Williamsport to celebrate a $649,900 grant to Lycoming County that supports Phase 1 of the development of the Susquehanna River Walk Extension and spotlights the Shapiro Administration's significant investment in trails across Pennsylvania.
The 5.3-mile Lycoming Creek Bikeway and the 4.2-mile Susquehanna River Walk are two trails located within the Susquehanna Greenway, a 500-mile greenway of parks, trails, river access points, and revitalized towns along the Susquehanna River. Currently, US Highway 15, Interstate 180, and Lycoming Creek present barriers to connecting these two trails to Susquehanna State Park, making it a Top Ten Trail Gap in Pennsylvania. This paved, multi-purpose trail extension will link the Maynard Street entrance of the Susquehanna River Walk to Elm Park and the Lycoming Creek Bikeway, marking the first step in closing the trail gap. Through future phases of the River Walk Extension project, a long-term goal is to connect Williamsport to Jersey Shore and ultimately to the Pine Creek Rail Trail.
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A view of the Lycoming Creek Bikeway, Williamsport Riverwalk and Susquehanna State Park Trail Gap housed on DCNR’s Top Ten Trail Gap webpage.
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Shapiro Administration Awards $19.6 Million to Address Largest Inventory of Abandoned Mines in the Nation
On December 17, 2024, DEP awarded $19,640,380 for the environmental restoration of eight abandoned mine lands (AML) projects as part of the Abandoned Mine Lands and Acid Mine Drainage Grant Program. Six of these eight projects are located in counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed including Clearfield, Lackawanna, Schuylkill, and Tioga Counties.
Pennsylvania has the largest inventory of abandoned coal mines in the nation, with a roughly $5 billion need for reclamation and stream restoration. To date, Pennsylvania has rehabilitated more than 151,000 acres of the roughly 288,000 acres of abandoned coal mines across the Commonwealth, and with this federal funding, will be able to continue this vital work.
The funding was awarded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), also known as the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act (IIJA), which has invested more than $700 million into reclaiming Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine lands since 2022. In addition to planned projects, this funding also pays for emergency situations like subsidence and sinkholes that can endanger people and damage or destroy homes and property.
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Wetlands Learning Modules Available on DEP’s Clean Water Academy
- Module 1: Introduction to Wetlands - This learning module introduces basic definitions, regulations, types of wetlands, indicators, and assessments.
- Module 2: Wetland History and Opportunities - This learning module gives a brief history of wetlands, past and current regulations, and wetland restoration potential in agricultural settings.
- Module 3: Project Scenarios - This learning module provides steps on how to properly plan a wetland project, reviews multiple project scenarios in an agricultural setting, and provides additional resources to assist stakeholders with beginning a project.
These modules are an essential part of DEP’s growing library of environmental literacy resources on Pennsylvania wetlands. They are packaged together and intended for learners to progress through in numeric order and are available on DEP’s Clean Water Academy website. The modules will educate learners about ways they can make positive changes on the land for wetlands.
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PA State Conservation Commission Wins Natural Resource Award
In November 2024, The Pennsylvania Association of Natural Resources Extension Professionals (PA-ANREP) selected the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission (SCC) as their 2024 Natural Resource Education Champion award recipient for their unwavering support and partnership in advancing agricultural and environmental education in the Commonwealth.
This recognition celebrated the SCC’s collaboration with Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Extension to deliver impactful programs benefiting farmers and conservation professionals across Pennsylvania.
In recent years, the SCC has elevated its commitment, particularly with the establishment of the Penn State Extension Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training in 2023. Backed by a multi-year contract, this center is equipping agricultural conservation professionals with the training and tools needed to foster sustainable farming practices and achieve critical environmental goals. The SCC has contributed financial support, provided innovative approaches and demonstrated steadfast dedication to address Pennsylvania’s agricultural resource needs.
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SCC staff including Brady Seely, Justin Challenger, and Executive Secretary Doug Wolfgang receive award from PA-ANREP representative Susan Boser (Provided Penn State Extension).
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Susquehanna River Basin Commission Announces Award of Over $155,000 to Support 34 Local Watershed Improvement Projects
Awardees include county conservation districts, environmental volunteer groups, educational institutions, municipalities, youth groups, and a fire department. Abandoned mine drainage education, aquatic organism passage, a recreational disability access study, water trail and stream quality signage, waterway road salt monitoring, a pet waste cleanup campaign, and kayak safety training are just a few examples of the chosen projects that will create a safer, more vibrant basin. Half of the projects awarded will directly benefit environmental justice communities.
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A map of SRBC grant awardees (Provided by SRBC).
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Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program Awards $40,000 to Recreation, Signage and Education Projects
On December 16, 2024, the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) announced the recipients of the 2024-2025 Susquehanna Greenway Mini-Grant Program. This year’s funding categories included outreach and education, wayfinding and signage, trails and active transportation, and temporary placemaking, and provided $40,000 to multiple projects. Grants were awarded on a variety of criteria, with the focus on their alignment with SGP’s vision to create a greenway that builds connections along the Susquehanna River, inspires people to engage with the outdoors, and transforms communities into places where people want to live, work, and explore.
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Save the Date for DCNR’s May 2025 Watershed Forestry Summit
DCNR looks forward to once again hosting the Watershed Forestry Summit, a conference event for all conservation professionals who work with riparian forest buffers and lawn-to-habitat projects. Practitioners, leaders, funders, and conveners of all experience levels are encouraged to attend and learn more about watershed forestry best management practices and their impacts on the PA Bay Watershed and beyond. The exact location of the 2025 Watershed Forestry Summit is still pending, but it will be held in the southcentral portion of the state. The three-day event will consist of one optional field trip day and two conference days. A request for proposals (RFP) for sessions/presentations will be released in the coming weeks, as well as registration for the event. Contact Teddi Stark, PA DCNR Watershed Forestry Program Manager, at c-tstark@pa.gov with any questions.
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Attendees participating at DCNR’s 2024 Watershed Forestry Summit (Provided by DCNR).
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Penn State Extension to Host Webinar About Restoring and Maintaining Native Grasslands
Penn State Extension will be hosting a two-hour live “Restoring and Maintaining Native Grasslands” webinar on February 10, 2025. This webinar will explore the ecological importance of native grasslands. The webinar is tailored for anyone interested in conservation or sustainable landscaping. Participants will learn practical techniques for replacing traditional lawns with native grasses, creating spaces that support biodiversity and attract wildlife. The session will also cover strategies for restoring and maintaining larger grassland areas, providing insight into how these landscapes benefit species of conservation concern.
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WeConservePA to Host Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference
WeConservePA will be hosting the Pennsylvania Land Conservation Conference on April 2-4, 2025 in State College, PA. This event will facilitate networking and training for people working to conserve land. Seminars cover a variety of topics including wetland mitigation, farmland preservation, and riparian restoration. The Halfmoon Creek Partnership will be featured.
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Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to Host 2025 Wild and Scenic Film Festival
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will host the 2025 Wild and Scenic Film Festival both virtually and at four locations in the watershed, including March 5 at the Penn Cinema in Lititz, Lancaster County. The film festival brings together selections of films that inform, inspire, and ignite solutions and possibilities to restore the earth and human communities while creating a positive future for the next generation. Festival attendees can expect to see award-winning films about nature, community activism, adventure, conservation, water, energy and climate change, wildlife, environmental justice, agriculture, Native American, and indigenous cultures.
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U.S. Senators Celebrate Passage of Historic $92 Million Reauthorization of the Chesapeake Bay Program and Other Key Watershed Conservation Measures
On December 20, 2024, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) celebrated passage of America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act in the U.S. Senate. The legislation reauthorizes important habitat and wildlife conservation efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and throughout the country. The bipartisan legislation builds on previous efforts to protect and preserve ecosystems from evolving threats such as invasive species and wildlife diseases.
The comprehensive wildlife package includes a provision to reauthorize the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program at $92 million each fiscal year through fiscal year 2030. The EPA Chesapeake Bay Program is the linchpin of the restoration effort, which coordinates the unique multi-state and federal partnership. Other key reauthorizations include:
- The Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (WILD) Act which will allow the program to continue to serve the region. It provides resources to conserve, steward, and enhance fish and wildlife habitats in addition to advancing related conservation values like public access and community engagement. The legislation authorizes the program at $15 million each year until 2030.
- The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program. Gateways Network is a system of 200 natural, cultural, historical, and recreational sites, trails, museums, parks, refuges that provide a broad range of entry points or “gateways” to experience the Chesapeake Bay. The program is administered by the National Park Service, which provides $3 million each year for five years.
- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, known as NFWF. NFWF is a core partner of the Chesapeake Bay Program, helping to target federal conservation dollars and match investments with private funds.
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DCNR C2P2 2025 Grant Round Open
DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) will be accepting applications through April 2, 2025. Grants support a wide range of projects including improving local parks, expanding trails and river access points, and creating more green space in local communities. Of the 307 projects awarded 2024 funds, 37 awards were for community and watershed forestry projects, totaling $10,527,200 awarded to partners completing riparian forest buffers, lawn-to-habitat, and urban and community forestry projects across Pennsylvania. For more information, including a recorded webinar for interested applicants, visit DCNR’s C2P2 Grants webpage.
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NRCS Announces Additional Funding Opportunity for Preserved Farms
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) in Pennsylvania announced it is making $2 million available to landowners with preserved farms to install conservation BMPs. Available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), this additional funding opportunity is available to landowners with preserved farms who have previously submitted an application to NRCS and award is contingent on funds available. This will help landowners further their conservation efforts on preserved farms to improve water and air quality, enhance soil health, and increase wildlife habitat. NRCS accepts applications for EQIP and other conservation programs year-round. Eligible applications will be considered for funding by February 17, 2025. Producers, landowners, and forest managers interested in applying for assistance should contact NRCS at their local USDA Service Center.
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BMP Installation at Two Berks County Equine Operations
A suite of BMPs was recently installed at two equine operations in Berks County: the Chesterfield South Horse Boarding Operation in Pine Grove and Creekside Stables in Brecknock Township. The Chesterfield South equine operation boards approximately 40 horses at a time and has been working with the county conservation district since 2019. In 2021, they entered into a contract with the USDA-NRCS’ Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). CAP implementation funds supplemented funding for the project as well. A riparian buffer along Crosskill Creek is slated to be planted in the future, and multiple BMPs have already been installed, including frost-free “watering posts” for off-stream watering, a roofed stable for manure storage, a stream crossing and animal walkway, stream bank exclusionary fencing, and an equine heavy use area.
Creekside Stables is a 20-acre equestrian boarding/training operation in the Conestoga River watershed. BMPs installed addressed uncontrolled horse access to the stream, soil loss, and runoff from untreated earthen animal concentration areas as well as field stacking of manure at inappropriate places. Growing Greener funds were used to pay for BMP installation, along with CAP funding for the most recent phase constructed in 2024. Additional funding sources included EQIP, the Chesapeake Bay Special Projects program, and DEP’s Conservation District Allocation Fund program. BMPs installed include off-stream watering facilities, streambank fencing, a roofed manure stacking pad, and heavy use area protection.
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Photos of conditions at the Chesterfield South equine operation before BMP installation. They show leachate from field-stacked manure, an eroded and degraded crossing through Crosskill Creek, and an earthen untreated animal concentration area.
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Photos of conditions after BMP installation at Chesterfield South including a new manure storage area, a stabilized crossing/walkway through Crosskill Creek, and an animal heavy use area with off-stream waterers.
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Photos of conditions at Creekside Stables before BMP installation. They show eroded streambanks from unrestricted livestock access, overgrazed pasture along a nearby stream and an earthen animal concentration area with manure and an unstabilized surface.
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Photos of conditions after BMP installation, including protected streambanks, a riparian buffer, and heavy use area protection.
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Heavy Use Area Installation Addresses Resource Concerns at Huntingdon County Farm
In 2024, the Huntingdon County Conservation District used DEP CAP and NFWF funds to address resource concerns on farms including Old Spring Farm operated by the Kyper family. To adequately address resource concerns on the farm, a roofed concrete heavy use area was constructed with a roofed manure stacking shed attached to eliminate a brown lot that previously was being used to house and feed cattle. The constructed heavy use area will allow the Kyper farm to limit the cattle on pasture during times when conditions are more prone to runoff issues and allow for manure to be land applied when conditions are more optimal for usage in crop intake. This project has allowed Huntingdon County to take a step closer to meeting their goal of reducing their nutrient load to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Degraded and eroded pasture before the project (left) and the constructed heavy use area after (right).
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Lebanon County Conservation District Launches New Free Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Testing Program
The Pre-sidedress Soil Nitrate Test (PSNT) for corn is a tool that can be used to assess the soil nitrogen supply and determine a sidedress nitrogen (N) application recommendation. Effectively applying N can help lower costs of fertilizer application while maximizing crop production and minimizing environmental N loss.
Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD) is now offering free testing to farmers in Lebanon County. Farmers that choose to participate will receive soil sampling, testing, and a sidedress recommendation all at no cost. Farmers wanting to participate should be made aware that the PSNT is only used on fields with a long-term manure history (receiving manure at least two out of the last five years) and less than 50 pounds N/acre should be applied at time of planting. Soil sampling should occur when the corn is 12 inches tall or at least a week before planned sidedressing.
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Floodplain Restoration Efforts Address Nutrient Pollution Concerns along York County Rail Trail
The York County Rail Trail Authority (YCRTA) spearheaded a comprehensive stream and wetland restoration project on Oil Creek along the rail trail in Heidelberg Township this past fall. The YCRTA received a generous grant from the J. William Warehime Foundation and an easement from Warehime Enterprises, Inc. Grant funding was also secured in partnership with York County Conservation District and York County Planning Commission, the DEP CAP program, NFWF, and the PA Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
This project addressed stream degradation and made improvements to the channel, floodplain, wetlands, and adjacent riparian area. Oil Creek is an impaired stream for pathogens and agricultural nutrients and sediment. This project will address those impairment concerns.
Prior to the restoration work beginning, the streambanks were very severely eroded. The restoration includes 1,300 linear feet of stream restoration, five acres of wetland restoration, and 500 linear feet of floodplain grading in the project’s first phase. A total of eight acres will be treated by the installed BMPs. With this portion of Oil Creek restored, the stream will return to more naturalized conditions and reduce flooding issues. Users of the rail trail will be able to observe native flora filling in the site, and the restoration of Oil Creek will continue in 2025 with a second phase. This project counts towards credits for the York CAP and the Chesapeake Bay Pollutant Reduction Plan. The project is estimated to annually reduce 221 pounds of nitrogen, 102 pounds of phosphorus, and 193,700 pounds of sediment.
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Severely eroded banks along Oil Creek before the restoration (left) and regraded streambank after (right).
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“Through EQIP, NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help producers and landowners make conservation improvements on their land that benefit natural resources, build resiliency, and contribute to the nation’s broader effort to combat the impacts of climate change."
- Denise Coleman, NRCS State Conservationist
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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