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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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Kristen Wolf Retires After 25 Years of State Service
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division marked the retirement of Division Manager, Kristen Wolf, on June 13, 2025. For more than a decade, Kristen oversaw and actively participated in building and sustaining Pennsylvania’s extensive partnership efforts, working toward meeting goals and commitments to local waters across Pennsylvania’s expansive Chesapeake Bay watershed. Kristen served as a connector between DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Program and its many local, state, and federal partners, advisory committees, interstate organizations, academia, environmental groups, and business organizations. The Division is grateful for her leadership and guidance over her tenure! Her role has been filled by Natahnee Miller, who has valuable prior experience working directly with the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division and with Kristen Wolf.
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Kristen Wolf celebrated her retirement at a gathering along the Susquehanna River.
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Riparian Buffer Program Webinar Held
On July 2, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division held a Webinar Wednesday session titled “Forest Buffer Programs’ Structure, Highlights, and Successes.” The purpose of the presentation was for participants to learn about buffer programs from counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed as well as from DCNR. Presenters who shared from a county perspective were also encouraged to share project successes, highlights, and lessons learned. Representatives from Blair County Conservation District presented as a team (Chelsey Weyant and Sarah Oreskovich), Rachel Stahlman represented York County Planning Commission, and Eric Livelsberger represented DCNR. The webinar can be found on the Clean Water Academy Course: Webinar Wednesday - Forest Buffer Programs' Structure, Highlights, and Successes - Blair County, York County, and DCNR.
Additional webinars are planned for 2025 including an August 6 webinar about permitting related to CAP projects. Anyone interested in receiving an invitation to the webinars can contact Jim Spatz at jspatz@pa.gov.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Senate Confirms Governor Shapiro’s Nominee Jessica Shirley to Lead the Department of Environmental Protection
On June 25, 2025, the Pennsylvania State Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Governor Josh Shapiro’s nomination of Jessica Shirley as Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection in a bipartisan vote. With more than 14 years of service with DEP, Secretary Shirley has served as an Executive Policy Specialist, Policy Director, first-of-its-kind Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator, and Executive Deputy Secretary, where she oversaw the influx of federal funding supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and developed groundbreaking executive orders related to PFAS, climate change, energy conservation, and sustainability within Commonwealth operations.
Under her leadership, DEP has undertaken significant modernization efforts, such as the launch of the PAyback program and the online permit tracker, that have reduced the permit backlog by 94 percent since November 1, 2023, including the complete resolution of the Office of Oil and Gas management’s permit backlog. DEP also launched the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program on June 30, 2025, which further modernizes DEP’s permit review process to increase certainty for applicants and increase transparency for residents.
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Shapiro Administration Celebrates New Naturalistic Fish Passage at Shikellamy State Park in Northumberland County
As part of the watershed-wide Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week that took place in June, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) celebrated the new naturalistic fish passage at Shikellamy State Park in Northumberland County for its upstream benefit to native species such as American shad and eels, and its downstream benefit to the Chesapeake Bay.
Spanning the width of the Susquehanna River between the towns of Shamokin Dam and Sunbury, the inflatable dam at Shikellamy State Park creates the seasonal Lake Augusta — a 3,000−acre recreational pool that offers boating, fishing, and other water-based activities. The fish passage allows aquatic life to go around the dam.
The fish passage is:
- About 900 feet long
- Located on the dam's west end
- Made with natural materials such as boulders and rip rap to simulate a streambed
- Four resting pools and five riffles
- Engineered for self-cleaning during high-water events
- Activated automatically once the dam is inflated in the spring and lake elevation is reached
The passage is recognized as one of the largest and most naturalistic fishways on the East Coast. The design has garnered nationwide attention and stands as a model for future fishway projects. Key species supported include American shad, which migrates upstream to spawn and American eel that hosts freshwater mussel larvae. Freshwater mussels are natural water filters. Restoring their populations improves overall water quality.
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A view of the 900-foot-long fish passage at Shikellamy State Park in Pennsylvania bypassing the inflatable dam.
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Pennsylvania Invests Nearly $10 Million to Ensure 35 Farms, 2,672 Prime Farmland Acres in 18 Counties Stay Farms Forever
On June 12, 2025, the Shapiro Administration announced that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $10 million to purchase development rights for 2,672 acres on 35 farms in 18 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 feeding families and supporting jobs and communities in the future. Counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed receiving a share of this investment include Adams, Blair, Chester, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, and Mifflin.
Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has invested $125.2 million to preserve 415 new farms and 35,177 prime acres of farmland across the state. Pennsylvania continues to lead the nation in preserved farmland. Since 1988, when voters overwhelmingly supported creating the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, Pennsylvania has protected 6,564 farms and 654,551 acres in 58 counties from future development, investing nearly $1.76 billion in state, county, and local funds.
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DEP, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Farmers Celebrate Conservation Collaboration
On June 10, 2025, representatives from DEP, the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD), the Juniata County Conservation District, the State Conservation Commission (SCC), the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA), and others took time to recognize the conservation work accomplished at Charvin Organic Farms in Mifflintown, Juniata County. The visit coincided with Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.
Elvin Ranck, owner of Charvin Farms, worked with the Juniata County Conservation District, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Organic Valley, PDA, and DEP on the conservation projects, with funding from state, federal, and non-governmental organization sources to install several features on the farm that are reducing runoff pollution to the headwater streams that flow nearby. These projects include forested grass buffers alongside the streams and a manure storage barn to keep rain from washing cow and pig manure into the waterways. One of the funding sources for the projects on the farm was DEP’s Growing Greener program. Project funding also came from the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), which is run by PDA and the SCC. The funding from these government programs and the partnership with farmers and non-governmental organizations is helping to improve local water quality and beyond within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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Various conservation leaders and representatives gather to celebrate conservation practices at Charvin Organic Farms.
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A view of the livestock housed at Charvin Organic Farms with partner representatives in the background.
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Chesapeake Bay’s Health Declines Slightly but Remains on the Right Track Over the Long Term
After a year of severe weather that included periods of prolonged drought followed by extreme rain events, the Chesapeake Bay earned a C on its annual Chesapeake Bay Report Card, declining slightly from the C+ it received last year. Produced by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), the report card measures the health of the Bay based on seven different environmental indicators such as dissolved oxygen, water clarity, and underwater grasses. UMCES also assesses the health and productivity of Bay’s watershed based on 12 ecologic, social, and economic indicators.
The Chesapeake Bay’s watershed received a slightly higher grade than the estuary itself: a C+ (57%). This score is made up of indicators in three categories: Ecology, Society, and Economy. The highest-scoring category was Ecology, with a B- (64%), followed by the Economy category with a C+ (55%). The lowest scoring category was Society, with a C (52%).
According to the report, 2024 was one of the hottest years on record, which can cause a decrease in the dissolved oxygen needed to support fish and plant life in the Bay. The periods of heavy rainfall swept excess nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment runoff into local waterways and eventually the Chesapeake, smothering underwater grasses and throwing off the Bay’s salinity. It is because of these environmental factors that the Bay saw a lower score in 2024 than it did the previous year. Despite a decrease in health, the Bay’s score in 2024 was higher than the long-term average taken from 1986−2024, and the Bay itself is on an upward trend. Since 1986, the highest health grade the Bay has scored is a 55% (or C+), which it earned in 2023. The 50% that the Bay earned in 2024 is higher than most years on record.
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Chesapeake Bay Program Highlights Acid Mine Drainage Remediation in Whole Watershed Restoration Efforts
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Draft Revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Now Available for Public Feedback
The draft revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement updates the document that was signed in 2014 by the Chesapeake Executive Council — governors of the six watershed states, mayor of Washington, D.C., administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the federal government, and the chair of the tri-state, legislative Chesapeake Bay Commission. The original 10 goals have been simplified into four: Thriving Habitats and Wildlife, Clean Water, Healthy Landscapes, and Engaged Communities. Thirty-one outcomes have been streamlined into 21 outcomes; each with relevant targets that will help advance watershed restoration.
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Chesapeake Bay Program Latest Data Release Provides High- and Hyper-Resolution Data on the Chesapeake’s Lands and Waters
On June 26, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced an update to its High-Resolution Land Use/Land Cover Data and Change Data, and, for the first time, Hyper-Resolution Hydrography Data that precisely identify the location, dimensions, and connectivity of streams, ditches, and other waterways. Land Use/Land Cover Data and Change Data are available for the years 2013/2014, 2017/2018, and 2021/2022. The new Hyper-Resolution Hydrography Data more than doubles the number of mapped stream channel miles compared to existing national data. The data precisely locate stream channels, include attributes of channel dimensions, and are 94% accurate for streams represented by existing national data, and between 67–82% accurate for previously unmapped streams with accuracy rates increasing for larger streams.
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Wetland Restoration Project Completed Through NRCS in Lebanon County
In the spring, work wrapped up on a 15-acre wetland restoration project on the property of Randy Leisure, a long-time conservation advocate and former Lebanon Conservation District Chairperson. The project was completed through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wetlands Reserve Easement Program (WRE). Leisure first heard about the WRE program through a PACD regional meeting and though it would be a good fit.
The easement is in the Swatara watershed, a National Water Quality Initiative Area, where USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) partners with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to measure water quality benefits of conservation practices. Practices such as this easement exemplify the vital role that wetlands play in preserving water quality, managing flood risks, and supporting biodiversity.
To celebrate and showcase this achievement, a Wetland Walk was conducted in May. The event brought together conservation partners, watershed groups, farmers, and other interested landowners, and the local community to explore the restored easement, observe the benefits it provides, and discuss the importance of wetland conservation. This walk served as an opportunity to encourage more landowners in Lebanon County to consider participating in the WRE program, helping to protect and restore the county’s natural resources.
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Randy Leisure, a long-time conservation advocate, and former Lebanon Conservation District Chairperson successfully restored 15 acres on his property through USDA’s Wetlands Reserve Easement (WRE) program.
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Green Infrastructure Grants Through the Chesapeake Bay Trust Announced
The Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3, Chesapeake Bay Program, West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Baltimore City Department of Public Works announced $1,650,815 in funding for 31 projects across Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the District of Columbia as part of the Chesapeake Bay Green Streets, Green Jobs, Green Towns (G3) Grant Program. The awards help communities reduce stormwater runoff; increase the number of green spaces in communities; improve the health of local rivers, streams, and the Chesapeake Bay; improve human health; create jobs; and reduce energy use.
Of the multiple projects, several are in Pennsylvania communities within the Chesapeake Bay watershed:
- Borough of Lewisburg - $43,900 to incorporate green infrastructure elements into a street re-pavement project.
- City of Lancaster - $35,000 to implement a green infrastructure capital paving project to reduce stormwater runoff to create positive change in the City’s Ross neighborhood and $20,000 to engage residents and organizations to develop a Green Infrastructure Concept Plan for the Churchtowne neighborhood.
- Lebanon County Conservation District - $9,675 to convert 900-square-foot of lawn to meadow conversion at the Lebanon Valley Agricultural Center creating a diverse habitat for birds and pollinators while mitigating stormwater runoff and serving as an educational resource to the community.
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Lancaster County Launches New Water Quality Dashboard
The Lancaster County Conservation District has launched a groundbreaking online dashboard, offering the public a one-stop-shop to explore Best Management Practice (BMP) and water quality data throughout the county. This is the first publicly available mapping tool of its kind to display local BMP data from the DEP’s Data Warehouse.
The dashboard organizes and displays information by sub-watersheds, making it easier to understand how local conservation efforts contribute to the county’s broader water quality and Clean Water Action Plan (CAP) goals and Bay cleanup goals. Designed for use on a computer, this tool offers an unprecedented level of transparency and access for residents, landowners, and conservation partners. Lancaster County Conservation District’s Data Coordinator, Noelle Cudney, noted that the goal of the dashboard is to make it easier to follow CAP and county goals related to conservation practices and water quality.
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A screenshot of the dashboard (Provided by Lancaster County Conservation District).
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Penn State Extension Offering Professional Consulting and Workforce Training to Pennsylvania Farms and Agribusinesses
Penn State Extension received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry to offer professional consulting and workforce training in multiple areas including hiring and retention, benefits and compensation, business and operations, ag legal support, and ag safety and health. This training is being offered at no cost to 100 qualifying Pennsylvania farms and agribusinesses who register. Interested applicants can fill out a survey to express their interest and to answer questions regarding workforce needs within the industry.
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Penn State Extension Offering Virtual Webinar Connecting Farmers to Resources to Navigate Challenges and Build Resilience
On August 4, 2025, Penn State Extension will host a virtual webinar free of charge entitled, “Farm Stress Series: Landscapes of Support for Farmers.” The webinar will explore how community-based tools — particularly asset mapping — can help identify and strengthen strong, supportive networks for farmers facing stress and mental health challenges. Extension professionals and others who work with agricultural communities will learn how to use asset mapping to connect farmers with the people, organizations, and programs they need to manage stress and build resilience. The session offers practical strategies for fostering meaningful, localized support systems that meet farmers where they are.
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Natural Lands Organization Completes Massive Tree-Planting Effort at Peacedale Preserve in Chester County
On June 17, 2025, Natural Lands announced a massive tree-planting effort was completed recently at the organization’s Peacedale Preserve in Landenberg, Chester County, Pennsylvania. The conservation non-profit planted 11,020 native species along waterways and across 36 acres of former fields. Over time, the seedlings will mature to a diverse forest, offering habitat for wildlife and improve water quality. The seedlings are a variety of native species, including red maple, silver maple, hornbeam, redbud, tulip tree, black gum, sycamore, white oak, swamp white oak, pin oak, chestnut oak, elderberry, and flowering dogwood. Planted at a density of 303 trees per acre, the seedlings are protected from deer by five-foot-tall tree shelters that photodegrade over time. The trees and shrubs were planted in 12-foot rows, wide enough to allow preserve stewardship staff to mow between them, reducing competition from other vegetation until the seedlings have matured.
The creeks flowing within Peacedale Preserve flow to Big Elk Creek, onward to Elk River, and empty into the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to improving water quality, the planting project at Peacedale Preserve will re-establish forest cover and improve wildlife habitat. In particular, woodlands are essential for migratory songbirds—such as Scarlet Tanager and Wood Thrush—that rely on the dense forest for food and protection from the weather and predators. Funding for this project was provided by the E. Kneale Dockstader Foundation; the Conservancy Grant Program, Commissioners of Chester County, Pennsylvania; and donors to Natural Lands’ preserve restoration fund.
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Tree planting completed at Peacedale Preserve within the Big Elk Creek watershed leading to the Chesapeake Bay.
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Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy Finalizes 109-Acre Conservation Easement in Lycoming County
This spring, the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC) worked with landowners to complete a conservation easement on a 109-acre property in Lycoming County. The land sits on the south side of Batys Mountain and is home to a healthy mix of oak, hickory, and maple trees, along with patches of Eastern hemlock and white pine. Two open fields are maintained as meadows offering space for wild turkeys, ground nesting birds, and other wildlife. A small stream, Dubois Hollow Run, begins on the property and flows into Lycoming Creek, before it joins the West Branch Susquehanna River. This property adds to a growing network of conserved lands in the region. It borders State Game Lands 133 and is close to Loyalsock State Forest and several other properties NPC has helped conserve.
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A forested section of the conservation easement in Lycoming County.
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Heavy Precipitation Causing Significant Rill and Gully Erosion on Pennsylvania Farmlands Highlights Importance of Soil Disturbance Reduction
Soil erosion by water remains a significant threat to agricultural productivity and environmental quality across the USA and Pennsylvania. The last available National Resource Inventory (NRI) published by USDA reported that rill and sheet erosion on Pennsylvania cropland still averaged 4.5 tons per acre per year (T/A/yr) on Highly Erodible Land (HEL) and 1.5 T/A/yr on non-HEL (in 2017). This was significant progress from 1987, when soil erosion on HEL was 6.1 T/A/yr and 1.7 T/A/yr on non-HEL, but still excessive, causing degradation of cropland, reduced yields, and impaired water quality. Although typically calculated and expressed as average soil loss per acre per year, most water erosion is caused by high-intensity, isolated precipitation events
The primary causes of soil erosion by water are tillage practices that loosen the soil, weaken soil structure, and reduce residue cover. Bare soil can also be the result of harvesting all the crop residue and not leaving any cover. It can also be the result of overgrazing on pasturelands. Effective water erosion control relies on keeping soil covered and minimizing disturbance at all times to avoid soil exposure during heavy precipitation events.
Recommended practices include:
- Conservation tillage: No-till and mulch till systems that reduce soil disturbance and maintain residue cover.
- Cover crops: Cereals/grasses and broadleaves that protect soil during fallow periods and improve soil structure.
- Contour farming: Planting along the natural contours of the land slows runoff and reduces erosion.
- Vegetative barriers: Narrow strips of grass or shrubs across slopes trap sediment and slow water flow.
- Proper grazing management: Rotational grazing and maintaining adequate forage cover reduce erosion on pastures.
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The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds to Offer Conservation Grants in August
The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds (FPW) provides matching grant funds to both small and large groups and organizations throughout much of the Commonwealth. The FPW invests in local efforts in Pennsylvania that protect healthy streams, clean up pollution, and restore degraded wildlife habitat. Twice a year, the foundation distributes grants that leverage local, state, and federal funds to protect the best of the best and restore the worst of the worst water problems. Their primary service area is from the Ohio border to the Susquehanna River’s mainstem. The next grant application cycle opens in August 2025.
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Back Creek Floodplain Undergoes Large Restoration Efforts in Franklin County
Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) is overseeing the finishing touches of a CAP-funded floodplain restoration on Back Creek in Hamilton Township, Franklin County. The project was constructed in October and November of 2024 in partnership with LandStudies, Inc., Hamilton Ruritan Club and a private landowner, resulting in the creation of a 2.53-acre floodplain. The restored stream valley length totaled 1,720 linear feet, half of which has been shifted an average of 125 feet from its previous flow path. This newly constructed channel mimics the natural meander it once had and incorporates a series of deep pools and shallow riffled areas. During the final implementation phase this spring, over 100 native trees and shrubs and more than 2,000 herbaceous plugs were planted to provide and encourage growth of 1.84 acres in new vegetation.
The outcome of this stream and floodplain restoration project aims to reduce sediment movement within the watershed ultimately lessening Franklin County’s impact to the Chesapeake Bay. On a more localized level, over time the floodplain will result in valuable fish and wildlife habitat integrated into a functional agricultural and community shared landscape.
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Back Creek stream and floodplain restoration with channel shift midway segment: before (left) and after (middle). Herbaceous plug planting on floodplain shelf near downstream segment (right) (Provided by Franklin County Conservation District).
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Lancaster Water Week 2025 Celebrates Clean Water and Community Action
Lancaster Water Week 2025, hosted by the Lancaster Conservancy, wrapped up another inspiring celebration of clean water, thriving habitats, and engaged communities. With 64 unique events spread across the county, this year’s Water Week was the largest and most impactful to date. Some of these many events were highlighted in a recently released Water Week video.
From stream cleanups and restoration tours to family-friendly festivals and educational hikes, thousands of Lancaster County residents came together to learn, volunteer, and celebrate the importance of waterway protection. A standout success was the distribution of more than 2,000 native trees, shrubs, pollinator plugs, and seed packets. These plants now serve as powerful tools in the hands of residents, helping to improve soil health, reduce runoff, support pollinators, and rebuild vital habitats right in their own backyards.
Each tree planted and every conversation sparked reflects Lancaster’s growing commitment to clean and clear water for all. Thanks to the Conservancy’s leadership and the energy of countless partners, volunteers, and supporters, Water Week continues to grow as a meaningful tradition — and a powerful reminder that together, community members can make a lasting difference for our streams, rivers, and future generations.
This 9th annual Water Week featured a variety of activities connecting people to nature and to each other. Participants explored streams, carried out stream restoration projects, learned about the connection between habitat and clean water, sang, biked, and hiked their way through Lancaster County celebrating 1400 miles of beautiful streams and rivers. Exciting plans are already underway to celebrate a decade of Lancaster Water Week in 2026!
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Lancaster Water Week participants engage with a local stream (Provided by Michelle Johnsen, courtesy Lancaster Conservancy).
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“It is an honor and a privilege to head DEP, and I am grateful to Governor Shapiro for entrusting me with his nomination and to the Senate for confirming me. I look forward to leading this agency of talented professionals as we continue to serve Pennsylvanians by protecting the air we breathe, the land we live on, and the water we drink from pollution. We will continue to work as partners with people, businesses, and organizations to protect our natural resources and public health."
- Jessica Shirley, Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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