|
|
|
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 to receive the newsletter monthly!
— DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management
| |
|
DEP Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM)
| |
DEP’s BWRNSM Awards Growing Greener Funds
On January 21, DEP announced over $17 million in awarded grant funding through the Growing Greener Program, Pennsylvania’s largest environmental grant program. The money awarded will support 89 projects statewide that will restore streams, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and reclaim mine lands. Of the 40 counties with applicants receiving funding, 18 participate in the CAP Program, which works to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in local waters within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
| |
Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Inspection Program Posts Annual Summary Highlighting Accomplishments
The final 2024-2025 Chesapeake Bay Agricultural Inspection Program (CBAIP) Annual Summary was posted on the DEP Agriculture Compliance Section webpage on January 22. This document highlights CBAIP activities and accomplishments from July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025, including having inspected more than 2,200 farms. Although significant hurdles due to highly pathogenic avian influenza, staffing turnover, and decreasing average farm size prevented the program from hitting its annual goal of inspecting 10% of the agricultural acreage in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the inspections conducted by the program over the last few years covered over 230,000 acres, or 7.4% of the total agricultural acreage.
| |
Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
| |
Multi-State Partnership Celebrates Successful Projects Supporting the Conowingo WIP
The Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (Conowingo WIP) addresses additional nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment entering the Chesapeake Bay from the Conowingo Dam beyond that accounted for in each jurisdiction’s Phase 3 WIP. While the reservoir behind the dam traps these pollutants, it is nearing capacity much faster than expected. To address this challenge, the Conowingo WIP brings together multiple states and stakeholders through innovative funding mechanisms and partnerships aimed at reducing the amount of pollution flowing into the Bay.
In late October 2025, stakeholders working to implement the Conowingo WIP hosted a tour of three project sites in southern Pennsylvania. At each site, sediment that had been filling the floodplain for decades was removed, followed by the planting of new native trees and shrubs to create a thriving habitat. All three projects were completed by Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC (RES).
The tour featured the following sites and funding sources:
- Sinking Springs Farm — The latest phase was funded by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) Clean Water Procurement Program (CWPP). Earlier phases were funded through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) funding. This project transformed a channelized stream with eroded banks into a healthy floodplain that can withstand storm events.
- TNT Cattle Farm — This project was entirely funded by the PENNVEST CWPP to restore 7.5 acres of wetlands.
- Green Hill Farm — This project was entirely funded by the PENNVEST CWPP and is in active construction to create over seven acres of wetlands and restore 3,900 linear feet of stream.
| |
|  |
Jon Kasitz, Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), LLC, Northeast Client Solutions Manager, leads a tour of a PennDOT-funded restoration site at Sinking Springs Farm (Provided by the Chesapeake Bay Program).
| |
| | |
|  |
A view of TNT Cattle Farm’s 7.5-acre wetland restoration project (Provided by the Chesapeake Bay Program).
| |
| | |
|  |
Construction at Green Hill Farm (Provided by the Chesapeake Bay Program).
| |
| | |
Pennsylvania NRCS Releases 2025 Annual Report
The Pennsylvania office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (Pennsylvania NRCS) recently released their annual report, Pennsylvania NRCS Accomplishments. Throughout 2025, the report notes that more than 42,000 conservation practices and enhancements were applied on Pennsylvania’s private lands to help improve soil, air, and water quality; enhance wildlife habitat; and preserve land for future generations. A highlight within Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed was the development of 560 contracts covering 12,075 acres representing $44.4 million in funding.
| |
The cover of the annual report (left) alongside a table showing the top conservation practices applied in fiscal year 2025 (right).
| |
PENNVEST Approves Funding for Clean Water Projects in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
At its January 21 meeting, PENNVEST’s Board of Directors approved funding for three drinking water projects and 10 wastewater projects within Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. All together, this funding totals $231,268,256 in low-interest loans and $33,584,471 in grants.
| |
Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Publishes 2025 Conservation District Highlights
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) recently published Highlights of Conservation District Activities 2025, which highlights projects that the Commonwealth’s 66 conservation districts implemented in 2025 to reduce pollution. Counties highlighting their CAP work include the following: Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Columbia, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Sullivan, and Susquehanna.
| |
|  |
A page of the document featuring project implementation in Susquehanna County using various funding sources, including CAP.
| |
| | |
Penn State Extension Offers Webinar on Biochar and Soil Water Infiltration
On March 9, Penn State Extension will host a free webinar titled, Ag Water Series: Biochar’s Impact on Soil Water Infiltration. The webinar will explore biochar’s role in soil health, water infiltration, and crop growth through recent Pennsylvania-based research. Biochar is produced by heating organic materials to very high temperatures, resulting in a charcoal-like material composed of stable carbon that can be applied to soils to support soil health and water quality.
| |
Conestoga River Recognized as River of the Year for 2026
The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds & Rivers (POWR) recently announced that the Conestoga River has been named Pennsylvania’s River of the Year for 2026. The river is a tributary of the Susquehanna River and flows through Lancaster County. This recognition highlights the river’s environmental importance and the ongoing efforts to protect and restore its waters. After a waterway is chosen, local groups implement a year-round slate of activities and events to celebrate the river. The organization that nominated the winning river also receives a $15,000 leadership grant to help fund their River of the Year activities.
| |
|  |
Paddlers on the Conestoga River (Provided by Michelle Johnsen).
| |
| | |
This section features opinions, editorials, or briefings from selected partners about collaborative, locally focused, watershed restoration efforts in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that promote innovation and statewide restoration and conservation.
| |
This month’s partner contribution comes from Logan Stenger, Senior Project Manager at Chesapeake Conservancy. Logan is responsible for developing and implementing grants and projects to support the Conservancy’s water quality and habitat restoration work in the Bay watershed. Logan also helps lead and coordinate the Central PA Stream Delisting Partnership.
| |
The Stream Delisting Strategy is a targeted, data-driven effort led by the Chesapeake Conservancy in close coordination with local, state, and nonprofit partners, including collaboration with Lancaster Clean Water Partners, to accelerate water quality improvements in agriculturally impacted streams. Rather than distributing restoration work broadly, partners focus on smaller, high-priority watersheds, or “catchments,” where coordinated best management practices (BMPs) can generate measurable nutrient and sediment reductions. This approach aims to improve water quality to levels that support removing, or “delisting,” these streams from the federal impaired waters list. By aligning resources geographically and organizationally, the partnership delivers meaningful local water quality improvements while advancing restoration goals at the broader Chesapeake Bay scale.
In central Pennsylvania, a key component of this strategy is the Aggregate Buffer Maintenance Program. Because riparian forest buffers are among the most cost-effective BMPs for reducing nutrient and sediment loads, ensuring their successful establishment and long-term functionality is essential. The program pools multiple buffer sites under a unified maintenance framework to carry out critical tasks, such as spot-spraying to suppress competing vegetation, treating invasive species, repairing protective shelters, and performing other activities that promote the survival and growth of newly planted trees and shrubs. By aggregating sites, the partnership increases cost efficiency, streamlines reporting and verification, and ensures installed buffers continue delivering long-term water quality benefits. In 2024, partners identified 31 properties requiring maintenance, and the Chesapeake Conservancy coordinated work across more than 120 acres of riparian buffers. In 2026, now entering its third season, the program has expanded to 46 properties and nearly 200 acres of buffer.
| |
|  |
Stream delisting partners on a farm restoration site.
| |
| | |
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Solicits Proposals for 2026 Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants
- WILD Implementation grants of $75,000 to $500,000 will be awarded for projects that result in direct and measurable on-the-ground actions to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitats.
- WILD Collaborative Conservation grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded for projects that support and enhance the capacity of partnerships, networks, and other collaborative models working together to advance place-based, landscape-scale, and cross-jurisdictional habitat restoration, conservation, and connectivity outcomes.
- WILD Planning and Technical Assistance (PTA) grants of up to $75,000 will be awarded for projects that help advance future on-the-ground actions to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitats and related conservation benefits in the Bay watershed through community-based assessment, planning, design, and other technical assistance-oriented activities.
Proposals are due on April 9. While NFWF does not require consultation prior to application, they encourage applicants to schedule a proposal lab/project consultation with NFWF staff or contact contracted field liaisons.
| |
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Opens Agricultural Innovation Grant Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Innovation Grant Program is now open for applications. This program helps farmers and other agriculture businesses implement new agricultural technologies, conservation, and renewable energy innovations — expanding their potential to generate profits, enrich soil and water resources, and produce energy on the farm. The application period will close on April 18.
There are three types of grants available through this program:
- Planning Grant – The amount of the grant should be no less than $7,500 and no more than $50,000.
- On-site Grant – The amount of the grant should be no less than $5,000 and no more than $200,000.
- Regional Impact Grant – The amount of the grant should be no less than $100,000 and no more than $2 million.
| |
PENNVEST Accepting Proposals for Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Projects
PENNVEST recently announced the opening of another round of the Clean Water Procurement Program (CWPP) and is now accepting proposals. The long-term objective of this program is to improve water quality in the Commonwealth through the purchase of verified nutrient (nitrogen/phosphorus) or sediment reduction, resulting from the installation of best management practices (BMPs) to help the Commonwealth achieve the most current total maximum daily load limits for nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The application deadline is April 22.
| |
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Opens Another Round of the Community Conservation Partnerships Program
On January 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) announced the opening of another round of their Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grants. These grants contribute to projects supporting recreational improvements, natural resource conservation, and community revitalization efforts in communities throughout Pennsylvania. The latest round of C2P2 grants invested nearly $82 million to support more than 295 recreation and conservation projects in 58 counties, helping communities improve parks and playgrounds, build and repair trails, conserve open space, restore rivers and watersheds, and grow local economies through outdoor recreation. The deadline to apply for the current round is April 30.
| |
Riparian Buffer Mini-Grant Program Available
PACD has funding available in their current Lawn Conversion and Riparian Buffer Mini-Grant Program. Conservation districts may apply to the fund if they are planting riparian forest buffers this year or if they are converting presently maintained lawn to actively managed upland forest or perennial native meadow. This grant is first-come, first-served. The grant round will stay open until funds are expended or by June 30, whichever comes first. The Lawn Conversion and Riparian Buffer Mini-Grant Program for conservation districts is financed in part by a grant from the C2P2, Environmental Stewardship Fund, under the administration of the DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
| |
Berks County buffer project (left, provided by Berks County Conservation District) and Lehigh County lawn conversion project (right, provided by Lehigh County Conservation District).
| |
Sustainable Chesapeake Seeks Agribusiness Partners to Deliver Supplemental Nitrogen Management Services to Boost Adoption of Liquid Manure Injection
Sustainable Chesapeake recently announced a request for proposal seeking qualified agribusinesses with clients located in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed interested in working with the Manure Injection Partnership to expand adoption of supplemental nitrogen management on acres that are treated with manure injection. Combining supplemental nitrogen management with manure injection will ensure farmers using manure injection have the information they need to reduce application rates, thereby improving both farm profit and water quality. Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all funding has been obligated.
| |
Project Planning Grants Available
WeConservePA is now offering $20,000 Project Planning Grants to help qualified small and mid-sized Pennsylvania land trusts pursue conservation acquisition projects — supporting all stages of landowner outreach for conservation acquisition projects as well as covering title research, environmental review, planning by staff, and other precursors to acquiring property interests. This funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis until program funding is exhausted.
| |
Chester County Beef Operation Installs BMPs Via CAP Grant
Herr Angus Farm, a Chester County beef and crop operation, recently completed work implementing BMPs with technical and financial assistance provided by DEP through a CAP Implementation Grant, totaling $51,875. Chester County Conservation District provided administrative oversight of the project, while Mowery Environmental, LLC provided design and construction oversight.
Prior to project installation, runoff from barnyard areas was piped and discharged into pastures, which had caused erosion over time. In addition to stormwater, nutrients and leachate were transported into the pastures. To address these concerns, a biofilter, consisting of manure char, sand, and wood char, was installed to capture and treat runoff. Treated low flow from the biofilter is now piped to a stable rock-lined outlet. High flow events move through a spillway into a newly constructed grass waterway, and this system is fenced so that livestock are excluded from the area.
Biofilters have been increasingly recognized for their ability to treat pollutants in overland runoff, leveraging both physical adsorption and biological processes. The integration of manure-based biochar alongside that of traditional wood-based materials offers a novel approach to enhancing nutrient removal capabilities. The biofilter was designed to create aerobic conditions at the top and anaerobic conditions at the bottom for purposes of supporting both nitrification and denitrification, along with physical and chemical adsorption of pollutants by the biochar.
Mowery Environmental has taken samples of the affected area to determine nutrient reductions due to the installation of the biofilter. Additional sampling is desired, but preliminary results are encouraging, with samples showing a 90.8% reduction in total nitrogen, a 76.1% reduction in ammonium nitrogen, and a 92.1% reduction in organic nitrogen.
| |
Drainage piped to pastures (before) and a view of captured runoff being filtered (after).
| |
Columbia County Installs Stream Restoration and Buffer Project
The Columbia County Conservation District restored roughly 2,475 linear feet of streambank, spanning two neighboring properties along West Branch Briar Creek. Erosion on the downstream property was so severe that the base of one of their fenceposts was eroded out, causing the fencepost to fall into the stream. The installed streambank stabilization and fish habitat structures will stabilize eroded banks, reconnect floodplain access, enhance aquatic habitat, and reduce sediment and nutrient loss to the stream. Additionally, a 0.4-acre riparian buffer is planned to be planted in the Spring of 2026 at the downstream property.
Establishment of a successful riparian buffer at this property will be key in reconnecting the riparian corridor, as both properties upstream and downstream have well-established buffers, and are often used for trout fishing. This project was funded with $66,295 from the 2025 CAP Implementation grant.
| |
A before (left) and after (right) view of the project area in Columbia County.
| |
Conservation Practices Help Reduce Nutrient and Sediment Loads in Local Juniata County Watershed
The Juniata County Conservation District (JCCD) has been utilizing CAP funding to install many conservation practices, including roofed heavy use areas, manure storage, streambank stabilization and fish habitat. In the Doe Run watershed, JCCD is using CAP funding to implement roofed heavy use areas on two different farms, Red Cedar Farm and Kauffman Family Farms, to confine grass-fed beef cattle at times when pasture conditions are not ideal. By implementing conservation practices on these farms, the landowners can prevent harmful nutrients and excess sediment from going into the streams and contaminating clean water. Red Cedar Farm received $107,700 in CAP funding and Kauffman Family Farms will receive $37,334 in CAP funding. Doe Run supports aquatic life and is a trout-stocked stream that feeds into the Juniata River where many anglers enjoy time on the water.
| |
A before (left) and after (right) picture of a heavy use area constructed at Red Cedar Farm.
| |
Beef Producer Installs Key Conservation Practices on Farm in Luzerne County
In 2025, Luzerne County Conservation District (LCCD) in partnership with DEP and the State Conservation Commission completed a two-phase project on a beef farm. The farmer pursued assistance to improve his operation by partnering with conservation staff to identify opportunities that would benefit both the livestock and the environment. Together, the farmer, the conservation district, and engineers implemented a series of enhancements designed to improve daily farm operations while reducing impacts to water quality.
Key conservation practices installed include: the construction of a livestock heavy use area; manure storage infrastructure; the establishment of reliable on-farm livestock watering sources; fencing to support rotational grazing management and to provide livestock restriction to environmentally sensitive areas; and stabilized livestock walkways and crossings.
LCCD utilized multiple funding sources over a two-year period to cover the more than $500,000 needed to construct the project including Growing Greener funding of $110,840, Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) funding of $307,198, and CAP funding of $102,390.
| |
A view of the heavy use area prior to construction (left) and after completion (right).
| |
CAP Counties’ Reported Progress Shows Continuing Momentum
Every year, CAP counties submit updates on their progress as they work on action items identified in their individual CAPs. DEP BWRNSM staff reviewed the submissions and selected a highlight from each county to showcase the variety of work being accomplished by CAP county partners. Thank you to all CAP county partners for your work throughout 2025!
- Adams County – Implemented a 20-acre agricultural land retirement project converting the land to forest.
- Bedford County – Adopted a stormwater fee in Bedford Borough to support southside stormwater management improvements, including drainage to Shobers Run.
- Berks County – Preserved 191 acres of farmland.
- Blair County – Implemented 1.83 acres of riparian forest buffers through the conservation district’s Riparian Buffer Incentive Program.
- Bradford County – Completed multiple agricultural BMPs, including manure storage and heavy use areas.
- Cambria County – Submitted a 319 grant for the Beldin Mine project (through the Clearfield Creek Watershed Association) to fund design and permitting for acid mine drainage treatment.
- Centre County – Completed the planning phase of the Landscape U Partnership, including water quality data collection, story map development, and project prioritization.
- Chester County – Conducted 30 outreach visits to Plain Sect operations.
- Clearfield County – Finalized and received EPA approval for the Morgan Run Watershed Restoration Plan.
- Clinton County – Completed a Watershed Implementation Plan for Fishing Creek and Bull Run.
- Columbia County – Expanded the cover crop rolling program to 600 acres, with most participants also planting green.
- Cumberland County – Awarded nearly $715,000 in CAP Block Grant funding through their Clean Water Grant Program to five municipalities for stream restorations, buffer enhancements, and stormwater projects.
- Dauphin County – Oversaw implementation of over 1,100 animal equivalent units of animal waste management BMPs.
- Franklin County – Partnered with Capital Resource Conservation and Development Area Council (RC&D) to strengthen BMP verification efforts and identify new opportunities in underserved watersheds.
- Fulton County – Completed and secured DEP and EPA approval for the Upper Big Cove Creek Watershed Assessment Plan.
- Huntingdon County – Completed a 3,781-foot stream restoration on Herod Run with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and installed 13.5 acres of riparian buffers with the Chesapeake Conservancy.
- Juniata County – Finalized the updated Juniata River Watershed Management Plan.
- Lackawanna County – Planted 10 acres of riparian buffer.
- Lancaster County – Published findings of municipal liaisons regarding watershed-based collaboration resulting in a noticeable increase of non-Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) parties participating in events and communications furthering Lancaster Clean Water Partner stormwater efforts.
- Lebanon County – Launched an in-house cover crop program in the Hammer Creek watershed with plans for countywide expansion.
- Luzerne County – Planted 197 trees in Kingston Borough.
- Lycoming County – Hosted 20 environmental education events, reaching over 1,000 students.
- MIfflin County – Developed 14 manure management plans covering 2,175 acres and developed 23 agricultural erosion and sediment control plans covering 2,044 acres.
- Montour County – Installed a pollinator meadow and conducted a countywide tire cleanup in partnership with county officials and workers.
- Northumberland County – Continued expanding annual cover crop implementation across the county.
- Perry County – Achieved the 10,000-acre milestone for the county’s Farmland Preservation Program.
- Potter County – Updated the county’s subdivision and land development ordinances.
- Schuylkill County – Completed the Good Spring floodplain and stream restoration project, formerly known as “Devil’s Hole.”
- Snyder County – Advanced soil health outreach by working to establish monthly farmer meetings and held environmental education events (Kids’ Enviro Camp, Farmer’s Winter Meeting, Outdoor Education, etc.) to promote water quality improvements for tributaries in the county.
- Sullivan County – Removed a low head dam on Birch Creek and installed log vanes and modified mudsills in partnership with Trout Unlimited.
- Susquehanna County – Completed 15 manure management plans and finalized the Clifford Township Park project, restoring 1,800 linear feet of streambank.
- Tioga County – Completed 177 acres of upland forestry planting at Fallbrook and 4.5 additional upland acres at Long Run.
- Union County – Installed nearly 4,000 feet of fencing, seven water hydrants, 4,000 square feet of animal walkway, and over 80 acres of prescribed grazing through a Growing Greener grant.
- York County – Launched public access to real-time water quality data through the U.S. Geological Survey’s York County Water Quality Monitoring Dashboard.
| |
“Growing Greener grants are one of the best investments that Pennsylvania makes into improving our environment. These 89 projects will lead to cleaner water for us to drink and swim in, better habitat for fish and wildlife, and less pollution in our streams and rivers. It enables local governments, county conservation districts, and non-profit organizations to make Pennsylvania a better place to live and thrive.”
- Jessica Shirley, SecretaryPA Department of Environmental Protection
| |
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
