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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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DEP Celebrates Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week
As an annual celebration of the nation’s largest estuary, Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week was held from June 7-15. Participating in the spirit of this week, DEP took time to reflect on the progress being made to restore and protect the ecosystem of the Bay. A highlight this past year was the 2024 National Association of Environmental Professionals Environmental Excellence Award in recognition of Pennsylvania’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP), a coordinated plan involving multiple partners to meet nutrient reduction goals. Integral to the success of the Phase 3 WIP has been ongoing collaboration and partnership with the 34 Pennsylvania counties in the Bay watershed that have developed their own unique, community-specific action plans.
Pennsylvania also has reason to celebrate with the investment of more than $575 million in state and federal funds for nutrient reduction efforts in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in 2024, and in the same year, the reporting of more than 15,000 Best Management Practices (BMPs). This momentum is helping to drive efforts like the 30 by 30 Strategy to restore 30 locally impaired streams by 2030 using accelerated, targeted BMPs. In 2024, Pennsylvania achieved a net decrease in impaired stream miles within PA’s portion of the Bay watershed for the first time in decades. Pennsylvania delisted 38.2 miles of stream in PA’s portion of the Bay with another dozen close behind. PA’s efforts and investments are translating into improved local water quality and healthier streams ultimately benefitting the Chesapeake Bay.
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The 2024 National Association of Environmental Professionals Environmental Excellence Award (left), local partners planting trees and improving local water quality (center), and celebration of Turtle Creek’s delisting as an impaired stream (right).
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Perspectives on CAP Program Administration Webinar Held
On June 4, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division held a Webinar Wednesday session titled “Perspectives on CAP Program Administration.” The purpose of the presentation was to share practical steps for successfully executing projects from concept to completion via the request for proposal and contracting process. Representatives from Lancaster Clean Water Partners and Lancaster County Conservation District presented as a team, and Josh Glace from Larson Design Group presented in the second half of the webinar. The webinar can be found on the Clean Water Academy webpage: Webinar Wednesday – Perspectives on CAP Program Administration.
Additional webinars are planned for 2025, including a July 2 webinar about buffer programs and 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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Technical Assistance Program Application Opening
Larson Design Group, Inc. (LDG) has been retained by DEP’s Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management (BWRNSM) to provide technical services for project implementation to assist Pennsylvania in reaching its clean water goals. The Technical Assistance Program (TAP) will be accepting requests from conservation districts within the Chesapeake Bay watershed to provide technical services for projects focusing on nutrient and sediment reduction. Proposed projects must be located within a Most Effective Basin to be eligible to receive assistance. Examples of technical services that can be provided through the program include permitting, site survey, inventory and evaluation, project engineering and design, construction inspection, and project coordination. TAP can provide technical services to assist with project planning and implementation across all counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed during the next open application round.
TAP applications will be open from June 30, 2025 to August 15, 2025. DEP and LDG will be holding an informational webinar at 1 pm on June 26, 2025 to provide program guidance, overview the application and answer any questions. Contact TAP@LarsonDesignGroup.com with any questions.
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Chesapeake Bay Program Model Estimates Lower Amount of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sediment Pollution Entering Chesapeake Bay
On June 3, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Program announced that the seven jurisdictions that make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed – Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia – continued to make progress between 2023 and 2024 in reducing the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay Program uses a suite of modeling tools to assess reported best management practices (BMPs) along with land use data, fertilizer and manure use, wastewater and septic discharges, and river flow to estimate pollutant reductions achieved between 2009 – the baseline year for the Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) – and 2024.
Computer simulations showed the following reductions between 2009 and 2024:
- Overall nitrogen entering the Bay decreased 15.3% from 297.1 million pounds in 2009 to 251.6 million pounds in 2024, meeting 59% of the goal to reduce nitrogen by 2025.
- Overall phosphorus entering the Bay decreased 21.8% from 16.8 million pounds in 2009 to 13.1 million pounds in 2024, meeting 92% of the goal to reduce phosphorus by 2025.
- Overall sediment entering the Bay decreased 7.6% from 18.83 billion pounds in 2009 to 17.39 billion pounds in 2024, meeting 100% of the goal to reduce sediment by 2025.
In 2024, the partnership introduced two new indicators — the Bay TMDL Indicator and the Monitored and Expected Total Reduction Indicator for the Chesapeake (METRIC). These indicators were developed after partners wanted to incorporate more water quality monitoring data to help improve the overall understanding of how the Bay watershed is responding to implemented BMPs and changing environmental conditions. These indicators combine both modeling and monitoring data and will be updated by July 2025. PA is demonstrating improving water quality conditions overall. The water quality monitoring data in York County shows a significant difference between modeled and monitored sediment loads.
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Maryland Governor Moore Signs Legislation to Protect and Strengthen the Chesapeake Bay Economy
On May 13, 2025, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act. This bill builds upon his administration’s efforts to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay, providing new economic pathways for farmers and strengthening the Chesapeake Bay economy. Specifically, the bill modernizes Maryland’s water quality and monitoring program; enhances Maryland’s farmland and ecosystems by promoting regenerative agriculture practices; streamlines the aquaculture leasing process; updates Maryland’s fisheries management program; and develops a collaborative permitting process to expedite watershed projects. The bill also establishes the Leaders in Environmentally Engaged Farming Pilot Program, allowing the Maryland Department of Agriculture to recognize and further incentivize sustainable land management practices.
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Maryland Governor Wes Moore presiding over the signing of a bill that includes the Chesapeake Bay Legacy Act.
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Stroud Water Research Center in Partnership with Lancaster County Farmer Showcases Buffer Work
In 2021, Stroud Water Research Center (Stroud) invited farmer Jim Hershey of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania to participate in a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) project. CREP offers landowners financial incentives to establish and maintain riparian forest buffers along streams and waterways. The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) partnered with Hershey and the Stroud Center on the project. The Stroud Center put together a plan that protected 13 acres of stream banks and planted a total of 3,100 trees. Funds from a variety of public and private sources provided Hershey with an additional $4,000 per acre of trees planted to finance other conservation enhancements on the farm including crop consulting, cover crop seed, and the purchase of a Steiner mower for keeping the buffer zone manicured.
The Stroud Center made a commitment to manage the riparian buffer for three years, including tree care. Mr. Hershey has noted that the Stroud Center has gone above and beyond that commitment. After four years, the project has matured and is now used for tours and to showcase the buffer work that can be accomplished by leveraging partnerships, funds, and resources.
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A maturing buffer planting project on Hershey's farm after several years of growth.
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Chesapeake Conservancy and Bucknell University Students Create New Web Tool to Help Choose Native Tree Species for Pennsylvania
Chesapeake Conservancy and Bucknell University recently partnered to develop the Pennsylvania Native Tree Selector tool (PANTS), a free, easy-to-use tool designed to help conservation professionals and residents choose the most appropriate native trees and shrubs for their projects. PANTS is especially helpful for newer partners selecting species for riparian buffer plantings. Users select criteria applicable to their project such as soil preference (wet vs dry), sun preferences (shade vs full sun), flood tolerance, deer tolerance, and more to generate a list of native trees and shrubs best suited for the project. This tool can aid volunteer groups, nonprofits, state agencies, and other partners in accelerating their work to meet the Chesapeake Bay restoration goal of planting 95,000 acres of riparian forest buffer in Pennsylvania by 2025.
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PA State Conservation Commission Relaunching the Pennsylvania Agriculture Conservation Stewardship Farm Certification
The PA State Conservation Commission (SCC) will be relaunching the Pennsylvania Agriculture Conservation Stewardship (PACS) Farm Certification Program this year at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days in mid-August. This voluntary certification program recognizes and rewards farms that go above and beyond their basic conservation requirements. This effort expands upon the original pilot program from 2019 with additional certification requirements as well as new state-provided benefits. Some of those benefits include being removed from inspection lists for Chesapeake Bay and Manure Management inspections, prioritized review of Chapter 102 and 105 permits and preferential ranking for certain grant programs through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, SCC and DEP. Farmer eligibility is determined through an application process that uses a qualified verifier who will review farm plans, conduct an on-farm verification of best management practices and conduct soil sampling.
The SCC will be hosting a virtual training on July 29 from 1 pm to 3 pm for qualified individuals that are interested in providing verification services to farmers for this program. Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a PACS verifier can register by July 15.
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New Certification System Expands Local Capacity to Implement Conservation Projects
Conservation district staff now have access to a new certification system, the Practice Approval System (PAS). The system allows conservation district employees to design, review, and approve conservation practices funded through the Agriculture Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP) that do not require certification by a registered professional engineer. Conservation professionals instead can work directly with farmers, reducing bottlenecks and moving projects forward more quickly. Examples of these types of projects include installing fences for rotational grazing, laying out pipelines for pasture watering systems, and designing grassed waterways to manage stormwater in crop fields.
The Practice Approval System is designed for conservation professionals working under a delegation agreement with the SCC to implement ACAP-funded projects. The program was developed by the SCC in partnership with the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training and is administered by Penn State Extension. The system offers certifications in six conservation packages, each covering practices commonly implemented as a system — for example, installing fences to keep cows out of a stream while also creating an off-stream watering system.
The certification package concept was the brainchild of Herbert, Rowland & Grubic Inc., an infrastructure consulting firm with expertise in civil engineering and water quality solutions. The firm provides engineering oversight, supports technical components and plays a key role in the ongoing development and implementation of the Practice Approval System.
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Streambank fencing to keep cattle out of the stream is an example of a conservation practice included in certification packages offered through the Practice Approval System, which covers practices commonly implemented as a system, such as fencing and off-stream watering systems (Provided by Penn State).
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Green Infrastructure Resource Hub Available to Analyze Benefits
This past spring, the Nature Conservancy in partnership with the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange and One Water Econ released the GSI Impact Hub, a digital suite of resources for municipalities, urban planners and policymakers in the U.S. and Canada to quantify the benefits of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). GSI refers to a suite of practices used to manage stormwater runoff in ways that mimic the natural environment. Plants, soil, and stone are strategically placed to filter stormwater where it falls rather than diverting into sewer systems, which can be prone to overflows. GSI practices may include installing rain gardens, green roofs, trees, rain barrels, and/or bioswales. The GSI Impact Hub is free to use and offers an interactive calculator to analyze the benefits that GSI projects can present at a local level. Users can run GSI scenarios that assess how a proposed project contributes to 12 associated financial, social and environmental benefit categories including energy savings, job creation, improved water and air quality, higher property values, heat mitigation, and recreation.
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Penn State Extension to Host Rain Barrel Webinar
Penn State Extension will host a virtual live webinar titled “Uses and Benefits of Rain Barrels” on July 16, 2025 from noon to 1 pm. The webinar will explain how rain barrels can help conserve water, reduce runoff and support a healthier landscape. It will provide information on the practical advantages of collecting rainwater, from watering gardens to managing stormwater, and explore basic construction options for building a rain barrel.
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Penn State Master Watershed Stewards Host July 10 Webinar Ahead of Statewide Native Tree and Shrub Sale
Penn State Extension’s Master Watershed Steward Program will hold its annual native tree and shrub sale August 1 – 27, 2025 with pickup this fall in locations across the state. Funds will support watershed protection efforts by the Master Watershed Steward Program. To provide an overview of the 24 native tree and shrub species offered in the sale, Penn State Extension’s Urban Forestry and Master Watershed Stewards Program will host a webinar titled “Native Tree and Shrub Sale Species Overview and Q&A” from 6-7:30 pm on July 10, 2025. Planting native trees and shrubs is a way to improve local stream health and water quality while providing wildlife habitat. This webinar will help participants choose the best species for specific landscape conditions.
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New Round of Lawn Conversion and Riparian Buffer Grants Open
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) was awarded a $200,000 Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to continue to offer both a lawn conversion and a riparian buffer mini-grant program to conservation districts. This new round of grants has three categories of funding including: installation of lawn conversion and/or riparian buffer projects with a maximum of $25,000; post-planting establishment for DCNR or non-DCNR funded projects with a maximum of $5,000; and education and outreach events with a maximum of $1,000. Applications will be approved on a rolling basis until funds are expended.
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Berks County buffer project (left) and Lehigh County lawn conversion project (right).
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PA Department of Agriculture Opens Agricultural Research Grant Applications
The PA Department of Agriculture (PDA) is soliciting applications to conduct agricultural research on several research topic areas, with the research to be conducted from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027, with the possibility, but not the assurance, of extending that research into subsequent years. Funding is contingent upon 2025-2026 budget appropriations. In their announcement, PDA noted one of the agriculture industry’s continuing priorities is the study of the impacts of conservation and farm management practices that have not received federal or state government cost-sharing assistance. The full announcement can be found in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. Applications are due by July 25, 2025.
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Adams County Progressing on Their 2025 Slate of CAP Projects
Adams County Conservation District (ACCD) has been working through this year’s CAP projects while also lining up projects for next year. Already this year, ACCD has completed two land retirement forest plantings totaling over 20 acres of trees planted and one stream restoration project totaling 260 linear feet. ACCD has 2 more stream restorations scheduled for this year, and as many as six planned for next year, along with numerous stormwater BMPs.
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A view of trees planted at Adams County Conservation District's Bauer Land Retirement Project.
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Chester County Celebrates Bioretention Wetland Ribbon-Cutting at Community of Love Lutheran Church in Oxford Borough
On May 19, 2025, Oxford Borough held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Community of Love Lutheran Church to celebrate the construction of a bioretention wetland. In 2023, Oxford Borough had initially approached the church about partnering on this project to take an under-utilized area of church property and install a high-functioning BMP to improve the community’s stormwater management. The bioretention wetland includes a berm to retain runoff, a sub-surface gravel bed to help store water underground while it infiltrates into the groundwater, an underdrain to slowly release ponded water into a nearby stormwater inlet, standpipes to assist ponded water to enter the gravel bed, wetland soils amended with biochar to help filter runoff, native wetland plant plugs, and an upslope native meadow installation. This project was completed in October of 2024. The bioretention wetland supports Chesco Chesapeake Communities Action Plan (C3AP), the County-wide Act 167 Stormwater Management Model Ordinance, and Chester County’s MS4 Stormwater Program. Chester County Conservation District provided $105,104 in funding from the C3AP Municipal Sub-grant program. The source of this funding is DEP’s Countywide Action Plan Implementation Grant.
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A view of the bioretention wetland immediately post-construction (left); local officials and project partners cutting the ribbon (center); and permanent educational signage explaining the functionality and importance of the project (right).
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Cover Crop Incentive Program Reaches 100 Farmers in Cumberland County
Cumberland County is in the 19th year of its cover crop incentive program. The program started in 2006 with 28 farmers and a total of 1,082 acres planted. The program has grown to 100 participating farmers. For the 2024-2025 winter cover crop season a total of 11,179 acres were planted. The Cumberland County Conservation District was able to fund 5,395 acres of cover crop totaling $149,740.00 through the CAP Block Grant Program.
Cover crop program details can be found on the program website. A visible tool the county is using to continue promoting this program is signage placed along major roads across the county that reads, “Cover Crops, Clean Water, Healthy Soil.”
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“We look forward to the Practice Approval System helping to increase the speed of conservation in the Commonwealth while still maintaining high-quality standards that benefit both the farmer and the environment."
- Jennifer Fetter, Director of the Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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