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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 Growing Greener Plus Grant Round Open
On April 22, 2025, DEP announced the opening of the next round of the Growing Greener Plus Grant Program with applications due on June 20, 2025. Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address critical environmental concerns like flooding. Growing Greener grants can be awarded to watershed groups, local or county government, municipal authorities, county planning commissions, county conservation districts, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations. To date, Growing Greener Grants have provided almost $420 million in funding to more than 2,800 environmental projects.
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Stream Habitat Improvement Webinar Held
On March 26, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division held a Webinar Wednesday session titled, “Stream Habitat Improvement,” which provided an introduction to Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) stream habitat improvement techniques and structure designs to improve water quality, and the importance of building partnerships to implement Countywide Action Plan (CAP)-funded projects. The presentation was led by Mark Sausser, Chief of the Stream Habitat Section at the PFBC with over 18 years of experience in project implementation with the organization. The webinar can be found on the Clean Water Academy: Course: Webinar Wednesday – Stream Habitat Improvement 3.26.25.
Additional webinars are planned for 2025, including a May 7 webinar about outreach to Plain Sect communities in the Octoraro Creek watershed and a June 4 webinar about perspectives on CAP Program Administration involving the request for proposal and contracting process. Anyone interested in receiving an invite to the webinars can contact Jim Spatz at jspatz@pa.gov.
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An image taken from the Stream Habitat Improvement webinar showing a diagram of an in-stream habitat improvement structure, a single log vane, and how it is placed in the stream to direct stream flow. | |
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Programs and Projects by Local, State, and Federal Partners
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Pennsylvania Invests Nearly $12 Million to Preserve 3,187 Prime Farmland Acres in 17 Counties
On April 10, 2025, the Shapiro Administration announced that Pennsylvania is investing nearly $12 million to purchase development rights for 3,187 acres on 29 farms in 17 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 their operations. Since the Shapiro Administration began, Pennsylvania has preserved 380 new farms and 32,505 prime acres of farmland across the state. Counties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed benefitting from this investment include Adams, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Lebanon, Potter, Schuylkill, and York.
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DCNR Unveils Plan to Protect, Enhance, and Connect Pennsylvanians to Forests
On March 21, 2025, the International Day of Forests, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) unveiled a new plan to ensure the state’s forests remain healthy, accessible, and resilient for future generations. The plan is titled, “Forests for All – A Plan for Pennsylvania’s Forests and People.” The new plan is a forward-thinking strategy to protect, enhance, and connect Pennsylvanians to the state’s 17 million acres of forests. It ensures the preservation of the environment while strengthening forestry management and public engagement across the state. The plan expands upon the foundations laid in the previous plan, Penn’s Woods – Sustaining our Forests, published in 1995.
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Shapiro Administration Expands Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps
On March 21, 2025, DCNR Secretary, Cindy Adams Dunn, joined Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps adult crews at Camp Hebron in Dauphin County to kick off the upcoming season of work on public lands. The program provides opportunities for paid work experience, job training and environmental education. Under Governor Josh Shapiro’s leadership, DCNR has expanded conservation efforts in the Commonwealth by strengthening the Outdoor Corps workforce development initiative. The Governor’s 2024-25 budget invests $5 million to enhance and grow the program, increasing job training and stewardship skills for more young people. The investment supports hiring additional staff and restructuring the program into a regional model to improve efficiency, expand recruitment, and strengthen community partnerships.
The program is open to individuals ages 15-25 and provides hands-on experience in trail restoration, habitat enhancement, and tree planting. It is modeled after the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps. Last year, 170 participants took part in the program restoring 95 acres, cleaning two miles of waterways, enhancing 118 miles of trails, and planting 1,516 native trees.
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Chesapeake Bay Program Highlights Three Tools Released in 2024 to Enhance Watershed Conservation and Restoration
In 2024, the Chesapeake Bay Program highlighted three new tools to help easily visualize watershed data, connect to other stewardship professionals across the region, and better understand what is happening within a particular waterway.
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Data Dashboard was created to make scientific and technical data from the Chesapeake Bay Program partners easily accessible to environmental managers and planners. Users of the dashboard can download graphics to support outreach efforts and the communication of water quality information.
Twelve tributary basin summaries serve as technical documents intended for managers within jurisdictions and local watershed organizations to help them understand how various factors have caused water quality to change over time.
The Chesapeake Steward Map was designed to increase partnerships for sharing knowledge and resources across the Chesapeake region. It accomplishes this by identifying hubs and gaps in connectivity and highlighting opportunities for stewards to connect and strategically work together.
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USGS Releases Chesapeake Accomplishments and Highlights for 2024
Early this year, the United States Geological Society (USGS) released a collection of articles and publications documenting highlights and accomplishments within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The webpage displays selected communication products representing the broad range of topics addressed by USGS Chesapeake Bay studies in 2024, which were shared with partners throughout the year.
Topics covered include:
- Management-Practice Effects
- Nutrient and Sediment River Loads
- Toxic Contaminants
- Stream Health and Land-Use Impacts
- Invasive Blue Catfish and Fish Health
- Waterbird Populations and Stressors
- Coastal Habitats
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A view of the webpage showing a collection of USGS articles discussing nutrient and sediment riverloads.
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USGS Publishes York County Water Quality Dashboard as Part of Sediment and Nutrient Monitoring Effort
Since 2019, the USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center has been cooperating with York County, Pennsylvania to implement in-stream monitoring to compute, in real time, the concentration and load of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and suspended sediment for six major watersheds in York County, Pennsylvania. This partnership provides the York County Planning Commission with data and information to inform County objectives and progress for meeting targets in the York County Watershed Implementation Plan for the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load goals.
In March 2025, the USGS made the York County Water Quality Dashboard available for viewing. It displays data collected from six active streamgage sites in York County. Together, the six streamgages monitor six watersheds covering 730 square miles or about 80 percent of York County. The data on the dashboard can be used to understand the timing and magnitude of downstream sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus transport, to understand the long-term trends in sediment and nutrients and to evaluate the effects of best management practices (BMPs) within the monitored watersheds. The development of this tool is important because it makes it easier for the public to consume the data that USGS has collected, vetted, and stored in a user-friendly format.
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Susquehanna River Basin Commission Highlights Updated Water Quality Maps
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission’s (SRBC) Basinwide Water Quality Index maps have been updated with data through 2023. Water quality of streams within the Susquehanna River Basin is shown based on nine common parameters representing impacts from metals, nutrients, and development. There is also a Biological Index Map that was created using the Chesapeake Bay Basinwide Index of Biotic Integrity (Chessie BIBI). Commission scientists use the Chessie BIBI to score each macroinvertebrate sample collected. The map displays biological conditions throughout the basin.
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A seepage spring (Provided by A. Yencha).
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Tree Planting Webinar Series
Penn State Extension is offering a free webinar series entitled, “The Tree Planting Series.” These webinars will educate attendees about how to plant and maintain native trees and shrubs to enhance landscapes, support wildlife, and improve water quality. Property owners and managers, municipal officials, homeowners association board members, and watershed associations and environmental volunteer groups are welcome. Webinars are offered April 28, May 5, and May 12 with all webinars taking place from 6-7:30 pm. Registration is required. Anyone who registers will receive a copy of the webinar recording.
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Penn State University Offers New Course to Meet Technical Assistance Needs in Agricultural Sector
Penn State University will offer a new course in Fall 2025 in the College of Agricultural Science’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering titled, “ABSM 497-002: Ag structures: conservation.” This course is designed to equip students with the technical knowledge and skills to identify and plan conservation structures on farms.
The course was developed because of a growing need for professionals trained in agricultural conservation engineering. The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training was heavily involved in conceptualizing the course to address the critical workforce gap. The course will target students from biological engineering, agricultural and biorenewable systems management, environmental resource management, forest ecosystem management, civil engineering, and other relevant majors who are interested in agricultural conservation. Students will explore a variety of conservation-related structures, such as fences, stream crossings, roofed heavy-use areas, waste storage facilities, mortality composting facilities, livestock watering systems and agrochemical handling facilities.
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Land Preservation in Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape and Along Susquehanna Water Gaps
The Manada Conservancy completed a project in February 2025 to protect 656 acres in Fishing Creek Valley. The property contains fields, woodland, streams, wetlands, and vernal pools and is abundant in wildlife. Bordering already protected lands, this project helps to ensure in perpetuity the contiguous woodland of the Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Landscape, a corridor that is crucial to wildlife movement and migration. Additionally, on April 1, 2025, The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania announced the purchase of 509 acres in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and transferred the parcel to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The property is located within the Susquehanna Water Gaps and is located within the Kittattinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape.
The Kittattinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape designation has brought together stakeholders from different sectors to protect the Ridge’s military assets, preserve ecological integrity and climate change resiliency, and support local economies. The connected forests on the Ridge make it a globally significant climate-resilient landscape and buffer the impacts of climate change by storing carbon; reducing temperatures; supplying clean drinking water; and absorbing stormwater to mitigate flooding. Designation supports conservation of high-quality freshwater resources that contribute huge volumes to local rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
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Pennsylvania Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program Open
The Sustainable Agriculture Board overseen by the State Conservation Commission (SCC) has opened the Pennsylvania Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program, which is accepting applications from April 21, 2025 through May 23, 2025. This program offers reimbursement grants to: promote and support sustainable agriculture in the Commonwealth; provide the farmer the greatest return on their investments by reducing operating expenses; enhance the value of end products; ensure water and soil quality for future generations; and reduce the reliance on off-farm inputs like synthetic herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Applicants may be awarded grants of up to $25,000 (or up to $50,000 if the grantee matches that additional amount dollar for dollar).
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The Clean Water Fund and The Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant Program Combine Funding Application Processes
The Lancaster Clean Water Partners and the Lancaster Conservancy are streamlining application questions and timelines for The Clean Water Fund, managed by the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, and the Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant Program, managed by the Lancaster Conservancy. Organizations that have projects that may be a good fit for both the Clean Water Fund and the Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant programs can now more easily apply to both. There is a joint information sheet for these programs, and their application timeline has been aligned with an application close date of July 1, 2025 and with award notification on August 29, 2025.
The Clean Water Fund serves as a catalyst for increased collaboration to efficiently achieve clean and clear water in Lancaster County by 2040. Grants of $1,000 to $25,000 are available to support innovative education, outreach, monitoring, or implementation projects that improve Lancaster's water quality through collaboration and creativity. The Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant Program can fund 18-month grant requests for a minimum of $2,000 to a maximum of $20,000 award for projects that work towards advancing the mission and goals of the Susquehanna Riverlands Partnership, outlined in the Susquehanna Riverlands Strategic Plan: (1) habitat and trail (re)connectivity; (2) sustainable public access to the Susquehanna River and its surrounding natural lands; (3) emphasizing community partnership and collaboration; and (4) ecosystem health.
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NFWF Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Small Watershed Grants Program
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund to protect and restore water quality and habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. Through the Small Watershed Grants Program, NFWF is soliciting proposals for projects within the Chesapeake Bay watershed that promote voluntary, community-based efforts to protect and restore the diverse and vital habitats of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Full proposals are due Tuesday, May 13, 2025 with final award decisions anticipated in August 2025.
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NFWF Now Accepting Applications for the 2025 Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD)
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the federal-state Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partnership, is now soliciting proposals through the Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Grants Program to restore, conserve, and connect fish and wildlife habitat of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary rivers and streams. Full proposals are due Tuesday, May 13, 2025 with final award decisions anticipated in August 2025.
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Riparian Buffer Sub-Grant for Conservation Districts Open Through June 2025
Pennsylvania’s conservation districts are encouraged to apply for funding to install riparian forest buffers in conjunction with landowners through the 2022-25 Riparian Buffer Sub-Grant for Conservation Districts. Multi-functional riparian forest buffers are encouraged, but conventional buffers are accepted as well. This grant is first come, first served. The grant round will stay open until funds are used up or until June 30, 2025.
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Capital Loan and Operation Support Grants Available
In response to federal funding challenges, The Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds (FPW) is offering opportunities through two programs – a Working Capital Loan Program and an Operational Support Grant Program. The Working Capital Loan Program provides working capital loans with no interest while organizations wait for grant reimbursements. Requests for loans should be tied to a specific project and awarded contract. For more information, contact Deb Nardone, dnardone@thefpw.org. The Operational Support Grant Program is intended to support organizations experiencing financial impacts from the federal and state funding changes. Operating grants of up to $5,000 can be used to cover staff time, legal costs, consultant fees, or other general operating costs. One grant will be considered per organization and is not meant for long-term funding needs. For more information, contact Maggie Anderson, manderson@thefpw.org.
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Blair County Highlights 2024 CAP Accomplishments
In Blair County Conservation District’s (BCCD) 2024 Annual Report, they highlighted their clean water accomplishments using their $200,000 funding award for that year. BCCD chose to utilize about half of these funds for a stream restoration project, designed by Trout Unlimited, that was “shovel ready” on Gillans Run just west of the Borough of Duncansville. Funds were also allocated to both their Cover Crop Incentive Program ($33,000 allocated to 14 farms and 2,700 acres) and a new Riparian Buffer Incentive Program ($52,000). At the time of publishing for BCCD’s 2024 Annual Report, $26,000 of the Buffer funds had been spent on the establishment of four acres of buffers at seven sites across the county with a new application round underway in Spring 2025. Finally, nearly $12,000 was added to ACAP funds on a grazing project including: fencing, watering facilities, and heavy use area protection.
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Modified mud sill used on Gillans Run to stabilize the streambank and provide aquatic habitat (Provided by BCCD).
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Centre County Conservation District Holds Rain Barrel Workshop
The Centre County Conservation District held two workshops to teach county residents how to build and install rain barrels with 39 attendees receiving 30 rain barrels for installation. As part of the project, a rain barrel was installed at the Pasto Ag Museum to serve as an educational resource for future events. Financial and other support for this project was provided by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts through a grant from the PA DEP under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, administered by the EPA.
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Photo of installed rain barrel (Provided by Centre County Conservation District).
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Columbia County Conservation District Completes Lawn Conversion Projects
The Columbia County Conservation District (CCCD) helped to convert one-and-a-half-acres of maintained lawn in Nescopeck, PA into native meadow and upland forest with a mini-grant provided by Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) through the PACD Lawn Conversion Program for Conservation Districts. The project cost $6,444.05 in grant funding. The CCCD also completed a second lawn conversion of half-an-acre into a native meadow in Catawissa, PA using $2,355 in grant funding. These lawn conversion projects will help to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed through increased capturing and filtering of rainwater falling on the former lawns.
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One-and-a-half-acre lawn conversion project undertaken in Nescopeck, PA (left) and half-an-acre lawn conversion project undertaken in Catawissa, PA (right) with the help of the Columbia County Conservation District.
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Northumberland County Conservation District Completes Dry Run Riparian Forest Buffer Project
The Northumberland County Conservation District (NCCD) has been in the process of working with landowners in the Watsontown area to plant a riparian forest buffer along the impaired stream of Dry Run. Once the district was aware that the stream was impaired, they started speaking with landowners in the area about the buffer program the district offers through their County Wide Action Plan (CAP). The stream runs through four differently owned properties. After several months of discussion, two of the landowners agreed to go through with the project with the other two still on the fence about the process and what the buffer would look like.
In the fall of 2024, the first two buffers began to be planted. An average width of 50-foot buffer was planted on either side of the stream banks totaling 15.28 acres of planted riparian forest buffer. Once these projects were near complete, the other landowners saw what the buffer would look like and had a better understanding of the process from speaking to their neighbors. They were then open to the idea as well for the planting of a buffer along their sections of the stream. Planning has since begun to add an additional 4 acres of buffer in fall of 2025 on these other properties. At the close of the project, a total of 19.28 acres will be planted along Dry Run with a total funding amount of $574,670.05.
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Dry Run prior to buffer planting (left) and after (right) (Provided by NCCD).
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Map showing planted buffers across properties (blue and green lines) and planned buffer plantings (purple line) (Provided by NCCD).
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“Our forests provide all Pennsylvanians with so many values-including clean air and water, jobs, wood products, and outdoor recreation opportunities that support our economy and more. It's important that we anticipate and respond to potential opportunities and challenges and use our staff funding, and resources wisely."
- Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 400 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101
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