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Stream & Watershed Enhancement Grant 2023 Awardees

Otsego County Conservation Association will begin the process of preparing its NYSDEC Watershed 9E Strategic Plan by installing a data collection station at the inlet of Otsego Lake. Otsego Lake is the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and the sole source of drinking water for the Village of Cooperstown. Over the last two years, Otsego Lake has experienced cyanobacterial harmful algae blooms, threatening the natural and economic resource of the area. From the Association’s research from other lakes that experience these blooms, they know that data is vital to creating management and intervention plans for the protection of the lake. The Association’s current water quality sampling data, which collects samples for testing at a certified lab, is used in mathematical modeling to simulate how the weather, water, sediment, nutrients and phytoplankton interact. The proposed radar discharge gage, which remotely collects high quality/high frequency water discharge data on the major streams flowing into Otsego Lake, is required for the Watershed 9E Strategic Plan. This work lays the required groundwork for a long-term strategic plan. Collecting data is the first step in developing a solid comprehensive watershed plan.

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Research Foundation for SUNY (on behalf of SUNY Oneonta) will establish a pollinator meadow on the State University of New York (SUNY) campus in Oneonta, NY that will serve as a model site for outreach and education initiatives related to sustainable landscape practices in the watershed. The meadow's natural ecological functions will also contribute to enhancing climate resiliency in the Susquehanna River Basin. By creating a pollinator meadow, watershed will gain a model site for community engagement that will be used to educate on the connection between land and water and the importance of creating sustainable landscapes and an ecosystem that provides valuable ecological functions that will reduce runoff and nutrient loads and increase biodiversity in the watershed. The project will develop, print, and install engaging signage at the site that will expound on the crucial functions provided by the meadow that build resiliency in the watershed. In addition, the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center at SUNY Oneonta regularly hosts school field trips for grades 3-5. In partnership with the Science Discovery Center, the project will develop educational materials (pamphlets and posters) that highlight the meadow and the benefits that it provides to the watershed. These materials will be made available to all groups visiting the Science Discover Center.

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Oak Hill Farm is located in the Handsome Brook Watershed, a tributary to the Ouleout Creek in New York. The farm has 50 sheep that intensively graze the property's hillside. The livestock currently use the on-site pond as their water source. Livestock create a resource concern when manure is deposited into the water while the livestock drink. The project will install a pond fence, which will exclude livestock from pond, and an additional fence to create paddocks to allow for prescribed grazing. When overgrazing occurs, the amount of water retained for plant growth is reduced, while more nutrients are lost. When pasture is grazed too close to ground the chance of erosion is increased as the amount of bare ground increases.Trees and shrubs will be planted near water courses to filter nutrients from pesticides and animal waste from storm runoff. The plants will stabilize eroding banks, provide shade, shelter and food for fish and other aquatic organisms.

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With the assistance of partner agencies, the Delaware County Soil & Water Conservation District (DCSWCD) has successfully implemented many awarded projects in New York in the last ten years. The District has an outstanding track record of assisting farmers in applying for and securing grant awards to implement hundreds of water quality BMPs on their farms. DCSWCD will work with the Stone and Thistle Farm to perform instream restoration of an eroding agricultural stream on the farm property; the stream feeds into Kortright Creek, a perennial tributary of the larger Lower Charlotte Creek Watershed. The stream’s riparian buffer has already been planted, and livestock fencing has been installed. The instream work will benefit from this grant.

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Binghamton University will monitor the effectiveness of a streambank stabilization and habitat restoration project of a headwater stream to Bunn Hill Creek. University students will quantify discharge and calculate pollutant loads of the stream and will evaluate event-based, seasonal, and long-term trends of freshwater salinization. This will engage University students in the Biogeochemistry stream of the First-year Research Immersion program in novel research projects and will educate community members who visit Nuthatch Hollow with data generated from this project.

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Friends of the Chemung River Watershed will construct the first and only ADA-accessible boat launch in Chemung County, NY. Currently, the County does not have ADA-access for water-based recreation in the Chemung River, for a person who has limited mobility. One of the main focus areas for this organization is providing equal access to water-based recreational opportunities in the watershed. When people have access to the river for enjoyment, a sense of community pride is enhanced and more volunteers occur for watershed education and clean-up programs.

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Fishing Creek Watershed Association will be pursuing a collaborative effort to improve a section of Fishing Creek (Columbia County, PA) in the Fishing Creek Watershed to serve as one of five demonstration projects on Fishing Creek aimed at reducing nutrient/sediment loading, the impacts of flooding, and raising public awareness about stream restoration projects.. The stream improvement will include modified mudsills, rootwad deflectors, multi-log vane deflectors and is part of a larger multi-section restoration effort of the stream. The project partner, the Columbia County Conservation District (CCCD) is proposing a tour of stream projects along a high-profile route, SR 487, with educational signage to create a public corridor showcasing the important functions of streambank stabilization projects to protect water quality in Fishing Creek.

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Millville Area School District will create two raised bed style community gardens for a local business in order to promote water quality best management practices within the Susquehanna Watershed, raise awareness for and reduce food insecurity by providing an opportunity to individuals to harvest fresh vegetables, and create community engagement among three project partners and the Millville community. The project will 1) reduce impervious surfaces in the Millville community and Susquehanna Watershed, 2) reduce food insecurity in a small, rural community by providing an opportunity for visitors to harvest produce that is grown in the community garden, 3) educate consumers about water quality best management practices, such a community gardens, and 4) provide a project-based learning opportunity for high school students involved in the Agriculture Education Program at Millville Jr/Sr High School.

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Montour Area Recreation Commission (MARC) will have a three-fold project to improve the recreational potential of the Chillisquaque Creek in Montour County, PA. MARC proposed the following: 1) MARC staff and volunteer cleanup of in-stream trash (planned two days); 2) improvements to a recently acquired streamside public access location in Derry Township, Montour County; and 3) MARC staff negotiations with streamside landowners in Montour County in an attempt to secure at least two new fishing and boating access easements. MARC proposes these activities with the goal of improving the recreational potential of the Chillisquaque Creek, promoting community pride in the local watershed, and promoting the Chillisquaque Creek's potential as a recreational travel destination for out-of-town visitors. For the planned cleanup of in-stream trash, MARC will put out information through local media sources and through MARC's social media pages to generate public volunteer support for the planned two-day cleanup.

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The mission of the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) is to advance the protection of Pennsylvania’s watersheds. One way it does this is by supporting the more than 140 community watershed organizations (CWOs) across the Commonwealth, including close to 60 in the Susquehanna Basin. POWR will host an educational workshop in Clinton County and will include a tour of a stream restoration project on Fishing Creek in Mill Hall. The project serves multiple benefits, including stream bank stabilization and sediment reduction, fish habitat improvement, and will provide an added recreational benefit to fisherman as trout are expected to hold in this stretch of stream all year long. It is anticipated that project partner representatives from PADEP, PFBC, the Conservation District, and the Mill Hall Borough will be on sight to talk about the project with workshop attendees. The workshop will include a presentation of a new communications strategy being developed by POWR, with support from Green Fin Studios consulting services, that will reinforce the relevance of CWO restoration and conservation projects to community climate resilience and adaptation. Further, POWR will share updates on its efforts to create resources that will assist CWOs in understanding and meaningfully conveying water quality monitoring data to local officials for informed land use decision- making

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The Moshannon Creek watershed is a 275 square mile watershed in central Pennsylvania. Over 100 years of coal and clay mining have resulted in many polluted streams and the pollution extends to the main branch of Moshannon Creek and the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. The Moshannon Creek Watershed Association was formed in 2020 and as a young watershed association one of its major hurdles is community engagement and education. Because the streams have been polluted for several generations, many believe they can never be restored. The Watershed Association’s challenge as a is to educate the population that the Moshannon Creek can be restored and that it will take involvement from all communities in the watershed to make that happen. The Watershed Association plans to establish mobile displays that can be taken to community events and social organization meetings to educate the residents of Moshannon Valley on the importance of restoration and their involvement.

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Clearwater Conservancy (CWC) will perform native streamside forest plantings as a riparian buffer along the newly restored Loveville tributary to Halfmoon Creek in Halfmoon Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The Loveville tributary to Halfmoon Creek is one of the most impaired streams in the watershed and largest inputs of sediment to Halfmoon Creek, according to the Chesapeake Bay Fund. Halfmoon Creek is currently listed as impaired and CWC is working with a large network of partners on its rapid delisting initiative.

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City Hook & Ladder will purchase equipment to be used during water rescue related emergencies, such as recreational accidents, traumas and medical emergencies that occur in the Kish Creek Watershed area. This will help improve the watershed by assuring the proper equipment is available to first responders that will be called upon to handle emergencies. The local community can feel safer knowing equipment is available should they become involved in an water recreation-related emergency. The equipment will be available for public display and may encourage citizens to become active with the Volunteer Fire/Rescue organization.

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The Little Juniata River Association sought funding to support water monitoring and assessment projects. The organization is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the health of the Little Juniata River, a tributary of the Susquehanna River. The proposed project aims to conduct comprehensive water monitoring and assessment activities along the Little Juniata River, and to gather data on water quality, identify potential pollutants, and assess the overall ecological health of the River. This project will improve the understanding of water quality dynamics in the Little Juniata River and its watershed, identify potential threats to the river and its ecosystem, provide complete and comprehensive data on the river's health, and aid in creating data-driven recommendations for conservation and restoration efforts.

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The Swatara Water Trail was established over 20 years ago by the Swatara Watershed Association (SWA) and is an official PA Water Trail and part of the Captain John Smith Water Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. The trail has grown to encompass 20 public access points along over 60 miles of creek. There are signs at the access points with a map of the water trail and boating safety information. Many of the original signs are in need of replacement, as they contain outdated information and are deteriorating. Some newer access points do not have signs. This project involves replacing the existing map signage and adding new signage where needed at the public access points along the water trail. The goal of this project is to provide recreational users of the creek with easily accessible information that they can use to learn about the creek, plan their journey and gain information to ensure they have a safe experience. In addition, this project will ensure that more community members have access to this vital information by making the map information available in Spanish.

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East Hanover Township (EHT), Dauphin County, will purchase an Enviroscape Model, accessories, and replacement parts to provide watershed and water quality education, outreach, and support to community members at various Township and collaborative events throughout the year. EHT hosts a variety of community events that are currently untapped as far as their potential to provide environmental education. Such events include its summer Park and Recreation camps (mid-June through early August), Park Day (September), and Fall Festival (October).

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Chesapeake Conservancy applied for a grant on behalf of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership (CCP) to host its Steering Committee meeting in the Basin. CCP is guided by a Steering Committee whose membership includes the natural resource agencies in PA, MD, and VA, federal agencies including National Park Service (NPS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management, EPA Chesapeake Bay Office, US Geological Survey (USGS), and USDA Forest Service, land trusts including several in PA, and other allied nonprofits. It is co-convened by the Chesapeake Conservancy, NPS, and USFWS and represents a coalition of diverse organizations and agencies engaged in land conservation and related fields within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Steering Committee meeting will help the steering committee coordinate, prioritize and strategically plan collaborative and more equitable conservation efforts across the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Thanks to extensive data and GIS mapping, they have been able to identify opportunities for landscape-scale conservation. The Susquehanna watershed , particularly in the headwaters, have many large parcels of unprotected lands. This steering committee meeting will help identify ways to accelerate large landscape-scale conservation efforts in this region. This is a full day meeting where 20-30 attendees are expected, including the 20 members of the CCP steering committee.

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StormFest is an environmental outreach event that has reached almost 1,000 attendees over the past two years. Camp Hill Borough will invite leaders from municipalities, state and county agencies, and environmental non-profits and private consultants, including local watershed groups, to join the environmental education event. The design of the event, including live music, raffle prizes, hands-on activities, and food trucks, is intended to draw a diverse group of attendees and allow relaxed opportunities for informal interaction between presenters and visitors. The purpose of the event is to provide outreach to residents in the Harrisburg metropolitan area who see the Susquehanna River on a daily basis, yet may not recognize their individual responsibility to protect it.

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Carlisle Borough will host a community based environmental and water resources educational workshop to teach and provide a hands on learning experience for residents to build a rain barrel. Attendees will have a light brunch and will be provided tools, personal protective equipment, and all materials needed for rain barrel building provided by the Carlisle Borough MS4 Coordinator. Other local watershed specialists will be invited to speak on local watershed health, current issues and additional ways that local community members can make a positive impact in their own backyards. Attendees will be able to keep their rain barrel.

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The Historic Heishman's Mill property contains a total of 4.7 acres which includes the Preserved Mill Structure, the Mill Dam, Mill Race and Shoreline of the Mill Pond. The property is recently listed on the National Register and is owned by Heishman's Mill LLC. Friends of Historic Heishman's Mill plan to develop a safe and permanent portage around the Mill Dam and Mill to create a 25 mile extension of the Conodoguinet Creek Water Trail from North Middleton Park to Newburg Game Lands. PA Fish & Boat Commission and the PA Game Commission worked collaboratively to create a canoe/kayak launch at the Newburg Game Lands. Currently there are no public access points in this 25 mile stretch of the creek; it is identified as the number 2 priority statewide for developing public access and fishing.

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The East Cocalico Township Authority (ECTA) provides drinking water to over 7,500 people, supplied by 12 groundwater production wells, located within the Cocalico Creek, Little Muddy Creek, and Conestoga River Watersheds. Two heavily-traveled roadways, US-222 and PA-272/Reading Road, run through East Cocalico Township Authority's Source Water Protection area. Transportation incidents including fuel spills, fires, and traffic collisions can all have adverse, and potentially severe, impacts on groundwater and surface water. The installation of six "Water Supply Area" signs along these roadways will be visible to thousands of motorists daily and are intended to provide a new level of awareness on the potential impacts to the water supply while traveling in the area. The sign installation will be complemented by outreach and education on social media, newsletters and websites, and in-person events directing traffic to additional resources. The ECTA also partners with local first responders on a routine basis for table-top exercises and will provide additional education to those partners.

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The Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County will purchase an interactive stream station, signage, and education materials that will be displayed with the stream station. The mobile stream station functions as a simulated stream environment for macroinvertebrates and will follow Stroud Water Research Center's design. The project goal is to provide a long-term interactive display that will teach adults and children about macroinvertebrates, stream health, and strategies to protect their local streams. The station will be displayed at multiple events including Manheim Farm Show at Chiques Creek during the Lancaster Water Week, Chiques Creek Stomp, Millport Conservancy, Oregon Dairy's Family Farm Days, and others. The stream station is planned to be used across the county and multiple watersheds.

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Londonderry Township has completed .98 miles of floodplain restoration and legacy sediment removal to improve water quality in Conewago Creek. Londonderry Township plans to host its’ second Conewago Darter 5k race/fun run in October 2024. The race will end at the site of Londonderry’s floodplain restoration project, and conservation partners will have a table set up for a Community Field Day. Fourteen partners had tables in 2023, and found this was a great opportunity to conduct outreach, provide education and share their missions relating to clean water. Londonderry Township and conservation partners also plan to identify and document flora (grasses, shrubs & trees) and fauna (bird, mammal, reptile & amphibian) on the site, and document changes to biodiversity. Volunteers will log observations through an iNaturalist application, or with camera/notebook. Continuing to diversify data collected at the restoration site will study the multitude of benefits this type of project provides.

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Lower Allen Township will pursue an educational project to include a nonpoint source pollution activity and demonstration for students. Each group of students will receive their own lessons, meeting the age level of the students and the skill level of the group about nonpoint source pollution, littering and how both affect the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay. Students will have a 30-45 minute demonstration using the Enviroscape model allowing for discussion regarding where the pollutants go and how they affect runoff, waterways, and groundwater. Students ages 9-12 will also be invited to participate in a canoe trip along the Yellow Breeches Creek. This will allow for discussion on proper places to enter and exit the creek, how to manage on the water, and canoe/water safety. The goal of the program is to introduce students to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and how to protect its waterways. Another goal of the project is for the students to make connections between what happens in the streets and where that litter ends up. A small clean up event will be encouraged during our time on the creek.

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The 2024 Lancaster-Lebanon Watershed Forum will provide an educational and networking opportunity for watershed associations in Lancaster and Lebanon (PA) Counties. Two to three invited speakers will present on local and regional watershed topics. The forum will also provide time for attendees to network, discuss projects, and share challenges and successes. This will foster a collaborative, non-intimidating environment where local grassroots conservation practitioners can share ideas and resources to further their watershed conservation efforts. The event will be open to educators, concerned citizens, and other volunteers who want to get involved in watershed protection in their communities.

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Hellam Township is actively working on a watershed climate resiliency action plan within the Kreutz Creek watershed. Project stakeholders have been engaged including Hellam Township residents, the township’s planning commission, supervisors and the US Army Corps of Engineers to assist with hydrologic modeling and preliminary planning level studies. The overall goal of the planning level work is to identify priority areas of concern including potential sites for green best management practices for combating flooding, managing stormwater and restoring natural processes that encourage groundwater recharge. The township has adopted GIS technology to improve their ability to manage stormwater assets and natural resources that are important to making the township more climate-resilient. This project requested funding to acquire both training and GNSS equipment for high accuracy mobile field data collection to help develop a robust stormwater / water quality asset management system for the township.

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Stillmeadow Church of the Nazarene, in collaboration with local partners, will implement a riparian buffer native planting project as part of a larger partnership project aimed at managing stormwater, streambank erosion and roadway flooding across multiple property owners in a suburban setting in Codorus Creek watershed. Poorly managed runoff from failing infrastructure in a HOA is flowing through Stillmeadow Church and into Manchester Township's Stillmeadow Park. The larger project would retrofit failing detention basins, create a new recreational trail, and add a forested riparian buffer along an impaired stream. This project will remove existing invasive species in preparation for a high-quality streamside buffer of native plants. To date, a PA Growing Greener Plus grant supported initial study and design analysis, and a PA DCNR C2P2 grant is supporting the development of a pedestrian trail connection from the open space on the HOA property to Stillmeadow Park.

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This project is part of a larger collaboration for the Middle Spring Greenway Trail (MSGT) by Cumberland Valley Rails to Trails Council (CVRTC), the Coy Public Library, the Borough of Shippensburg, Shippensburg D.O.I.T., faculty from Shippensburg University, and other local groups and organizations. Middle Spring Watershed Association’s project is for a compact BMP that filters runoff and mediates runoff volume from Martin Ave into Middle Spring Creek, in Shippensburg, PA. Storm water from any significant rainfall on this section of Martin Ave runs westward down directly into the creek, carrying pollutants with it. The site of the proposed runoff filtration BMP is on the path of the Greenway Trail, currently being developed. The MSGT is an extension of the existing Cumberland Valley Rail Trail (CVRT). The CVRT is very popular with and well used by the Shippensburg Community and beyond.

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Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LRSA) is dedicated to cultivating knowledge and motivation to steward, protect, and conserve Pennsylvania’s preservation goals for the Susquehanna Riverlands. LRSA manages a microplastics monitoring and analysis program for tributaries of the Susquehanna River with a team of dedicated citizen scientists who manage a dozen sites in York County. LRSA plans to expand the monitoring program and introduce more sites around the Lower Susquehanna. Additionally, LSRA has hosted river cleanup events since its inception in 2006 and has cleaned up more than 230 tons from Susquehanna waterways since that time. LSRA requested support to continue to be successful and expand cleanup and microplastics monitoring to other parts of their territory. Funds will assist staff and volunteers; disposable materials and safety gear; and all-terrain vehicles, pick-up trucks, motorized boats, and barges.

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Aging infrastructure is a significant concern for the City of York's public works department that is responsible for operating and maintaining the City's stormwater management system. Uncertainty about the location and condition of stormwater assets has led to a reactive approach in the past. The city's Ms4 coordinator recognized the potential value of a formal asset management program using GIS software in conjunction with mobile field data collection equipment. The City of York thus recently embraced efforts to digitize its stormwater infrastructure in order to better plan and execute improvements to stormwater management practices that are the responsibility of the City. Mobile field data collection is a big part of that initiative. The City recently purchased mobile GNSS receivers and supporting equipment to begin the process of collecting, mapping and organizing the field data. The purpose of this grant would be to support the hiring of professional technical assistance so that City personnel can receive proper infield training on data collection, organization, and workflow analysis of the data for program purposes.

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The Octoraro Watershed Association (OWA) was formed in 1967 with the goal of protecting water quality, promoting sound land use practices, and raising environmental awareness. The OWA has approximately 200 active members who are residents, in or near the watershed and/or collaborators/organizations concerned about issues relating to water quality, land use practices and environmental awareness. The Octoraro Watershed is 208 square miles in Lancaster, Chester counties in Pennsylvania, and Cecil County Maryland. The land use is 74% agricultural with 70% of those farms owned or operated by Old Order Amish. OWA will reach out to the Amish within their own cultural events to educate them on conservation planning and implementation of conservation BMPs on their farms to reduce non-point source pollution targeting sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus. OWA will work with a specialized consultant to establish trust within the Amish community as a willing partner to provide education, resources, and contacts to help them accomplish BMP implementation. This project will also provide promotion of community engagement to the non-Amish communities which reside in the Octoraro Watershed through educational opportunities at community libraries within the watershed, First Friday events in Oxford, Rising Sun Elementary School, Solanco Fair, OWA annual picnic, informational mailings to residents in the Octoraro Watershed and participation at Reservoir Days at Octoraro Lake, Stream clean up days, Earth Day Activities, Cecil County Wade In and the OWA annual dinner.

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The Borough of Abbottstown will transform an 8-acre borough park from turf/multi-use recreation to create Abbottstown Woods. This park will be designed as no-mow and will provide habitat for native species. All plantings will be native to the area, to provide space for insect gestation, small mammalian life, and bird migration. The re-design of the park will also mitigate storm water runoff and underground spring water flow, and provide recreational and educational opportunities to residents of both Adams and York counties.

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Donegal Trout Unlimited will continue their riparian buffer establishment work along Fishing Creek, in southwestern Lancaster County, that drains directly into the Susquehanna River close to the Maryland border. Fishing Creek consists of approximately 25.9 miles of stream, including the main channel and its tributaries, with about 12.5 miles draining from its headwaters to its mouth at Susquehanna River. While this is a relatively small watershed, it is of importance because of its ecological characteristics. According to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), nearly 17 stream miles provide habitat for naturally reproducing Brown Trout. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP): Fishing Creek's Designated Uses include High Quality Waters (HQ); Cold Water Fishes (CW), Exceptional Value Waters (EV), and Migratory Fish (MF). Its impaired use is listed as Aquatic Life, the Impairment Source is Agriculture and Habitat Modification, and the Impairment Causes are Siltation and Habitat Alterations. The watershed is home to two threatened and rare specifies of fish: the Rosyside Dace and Chesapeake Logperch.

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Messiah University’s project in the Lower South Branch Codorus Creek watershed continues action using a private landowner’s Forest Stewardship Plan in line with its overall USDA Conservation Plan for the whole property by treating 9 forested acres for invasive woody species. The project will plant understory native woody plants to prevent return of invasive in current canopy gaps and will involve approximately 40 students from Messiah University who are pursuing degrees and careers in conservation. Lastly the university will conduct two on-site workshops to demonstrate techniques used on this site and throughout the property with discussions with the local community about opportunities that exist for them to get Conservation Plans for their properties.