The Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area recently awarded $326,000 in grants from the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund to help restore and protect water quality in the Schuylkill River.

The Grant awards included--

-- Berks County Conservation District Frontier Farm Ag Project $13,625: This project will implement Best Management Practices on a grass fed beef operation in Bally, PA. A new cattle stream crossing and establishment of a riparian buffer will aid in the reduction of accelerated erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient runoff on this farm improving a headwater tributary of the Perkiomen Creek.

-- Berks Nature Love Farm $71,898: The Love Farm in Berks County is a steer and sheep along located on Beaver Creek in the Hay Creek watershed. Berks Nature will install a roofed dry manure storage facility along with a waste transfer system, animal walkways and stormwater controls. This farm previously received a 2017 Restoration Fund Land Transaction Grant to permanently protect the property.

-- Berks Nature Long Farm $55,000: Agricultural BMP’s will be installed on this dairy farm located along the Maiden Creek in Windsor Township, Berks County. A manure storage facility and a waste transfer system will be the main components of this project that will reduce nutrients from entering the watershed.

-- Berks Nature Ulsar Property Conservation $4,000: Grant funding will be used to assist in the permanent protection and conservation easement of the 290 acre high priority Ulsar property located in Albany Township, Berks County. This property lies in the Foothills of the Kittatiny Ridge and is in the Maiden Creek watershed.

-- Maidencreek Township Garcia Property $4,000: The township will permanently conserve this 2.25 acre parcel along Willow Creek. Once under ownership, measures will be taken to improve the riparian buffers on this property. This section is currently stocked by the Fish and Boat Commission and the township will continue to allow public access to this property.

-- Northwestern Stable, Inc. Stormwater Project, Philadelphia $50,000: This unique equestrian stable located within the City of Philadelphia will complete comprehensive stormwater improvements to the horse paddock and animal walkways. This project will reduce nutrients, sediment and pathogens from flowing into nearby Wissahickon Creek.

-- Partnership for the Delaware Estuary Pine Creek Stormwater Project $65,000: Pine Creek, located near Lionsville, Chester County is a designated high quality native trout stream and a tributary of the Pickering Creek which provides drinking water to a half million residents. In partnership with local volunteers a 9,000 sq/ft rain garden will be installed as well as another smaller rain garden, a 2,500 gallon rainwater cistern and a series of rain barrels.

-- Schuylkill Headwaters Association Porter Floodplain—Phase 2 $40,675: The Porter Floodplain project will remove coal refuse from a previous settling basin in West Brunswick Township, and will restore the project area to its natural floodplain. Currently, during high water events, the coal silt on this property gets washed into the Schuylkill River through breached basin walls.

-- Wissahickon Sustainability Council Schoolyard Greening $22,161: This is the third grant awarded to the Cook-Wissahickon School as they continue their efforts to mitigate

stormwater issues on their property. This grant will begin the process of greening the outdoor schoolyard through depaving, installing a new porous playground surface and planting trees and native shrubs.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund was created in 2006 through a unique public/private partnership between Exelon Generation, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area.

This year's contributors also included Exelon Generation, Philadelphia Water Department, Aqua Pennsylvania, MOM's Organic Market and DTE Energy.

Visit the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund webpage for information on this grant program.

For more information on programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved, visit the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area website.

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[Posted: October 11, 2019]

10/14/2019