On February 10, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, announced the award of approximately $1.2 million for eight projects in Pennsylvania to improve rivers and streams that connect to the Chesapeake Bay.

The funds are part of nearly $5 million provided by EPA as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 to the six Bay watershed states and the District of Columbia for the implementation of restoration projects by local governments.

The Pennsylvania funds, administered by NFWF, will generate more than $2.2 million in matching contributions for a total impact of nearly $3.5 million.

The projects include--

-- Centre County: Restore 2,350 feet of eroding urban stream banks in Park Hills using Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance techniques in Ferguson Township ($200,000 award; $1,300,000 match);

-- Cumberland County: Expand a cover crop incentive program on farms through Cumberland County Conservation District. ($54,600 award; $27,300 match);

-- Cumberland County: Retrofit existing stormwater basin in Sheepford Crossing development in Lower Allen Township ($131,625 award; $19,744 match);

-- Dauphin/Lancaster Counties: Restore the floodplain of the Conewago Creek and its tributary, Brills Run, in Londonderry and Mount Joy townships, reducing the annual sediment load by 1,524 tons. ($200,000 award; $30,000 match)

-- Lancaster County: Install animal waste management facilities and barnyard runoff controls as part of a Plain Sect Clean Water Demonstration Farm in Paradise Township. ($200,000 award; $170,000 match);

-- Lancaster County: Construct a rain garden, bioretention facility and a bio-swale in Terre Hill Borough ($73,000 award, $11,000 match);

-- Lancaster County: Retrofit an existing dry stormwater detention basin in Spring Hill lPark, Mountville Borough with a linear constructed wetlands ($200,000 award; $50,000 match); and

-- York County: Implement stream restoration along a tributary of Codorus Creek to remove more than a half million pounds of sediment per year. ($200,000 award; $620,757 match)

Click Here for more information on these projects in Pennsylvania.

“EPA is pleased to support home-grown projects that reflect local needs and improve local water quality,” said EPA Acting Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher.  “Our success in restoring the Chesapeake Bay relies on improving the streams and rivers that connect to it.  These projects will help Pennsylvania take the next steps in meeting its shared commitment to restoring the Bay.  We appreciate the support of NFWF in this effort.”

“Local governments are critical partners in identifying and advancing watershed restoration efforts that align with local needs, concerns, and resources,” said Amanda Bassow, NFWF’s Northeast Regional Director. “NFWF is pleased to continue partnering with EPA in delivering funding and technical assistance that supports municipalities and conservation districts at the front lines of implementing our local and regional restoration goals.”

The Local Government Implementation funds are part of broader grant programs funded and administered by EPA through its Chesapeake Bay Program Office– the Chesapeake Bay Implementation Grant, the Chesapeake Bay Regulatory and Accountability Program, or both.

PA Chesapeake Bay Plan

For more information on how Pennsylvania plans to meet its Chesapeake Bay cleanup obligations, visit DEP’s PA’s Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan webpage.

Click Here for a summary of the steps the Plan recommends.

How Clean Is Your Stream?

DEP’s Interactive Report Viewer allows you to zoom in on your own stream or watershed to find out how clean your stream is or if it has impaired water quality using the latest information in the draft 2020 Water Quality Report.

Related Article:

-- Bay Journal: Biden EPA Pick Pledges Resources To Help Meet Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Goals

-- PA American Water Accepting Applications For 2021 Environmental Grant Program

-- Changing Cropping Systems In Impaired Watersheds Can Produce Water Quality Gains

[Posted: February 10, 2021]

2/15/2021