Lancaster Clean Water Fund
Lancaster Clean Water Fund
Clean water is a priority across all of Lancaster County, especially since more than half of our streams and much of our groundwater are unhealthy.
The Lancaster Clean Water Fund serves as a catalyst for increased collaboration to efficiently achieve clean and clear water in Lancaster County by 2040 in accordance with the Lancaster Countywide Action Plan (CAP). The fund addresses the immense need for clean water work throughout the county and provides financial support to bring ideas to life.
Since 2019
The Lancaster Clean Water fund has provided $6,005,395 to 29 nonprofits and municipalities working on stream restoration, riparian buffer plantings, agricultural practices, education, and stormwater management projects.
Learn about the Grants that are Available
Eligibility & Requirements
Apply for a Grant
Grant Opportunities
Looking for funding for your next community project? Our grant application process is easy and straightforward. Here’s what you need to do:
- Email or call Megan Blackmon to get the access code to the application. Simply provide a brief description of your planned project, and she’ll provide you with the code you need.
- Once you have the code, head to Lancfound.org/grants to access the application on our portal. This is where you’ll fill out all the necessary information about your project and provide supporting documents.
- If you submit a draft of your application by 06/23/23, you’ll be eligible for review and feedback from our team before final submission. This is a great opportunity to make sure your application is as strong as it can be.
- The final deadline for submitting your completed application is 07/21/23. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to complete the application and gather all the necessary information.
We’re committed to supporting projects that make a real difference for waterways in our community. We look forward to hearing about your project and working with you to make it a reality!

Clean Water Implementation Small Grant – $5,000 – $25,000
The Clean Water Implementation Small Grant supports implementation of collaborative, watershed-scale restoration projects that encourages diverse audiences to improve Lancaster’s water quality at a rapid pace. Projects can range from implementation of agricultural conservation and stormwater practices to riparian buffer plantings to removal of impervious surfaces. Funds can be used to reimburse design and engineering if project implementation funding is already received. If a buffer will be planted as part of the project, a maintenance plan is required.

Community Conservation Grant – $1,000 – $15,000
The Community Conservation Grant supports education, outreach, and regional engagement projects that improve Lancaster’s water quality through collaboration and creativity. Projects can range from educational campaigns to art installations to water quality monitoring equipment. Applicants are encouraged to describe how their project will prioritize collaboration with new Lancaster County partners in an effort to collectively protect water, create habitats, and encourage outdoor exploration.
2022 Clean Water Fund Projects
Clean up support and program development
Grantee: Conestoga River Club
With this grant, the Conestoga River Club will enhance the effectiveness and organization of large-scale clean up efforts by providing protective wear, safety gear, tools, transportation, and other essential equipment and education to its growing group of volunteers. To fulfill its mission of educational outreach, funding will also support assembling an advisory team of professional educators, youth advocates, and youth program directors to guide the development of educational programming.
Read more about the conservation implementation in East Lampeter.
Expanding the Lancaster One Water Partnership
Grantee: Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake
The Lancaster One Water Partnership is a regional hub of faith-based action to address highly fragmented non-source pollution challenges and opportunities. By working with communities of faith, Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake can reach non-traditional partners who are private landowners, many of which generate stormwater pollution or who offer opportunities for significantly increased tree canopy, aligning with the goals of Lancaster’s Countywide Action Plan.
Community Wildlife Habitat Training
Grantee: Lancaster Conservancy
Water quality education and training starts in people’s yards. This project will serve as a pilot to educate community members about the use of native plants and water quality landscaping practices. While the Lancaster Conservancy’s work of land protection does a lot to protect water quality, we need community members to implement conservation landscaping. This program will empower community members to implement runoff controlling native habitat plantings in their neighborhoods.
Water Week workshops at the Lancaster Science Factory
Grantee: Lancaster Conservancy
Water quality education and training starts in people’s yards. This project will serve as a pilot to educate community members about the use of native plants and water quality landscaping practices. While the Lancaster Conservancy’s work of land protection does a lot to protect water quality, we need community members to implement conservation landscaping. This program will empower community members to implement runoff controlling native habitat plantings in their neighborhoods.
Culliton Park (formerly Farnum Park) is one of the city’s largest public parks and the most prominent park in the SouthWest neighborhood. This project has been several years in the making. After extensive input from neighborhood residents, the design was completed with artist involvement and construction commenced in February of 2020 and will be completed in November 2020.
Conewago Darter 5K race and community field day
Grantee: Londonderry Township
Londonderry Township plans to host its first water quality-focused 5k race and fun run. The race will begin at Old Trolley Line Park in Mount Joy and end at the Route 230 trailhead, where a community field day will be set up. The 5k will be a fundraiser for the Tri-County Conewago Creek Association and Londonderry Township’s future clean water projects. The community field day will be an educational event for local residents to engage with conservationists and take a tour of a restoration project.
Read more about the Murry Ridge Park Green Infrastructure Improvements.
Streambank and floodplain restoration outreach
Grantee: River Steward’s Collaborative
Lancaster County has the second highest population of Plain Sect/Amish in the United States. River Stewards Collaborative, with support from experts at LandStudies, Lancaster Farmland Trust, and Mr. Paul Fisher, an “Amish Liaison,” will develop handouts and presentations, and lead a series of engagement meetings with Plain Sect landowners in the county, to educate them on the impacts farming practices can have on the local and Chesapeake watersheds.
Read more about the Paradise Township vegetated swale project.
Education of people and waterways in southeast Lancaster
Grantee: Spanish American Civic Association
This project will motivate and inform residents and visitors in Southeast Lancaster about their relationship with waterways, specifically the underlying history of people and events. SACA will produce three educational programs for WLCH radio aired during Education Through Partnering, and install six historical markers, each with a QR code linked to SACA’s web site for obtaining in-depth information. Markers will be installed in coordination with the City’s 2023 South Duke Streetscape Project that funds lighting, crosswalks, sidewalks, trees, bike racks, benches, and bus shelters.
Meadow planting on a Chiques Creek tributary
Grantee: Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance
This project will plant and establish three acres of wildflower and grass meadow along Dellinger Run in the Chiques Creek watershed. The meadow will be planted within an existing young forested riparian buffer and along a completed stream restoration project. After 4 years of maintaining the project, the landowner is looking for opportunities to reduce routine maintenance long-term.
Meadow planting on a Chiques Creek tributary
Grantee: Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance
This project will plant and establish three acres of wildflower and grass meadow along Dellinger Run in the Chiques Creek watershed. The meadow will be planted within an existing young forested riparian buffer and along a completed stream restoration project. After 4 years of maintaining the project, the landowner is looking for opportunities to reduce routine maintenance long-term.
Reserve at Union School retrofitted bioswale
Grantee: Mount Joy Borough
Mount Joy Borough will construct a 30-foot wide retrofitted bioswale for the Reserves at Union School community. The Borough will engage in a partnership with the development’s Homeowners Association for long-term maintenance and upkeep. The project is based upon the design of student intern, Leslie Hendricks, and includes removing current growth and sentiment from the swale and replacing with various layers of a designed plant community, utilizing drought, wet and salt tolerant plants and vegetation.
Reserve at Union School retrofitted bioswale
Grantee: Mount Joy Borough
Mount Joy Borough will construct a 30-foot wide retrofitted bioswale for the Reserves at Union School community. The Borough will engage in a partnership with the development’s Homeowners Association for long-term maintenance and upkeep. The project is based upon the design of student intern, Leslie Hendricks, and includes removing current growth and sentiment from the swale and replacing with various layers of a designed plant community, utilizing drought, wet and salt tolerant plants and vegetation.
* Turtle Hill streambank restoration project
The Turtle Hill Streambank Restoration Project, in West Earl Township, includes implementation of an approximately 1,535 linear feet streambank restoration project along an unnamed tributary to the Conestoga River north of Turtle Hill Road in Ephrata. The project area is agricultural and is directly downstream from a 1,250 linear feet stream restoration project completed by the Township in 2019. The proposed restoration includes grading the existing vertical banks to create a low, flat floodplain bench on each side of the unnamed tributary that allows increased stream flows to access the floodplain, dissipating potentially erosive energy. The proposed project includes 3,245 linear feet of livestock fencing, 8 permanent fence gates, and 196 linear feet of livestock slat crossings.
* Eshelman Run streambank stabilization
The Eshelman Run streambank stabilization project is a 400 linear feet reach of stream near the headwaters of Eshelman Run, which captures runoff from Strasburg Borough. Sediment deposition from the drainage area, large volumes of water and little connection to the floodplain have all contributed to bank erosion along the project reach. This project aims to stabilize the stream and establish a riparian buffer.
* Conewago creek stream restoration
The Conewago Creek Stream Restoration project includes the implementation of stream restoration, legacy sediment removal, floodplain reconnection, and wetland creation that will lead to quantifiable improvements to water quality, promote enhanced ecosystem resiliency and support the goals of the Lancaster County CAP. Due to the extent of the improvements, the project has been divided into three phases. Funding from the Clean Water Fund is supporting Phase 2 of the project, located in Mount Joy Township, Lancaster County. It will result in 3,213 LF of stream restoration, 5.2 acres of wetland creation and floodplain reconnection, and 52,619 cubic yards of legacy sediment removal.
* Collaborative water quality improvement in upper Conestoga water river watershed
Lancaster Farmland Trust’s project aims to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution flowing from a farm in East Earl Township. Best management practices installed will include barnyard improvements, specifically concrete and roofed heavy use areas, a roofed manure stacking structure, roof water controls, underground piping, cattle walkways, and stabilized access roads. It’ll also include 2,400 feet of streambank fencing and the installation of a 1.9-acre buffer.
* Amos Herr Park wetland restoration
The project seeks to enhance a segment of the Amos Herr Park property, within the East Hempfield Township Municipal Complex, in an area that is currently either wetlands or is proposed through the Municipalities’ planning initiatives to be naturalized. This segment is on the east side of the Amos Herr Park campus and on the east side of Swarr Run. The project aims to forward this initiative by expanding any existing wetlands, re-grading portions of the area to create a space for increased wetland establishment, installing a system of interconnected trail pathways around the extents of the created wetland area, and naturalizing the remaining lands.
*Funding for these projects is from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Countywide Action Plan Implementation grant to Lancaster.
2021 Clean Water Fund Projects
Beiler Farm best management practice installation
Grantee: Octoraro Watershed Association
The Octoraro Watershed Association will work with Mr. Beiler on his farm in Colerain Township to implement several BMPs that will improve overall water quality in Lancaster County, but specifically in Bells Run. Conservation implementation practices will stabilize the ground and dramatically reduce sediment deposition.
“We are very appreciative of the Lancaster Clean Water Fund’s support of this project. Mr. Beiler purchased this farm in 2018 and has visions of establishing his own dairy operation here in the near future. As part of this vision, Mr. Beiler is committed to improving the existing conditions of the property and ultimately running an operation that is both productive and low-impact on our environment. He fully supports the efforts to restore the health of the local streams in Lancaster County by 2040 and this grant will allow for important Best Management Practices to be installed in order to prevent sediment and nutrients from reaching our waterways.”
* Denver Park annex Cocalico Creek greenway development project
Grantee: Denver Borough
Denver Borough will install a native riparian forest buffer, green stormwater management infrastructure practices, and restore a portion of the Cocalico Creek near the Denver Park Annex, adjacent to Denver Memorial Park. Grant funding from the Lancaster County Clean Water Fund will be used to design and construct the two rain gardens and three constructed wetland areas. This project is designed to enhance the active and passive recreational opportunities in the Park Annex by developing the existing greenway in an environmentally sound way that prevents flood damage and soil erosion, protects surface water quality, improves wildlife habitat, provides educational opportunities, and blends the region’s natural diversity with man-made development.
Drumore Park educational signage and bus tour
Grantee: Friends of Fishing Creek
Nestled at the southern end of Lancaster County, the Fishing Creek watershed is a hidden gem. In the Fishing Creek Nature Preserve you’ll find a quiet stream that hosts freshwater trout, cranes, herons, and countless other species. With this grant, Friends of Fishing Creek will provide educational information in the form of signage and a bus tour. These hands-on experiences with local community members will emphasize the importance of protecting these waterways.
“Friends of Fishing Creek would like to share our overwhelming gratitude to the Community Foundation and the Lancaster Clean Water Partners. The Friends of Fishing Creek watershed group strives to educate the public on community-driven water stewardship, and help preserve the overall health of the Fishing Creek watershed. Thanks to the Clean Water Fund, our organization has big plans to engage and educate our local community on the importance of water quality!”
* Full speed ahead: Accelerated BMP implementation in the Pequea Creek watershed
Grantee: Lancaster Farmland Trust
Lancaster Farmland Trust will work with three farms in the Pequea Creek Watershed to implement agricultural BMPs. BMPs include manure management, barnyard improvements, animal walkways, fencing, pipes and stabilized outlets to control driveway runoff and roof water; and critical seeding and mulching where needed.
* Little Beaver Creek tributary at Sides Mill Road emergency restoration improvements
Grantee: Strasburg Jay Cee Park
Strasburg Jay Cee Park will restore 300 linear feet of stream to an unnamed tributary to Little Beaver Creek. In August of 2020, an 8’ dam failed in a flood resulting in extreme incision and associated bank failure, releasing tons of legacy sediments downstream. The stream is actively degrading, with the likelihood of instabilities migrating upstream. The work will raise the channel invert and stabilize the banks to create a stable, well-vegetated channel with a shallow floodplain bench that will slow flood flow velocities and dissipate potentially erosive energy. The work will address excessive sedimentation and habitat degradation that currently exists, and proposed benches will increase the potential for wetland development. Improved habitat will be provided through the establishment of a native species riparian buffer.
* Little Conestoga blue/green corridor stream restoration
Grantee: Little Conestoga Creek Foundation
The Blue/Green Corridor Project Phase 1 stream restoration is on Little Conestoga Creek Foundation property along Marietta Ave in Lancaster Township. Phase 1 will implement specific BMP components identified in the Countywide Action Plan to address nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment reductions.
These improvements include restoration of floodplain wetlands and degraded stream channels to improve water quality, increase stream health and resiliency. The restoration includes establishment of forested riparian buffers on both sides of the stream on adjacent uplands. The riparian buffer totals 1.37 acres in addition to 1,121 linear feet of stream restoration and 2.4 acres of wetlands located within a designated Urban Area. Phase 1 is the first of six restoration reaches for a 2.5-mile corridor project. The highly visible Phase 1 site will highlight and restore a community resource which will have regional pollution reduction impacts significant to Lancaster County that extend to the Chesapeake Bay.
Memorial Park riparian buffer educational trail
Grantee: Quarryville Borough
Ten years ago along an unnamed tributary of Little Beaver Creek, Quarryville Borough planted a riparian buffer in collaboration with the Pequea Creek Watershed Association. With great growth and success of the buffer, there also came questions from residents regarding the “messy” look of the area. With this funding, the borough will create a trail along the buffer with educational signage to educate residents and visitors of all ages on the value of the riparian buffer to stream life, wildlife, plant life, and humans.
“We are excited to embark on a project that educates the public on the importance of forested riparian buffers for clean water in our local streams. The importance of clean water and healthy streams for our local community cannot be taken for granted. Through education we hope to encourage residents and visitors to participate in volunteer opportunities to plant trees and shrubs to create more forested riparian buffers.”
One Water Partnership in Lancaster County
Grantee: Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake
One Water Partnership is a regional hub of faith-based action to address highly fragmented non-source pollution challenges and opportunities. With this funding, Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake will recruit 3-5 faith-based organizations in Lancaster County to build green teams, a training that will equip teams to mobilize around clean water, educate congregation members, lead activities or programs, and implement stormwater best practices on their properties.
“The faith community is an eager and willing partner in efforts to achieve clean water in Lancaster County. This funding will help us build their capacity so that they can answer their call to be good caretakers of God’s Creation!” – Jodi Rose, Executive Director, Interfaith Partners of the Chesapeake
* Pequea Creek headwaters improvement project
Grantee: Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County
The Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County will work with two Plain Sect farms in the upper Pequea Creek Watershed for stream and pastureland improvements. These projects build upon previous work completed by the Lancaster Conservation District, Salisbury Township, Team Ag, and Lancaster Farmland Trust in this area. Project details involve nearly 2,900 linear feet of stream restoration, over 4,000 ft. streambank fencing, an average riparian buffer inside the fence of 35-50 feet or 6.1 acres of buffer, 2 livestock walkways to control sediment and nutrient runoff to the stream from the pastures, and 4 livestock/equipment crossings along Indian Springs Run and the headwaters of the Pequea Creek.
Rain garden installation on North Lane
Grantee: Lititz Borough
The North Lane rain garden installation in Lititz Borough will take excess water from North Lane, filter it while reducing the ponding on the roadway, and discharge the clean water to nearby Lititz Run. This location is the last to need stormwater implementation. Multiple rain gardens currently dot the landscape along the corridor, so this project will complete the bioretention corridor.
“Lititz Borough is thrilled to have received a Clean Water Implementation Grant from the Lancaster Clean Water Partners to continue our work to improve the water quality of Lititz Run. This project will be the seventh small stormwater best management practice installed by the Borough, and will be the third completed on Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine property along the stream. Not only are each of these facilities a good example of how these BMPs can be sized and placed within a developed community, they each do their part to improve our stream.”
* Restoration of Cocalico Creek at Autumn Hills
Grantee: Lititz Borough
The North Lane rain garden installation in Lititz Borough will take excess water from North Lane, filter it while reducing the ponding on the roadway, and discharge the clean water to nearby Lititz Run. This location is the last to need stormwater implementation. Multiple rain gardens currently dot the landscape along the corridor, so this project will complete the bioretention corridor.
“Lititz Borough is thrilled to have received a Clean Water Implementation Grant from the Lancaster Clean Water Partners to continue our work to improve the water quality of Lititz Run. This project will be the seventh small stormwater best management practice installed by the Borough, and will be the third completed on Lancaster General Health/Penn Medicine property along the stream. Not only are each of these facilities a good example of how these BMPs can be sized and placed within a developed community, they each do their part to improve our stream.”
River Connections: Stories of Lancastrians' Connections to Water
Grantee: City of Lancaster
There is a lack of understanding in the watershed protection and restoration movement of people’s current and historical connections to local waterways, specifically the Conestoga River. The purpose of this project is to raise awareness of the quality of waterways in Lancaster County and to foster a sense of stewardship for the Conestoga River watershed. To accomplish this, the City will work with community leaders to gather personal stories about people’s connections to the river and share those stories through various artistic mediums such as plays, music, visual art, poetry, and more.
“Lancastrians have a long and often cherished history and relationship with the Conestoga River, however some of these connections are not well known. We’re excited to shine a light on people’s experiences with the river and to honor those connections as we continue to build a community of stewards for this valued natural resource.” Steve Campbell, Director, Department of Public Works
* Stream restoration and riparian buffer planting
Grantee: East Donegal Township
East Donegal Township is partnering with Marietta Borough, with support from private property owners to design, permit, and construct 1,300 linear feet of streambank restoration along the most unstable portions of this reach. Sections of the 2,150 linear foot project reach are eroded with steep banks due to the high flows from the large upstream drainage area and lack of stabilization along the banks. In addition to streambank restoration, the project will expand the riparian buffer along the entire 2,150-foot reach. This will result in the creation of 3.5 acres of buffer habitat. East Donegal Township was awarded a $200,000 Growing Greener Grant from PA DEP in December of 2020, and the township will use this additional funding to take the project from design to construction.
* Tri-county Conewago Creek Watershed Association reinvigoration and trail education
Grantee: Tri-County Conewago Creek Watershed Association
After several years of quiet activity, TCCCA recently brought on renewed leadership and is ready to re-engage residents in the Conewago Creek Watershed. Funds from this grant will be used to send mailers to all 4,400 households in the watershed informing residents on how to get involved, and develop and install signage along the Conewago Recreational Trail highlighting several projects visible from the trail.
“TCCCA is incredibly excited to envision clean and clear water by 2040, and welcome community members to get involved!”
Upper Camp Andrews Fishing Creek restoration
Grantee: Donegal Trout Unlimited
The Donegal chapter of Trout Unlimited’s mission is to help landowners and farmers protect, reconnect, restore, and sustain cold water fisheries and watersheds in Lancaster County. This funding will assist with that mission by restoring and maintaining 0.4 miles of the main branch of Fishing Creek and one of its unnamed tributaries located in Drumore Township. Specifically, DTU will install BMPs to decrease nutrient and sediment loads by filtering agriculture runoff, removing invasive plants and trees, improving fish habitat in a naturally reproducing trout stream, and restoring 3.25 acres of wetlands.
“We are excited that this grant completed the funding requirements for Phase 2 of the Camp Andrews stream restoration project, including restoration of 3.25 acres of wetlands.” — Barry Witmer, President, Donegal Trout Unlimited
*Funding for these projects is from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Countywide Action Plan Implementation grant to Lancaster.
These grants are possible thanks to the support of groups such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Lancaster’s Water Week. Lead partners include: The Lancaster Clean Water Partners, Lancaster County Community Foundation, Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County, and Lancaster Conservancy. These organizations work with countless trusted experts in the field, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Economic Development Company of Lancaster County, Lancaster County Conservation District, Lancaster Farmland Trust, local municipalities, and Penn State’s Agriculture and Environment Center.
If you’re interested in contributing to Lancaster’s Clean Water Fund, click here for more details.
The Clean Water Fund helps projects go from concept to implementation.
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