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. The fund addresses the immense need for clean water work throughout the county and provides financial support to bring ideas to life.

Small Grant Info Session:

The following is a recording of the Small Grant Info Session from April 9, 2026. • The slides from this session can be found here.

Applications are due July 1st

Open Grants

2026 Small Clean Water Fund

Grants range from $1,000 to 20,000

$100,000 available in total

GRANT DESCRIPTION

The Lancaster Clean Water Fund serves as a catalyst for increased collaboration to efficiently achieve clean and clear water in Lancaster County by 2040. It provides a unique opportunity to work with landowners, leaders, and communities across the county on education, restoration,
and protection projects to improve water quality. Across Lancaster County, clean water is a priority. With the majority of Lancaster County streams and much of our groundwater unhealthy, our community is a priority area for reducing specific pollutants (nutrient and sediment) by
2025 in accordance with Lancaster’s Countywide Action Plan (CAP).
This grant is created and managed with the Lancaster Clean Water Partners to achieve clean and clear local waterways by 2040.

ELIGIBILITY SUMMARY

Eligible applying organizations must meet the following requirements:
• 501 (c)(3) community benefit organizations (CBOs) or a municipality
• Registered with (or exempt from) the PA Bureau of Charitable Organizations
• Provide an audit or financial review (less than 12 months old) (Optional)
• Provide a current Form 990 filed with IRS (within last 12 months)
• Provide a Non-Discrimination Policy meeting all federal requirements as it applies to your
type of organization.
• Projects must benefit residents of Lancaster County without discrimination.
• CBOs may not receive grants from the same fund for more than 3 consecutive years
• Full eligibility details can be found at Lancfound.org/grants.

GRANT SPECIFICS

• We want your innovative and creative ideas! Some project categories include, but are not
limited to:
• Art installations that educate the public about water pollution and opportunities
• Water quality monitoring (must include an educational component)
• Community-led implementation of conservation practices
• Watershed educational campaigns or student projects that involve the community
• Public/Private collaboration to encourage students or adults to consider conservation and water-related careers
• Match is not required.
• Awarded funds will be released to grantees after signing a Grantee Partner Agreement. Grantees will be responsible for submitting a report at the end of the grant which includes financials.

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Contact Alex Cooper to get the access code to the application.
• Use the code to access the application on the Community Foundation portal, found at https://www.lancfound.org/grants/.
• Application drafts submitted by 6/1/26 are eligible for review and feedback before final submission.
• Complete the full applications by the final deadline 7/1/26.

Grant Timeline

• Application opens: 3/3/26
• Draft applications due for staff feedback (optional): 6/1/26
• Final applications due: 7/1/26
• Award notifications (yes or no): 9/1/26
• Grant funding period: 9/1/26-9/1/27
• Completion Report due: 10/1/27

Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant

About the program:

The Lancaster Conservancy, as the external lead of the Susquehanna Riverlands, administers the Susquehanna Riverlands Mini-Grant Program with funding provided through DCNR. Single-year grant requests for a minimum of $2,500 to a maximum of $25,000 are considered 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.

Projects may be paired as matching funds.

The Clean Water Fund helps projects go from concept to implementation.

Past Clean Water Fund Projects

2025

Conestoga: Our River, Our Restoration Grantee: The Yoheh Project The Yoheh Project will film a documentary that educates Lancastrians on the severity of the pollution in the Conestoga river, while also addressing the nuances of tribal sovereignty and the ways in which Native American communities might be empowered to protect land and water resources.

Mobile Stream Table for Hands-On Environmental Education Program Grantee: Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA) LSRA will construct a mobile stream table to bring to schools and communities to improve environmental knowledge and encourage stewardship of the Susquehanna River.

Eco Explorers Grantee: Lancaster Science Factory Building on 2024’s award, Eco Explorers will work with Lancaster students to provide watershed education through visits to farms, streams and neighborhood green infrastructure projects.

Lancaster City Corridor Launch Facility, Phase 1 Grantee: Conestoga River Club Continuing their work to provide universal access to the Conestoga River, CRC will work with the community to develop process templates for restoring launch facilities

Climbers Run Nature Center Stormwater Management Project Grantee: Lancaster Conservancy By implementing a rain garden and sub-surface infiltration bed at Climbers Run, this project will protect the property and its high-quality stream while providing education to the many visitors each year.

Blue Green Connector – Clean Water Kiosk Grantee: The Little Conestoga Creek Foundation This project supports a Clean Water Kiosk at the Noel Dorwart Park trailhead to the Little Conestoga Blue Green Connector, a 3.5-mile multimodal ADA accessible trail along the restored Little Conestoga Creek when completed.

Accelerating the Impact of the Lancaster One Water Partnership Grantee:Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake (IPC) IPC has partnered with congregations and partners to implement green space across the county. This year’s grant adds educational signage to their green infrastructure and conservation landscaping practices.

Watershed and Wildlife Improvement Projects for Plain Sect Communities Grantee: Stroud Water Research Center Stroud will provide watershed and wildlife education to schools and pilot conservation-education work with plain sect communities.

Outdoor Classroom Activation & Restoration Grantee: Let’s Go 1-2-3 Let’s Go 1-2-3 will work with the School District of Lancaster to strengthen teacher tools by revitalizing outdoor classrooms and urban community greenspace opportunities.

Upper Cocalico Creek Stream, Floodplain and Wetland Restoration Partnership Grantee: Cocalico Creek Watershed Association (CCWA) Building on 2024 progress, CCWA will continue building landowner buy-in by developing concept plans that help private property owners envision stream restoration in their backyard.

2024

SoWe Project Clean Stream Grantee: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Building on 2023 Fund progress, this project will steward neighborhood “Champions” who receive a stipend to lead local trash cleanups & education efforts. Champions complete 2+ events that empower volunteers in their neighborhood for a total of 6 events.

Long’s Park Water Quality Improvement Project Grantee: City of Lancaster Signage based on the biological, ecological, and engineering processes that occur at each stage of the Longs Park Wetlands system. Six signs will also be designed to reflect the City of Lancaster’s commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and equality.

Upper Cocalico Creek Stream, Floodplain & Wetland Restoration Partnership Grantee: Cocalico Creek Watershed Association Conceptual Restoration Plan for effective landowner participation by engaging residents in planning and implementing clean water projects on their and neighboring properties.

River Pathway Connections Grantee: College Park Climate Action Neighborhood Outdoor Classroom, Signage & Online Resources; At completion of our project, we envision a fun and informative community event in addition to the ongoing educational opportunities, planned or organic, from the permanent installation

Conoy Township Stackstown Road Community Park & NWRT Accessibility Improvements Grantee: Conoy Township Transform a once residential, now township-owned, vacant streamside property full of debris & invasives into a public park with parking, walkways, picnic, and ADA access to the NW river trail. Funding for natives, stormwater controls, rain garden & signage.

Conservation Landscaping Crews Training Grantee: Lancaster Conservancy Bolster the conservation landscaping skills of a diversity of existing landscaping crews in Lancaster County. Facilitate new training cohorts & follow-up support for last year’s crews (retirement home campuses) to implement practices on private land.

Expanding Water Quality Monitoring Volunteerism in Lancaster Grantee: Lancaster County Conservation District Water Quality Volunteer Coalition chemical equipment has started to break and become outdated, so we need new equipment to support existing volunteers. The program expansion allows more volunteers (10-20 organized in eastern Lancaster) to easily access equipment and learn about the health of their streams.

Eco Explorers Grantee: Lancaster Science Factory Bring the spring Eco Explorers program out to local School District of Lancaster elementary school locations, where we would host three workshops offsite at a local school, then take two different field trips – one to a local stream running through Lancaster City and one out to a Lancaster Conservancy preserve, where they can compare and contrast stream health.

Expanding and Sustaining the Lancaster Outdoor Learning Network for Water Quality Improvement Grantee: Stroud Water Research Center The proposed project will strengthen and expand the Lancaster Outdoor Learning Network Initiative (OLNI) to more teachers and school districts that face accessibility barriers to water quality education. Professional Development for teachers & Leaf Pack Network, Project WET, and stormwater implementation at their schools.

Buffer Establishment Support Team Grantee: Lancaster County Conservation District The Buffer Establishment Support Team provides payments to landowners for the establishment of riparian forested buffers, which are vital for their survival.

2023

Engagement and Education of our Watershed Community 1. The Friends of Fishing Creek will engage groups and businesses in our local community to provide education on the importance of preserving and enhancing the entire ecosystem of our Fishing Creek Watershed. We will attend the Annual Solanco Fair in 2024, providing education on the progress that has been made over the last several years as well as the continued risks that continue, and we can all work together to remediate those risks for continued watershed improvement. We will have brochures and recycling bags as handouts. The Solanco Fair usually occurs the 3rd week in September. 2. We will also engage with fifteen Jeep organizations that enjoy the Fishing Creek Watershed for leisure and recreation. These Jeep organizations have expressed interest in engaging with the Friends of Fishing Creek to learn about their impact on the watershed and how to influence proper access and use to have a positive impact on its fragile and sensitive ecosystem. We will organize and hold an event specifically focused on the local Jeep Clubs with an educational drive-through of the public dirt road that travels along Fishing Creek for 3.8 miles with 3 concrete fords. 3. We will also schedule educational meetings with local Jeep dealerships to give printed handouts to Jeep owners in the proper recreational and leisure use of the Fishing Creek Watershed.

SoWe Project Clean Stream Project Clean Stream is an Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay initiative offering hands-on opportunities through local partnerships to take action to restore clean local waterways. Volunteers are empowered with the agency to lead their own stream cleanups and build a stronger sense of place in their communities and ultimately foster a healthier and more sustainable relationship with the Chesapeake watershed. For this project, the Alliance plans to focus efforts in the Southwest quadrant of the City of Lancaster, where we will have two staff-led cleanups and smaller monthly community champion-led cleanups while partnering with local institutions. We will provide champions with stipends for their time. We are also focused on tracking a cultural and behavioral shift around litter and building educational aspects and public awareness around litter’s impact on clean water. The Alliance has actively partnered with SoWe for the last few years and this project will build on this engagement.

Expanding the One Water Partnership in Lancaster County The Lancaster One Water Partnership (LOWP) is a regional hub of faith-based action to address highly fragmented non-source pollution challenges and opportunities. By working with communities of faith, we reach non-traditional partners who are private landowners, many of whom generate stormwater pollution or who offer opportunities for significant increased tree canopy, aligning with the goals of the Countywide Action Plan. To achieve these outcomes, we will conduct quarterly events in collaboration with partner congregations to forge connections with faith communities throughout the region, recruit 3-5 faith-based congregations in Lancaster County to build green teams and create action plans, host monthly meetings with our volunteer Lancaster Task Force, develop a water-based experiential education program, and cultivate relationships with 3-5 DEIJ faith-based congregations to determine how to best support local leaders in clean water equity and justice needs.

Southeast Growing Greener & Sowing Seeds of Change This Let’s Go 1-2-3 project will engage new audiences by providing education and outreach through us partnering with Thaddeus Stevens College and the Lancaster City Housing Authority. Our project, titled, “Southeast Growing Greener & Sowing Seeds of Change” will engage the southeast neighborhoods in the City of Lancaster using the Let’s Go 1-2-3 model of engagement to (1) organize a Community Green Team, (2) develop and conduct neighborhood surveys to build knowledge and awareness about green space(s) and sustainable practices for healthy lands and clean water, and (3) celebrate with a Nature Fest for the community.

River Connections This funding will support the continuation of the River Connections project, which has increased awareness and engagement with local communities of color, enhanced their relationship, highlighted their history, and encouraged action to protect and care for the Conestoga River. The primary portion of the funding will be to develop and implement a Love Your Block River Connections grant to support the continued installation of storm drain murals and performance art throughout the City. We will use the remaining funds to engage a local artist to help us bring to life Rosie the Fish — an animated ambassador to educate the public, specifically school-aged residents, about the river and the work done through the River Connections project.

* Agricultural Conservation Enhanced: Planting Trees in Rotationally-Grazed Pastures Grantee: Lancaster Farmland Trust Lancaster Farmland Trust is working in partnership with Trees for Graziers to implement strategic silvopasture plantings on farms in Lancaster County. Silvopasture is the practice of integrating trees and forage with healthy livestock grazing practices. Ecological benefits include reducing nitrogen in streams, sequestering carbon, infiltrating water, reducing erosion, and providing habitat for wildlife. Local economic benefits include providing shade, improving the health of livestock, and diversifying farm incomes through the sale of products like chestnuts or walnuts. This project will serve as an example of agroforestry at work – a model that can demonstrate the ability of our farmers to earn good incomes from small pieces of land, while still being responsible stewards of our water and environment.

* Silage Leachate System Grantee: Cocalico Creek Watershed Association The Cocalico Creek Watershed Association will be leading a project directly adjacent to Middle Creek, which was identified as a high-priority project during outreach with Clay Township. This project will divert clean stormwater to a pipe system instead of flowing through an open feed-storage area. Runoff from feed bunks will pass through screens in the pipes to retain solids at each high-flow/low-flow separator. Nutrients collected will be applied to vegetation during drier times.

* Implementation of Best Management Practices on a Farm in the Octoraro Grantee: Octoraro Watershed Association The Octoraro Watershed Association is partnering with a beef operation and crop farm (i.e., corn silage, alfalfa, tobacco) in Bart Township. The following Best Management Practices (BMPs) will be installed: grassed waterways, a plow skip, and a diversion to repair existing erosion gullies, underground outlets, and a water & sediment control basin to control runoff from the fields and farmstead, as well as manure storage, fencing, access road, and waste transfer.

* Long’s Park Water Quality Improvement Project Grantee: City of Lancaster The City of Lancaster’s Long’s Park Project will utilize a Natural Treatment System (NTS) and a pump station to convey water from Long’s Pond through a treatment train consisting of a Floating Wetland Island Forebay Pond, an Iron-Enhanced Sand Filter, and two Emergent Aquatic Vegetation Marshes, with discharge to Long’s Pond. The NTS will provide an attractive resting, nesting, and feeding habitat for waterfowl, wading birds, and aquatic wildlife. In addition, the design will be a valuable addition to the community for both passive recreation and educational benefit.

* Bioswale Meadows Project Grantee: East Petersburg Borough East Petersburg will complete the project on borough-owned property, known as “The Meadows,” surrounded by commercial and residential properties. The Bioswale Meadows Project will correct drainage issues in the area while meeting the goals of clean water, natural vegetation, and flood control. To do so, East Petersburg Borough will be removing the existing pipe and creating a bioswale.

* Whole Farm Conservation to Help Restore a Wild Brown Trout Fishery in the Upper Chiques Grantee: The Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County The Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County is partnering with the PSU Agriculture and Environment Center to achieve comprehensive whole farm conservation implementation at a dairy farm in the Shearers Creek watershed. Although the creek currently reports high quality water, impaired wild brown trout fisheries have continued to struggle in the upper Chiques Creek watershed. Extensive best management practices will be implemented to provide safe and adequate manure storage and to eliminate a pasture’s impacts through existing barnyard, road, and feeding area runoff areas to an unnamed tributary of Shearers Creek. To minimize erosion and sedimentation, and add in-stream fish habitat for wild brown trout, the project will plant approximately 15 acres of forest riparian buffers and stream restoration to restore unstable, eroding stream banks.

*Funding for these projects is from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Countywide Action Plan Implementation grant to Lancaster.

2022

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 cleanup 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 whom 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 start 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 start 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.

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 website for obtaining in-depth information. Markers will be installed in coordination with the City’s 2023 South Duke Streetscape Project, which 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 in the 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 it 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 the 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-foot 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 the Upper Conestoga 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 extent 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

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 exist, 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 and increase stream health and resiliency. The restoration includes the 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 the 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, but 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, but 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 agricultural 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.

2020

Stormwater management education for pre-service student teachers Millersville University Watershed Education Training Institute (WETi) has been awarded funds to provide pre-service student teachers with a meaningful watershed education experience, focusing on issues that impact local watersheds. As part of the project, students will have formal classroom instruction, site visits to impaired streams, and discussions with organizations about failed and successful conservation projects. This project will unite students from different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds and provide them with the knowledge and tools to share with their future K-12 students, so they too can protect our waterways and diverse aquatic ecosystems for generations to come. “We’re very excited to receive this grant from the Partners,” says John Wallace, professor at Millersville University and project coordinator. “The grant will fund a novel, multi-scaled approach to train our pre-service student teachers to participate in a national certification stormwater management program, visit stormwater BMPs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and experience the construction of a stormwater rain garden at MU WETi – all with the objective of disseminating this information across geographic and socio-economic boundaries for future generations to strive for the improvement of clean waters through effective stormwater management strategies.”

Willow Street Park rain garden installation West Lampeter Township has been awarded funding to install a bioretention rain garden in the Willow Street Township Park. Currently, a 15.5-acre tributary drainage area of an untreated, urbanized area within the Mill Creek watershed flows through the park, carrying pollutants, sediment, asphalt oils, and debris into downstream infrastructure. The project will remedy this by installing a rain garden with 18″ of amended soil media and native plants. The rain garden installation provides a valuable opportunity to educate the public while providing an aesthetically pleasing and naturalistic example of the benefits that rain gardens provide. “West Lampeter Township is honored to have received this grant funding from the Clean Water Fund and excited to break ground on this project,” says Amanda Hickman, community development director at West Lampeter Township. “This rain garden project not only complements our recreational facilities but serves as a catalyst for the long-term integration of our public education and conservation strategies moving forward.”

* Turkey Hill Water Partnership conservation installments The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in partnership with the Turkey Hill Clean Water Partnership, will install a number of conservation practices on six farms. Conservation practices include manure storage facilities, riparian forest buffers, heavy-use area stabilization, grassed waterways, and on-farm stormwater management. These practices will decrease pollutant loads entering local streams and rivers. They will also educate audiences on the importance of supporting farmers in protecting water quality.

* Paradise Township vegetated swale Paradise Township was awarded funding to install a vegetated swale on Vernon Stoltzfus-Kinzers’ land to reduce stormwater pollution. Vernon Stoltzfus-Kinzers Property Holdings, LLC, owns a 13-acre property within the urbanized area of Paradise Township in the Pequea Creek Watershed. To reduce stormwater pollution, the township will partner with Mr. Stoltzfus to retrofit the concrete-lined swale to a vegetated swale. The swale will include amended soils and be planted with a variety of native perennial flowers and grasses. These improvements will reduce stormwater rates and volumes and increase biodiversity and habitat for native wildlife species.

* Murry Ridge Park green infrastructure improvements, Murry Ridge Park, located in West Hempfield Township, is in the West Branch Little Conestoga Creek Watershed surrounded by suburban residential development. West Hempfield Township will implement green infrastructure improvements to reduce stormwater pollution. The township plans to divert stormwater into a vegetated swale, construct a bioretention basin, plant a riparian buffer, install landscaping to attract pollinators and songbirds, retrofit the dry detention basin to a dry extended basin, add a natural trail, and incorporate educational signage. These improvements will reduce stormwater pollutants, increase biodiversity and habitat for native wildlife species, and educate the public on the benefits of these projects.

* Lancaster City green infrastructure renovation The Culliton Park Renovation Project includes the implementation of green infrastructure that will greatly increase the aesthetics and improve water quality. Two rain gardens/bioretention areas and a subsurface infiltration bed will be installed to collectively manage stormwater from 1.48 acres. Annually, the green infrastructure implemented is expected to capture 1,324,337 gallons of stormwater and result in the reduction of 5216.87 lbs of sediment, 14.80 lbs of phosphorus, and 5.97 lbs of nitrogen. 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 an,d construction commenced in February of 2020 and will be completed in November 2020.

* Farm prioritizes conservation in East Lampeter Lancaster Farmland Trust was awarded funding for the implementation of BMPs on a farm located in East Lampeter Township with significant need for stream corridors and livestock management. Along with project partner TeamAg, Inc., Lancaster Farmland Trust has developed a list of site-specific BMPs for the farm that will result in significant nutrient and sediment reductions in the Lower Conestoga Watershed. This impactful project, located in a visible and significant area, will serve as an outstanding example of the Lancaster farming community’s growing commitment to environmental restoration.

* Fishing Creek stream tributary restoration and buffer installation The Donegal Chapter of Trout Unlimited was awarded funds for a restoration and buffer installation project in the Fishing Creek Stream. With these funds, they will restore stream banks and plant buffers to reduce the stream’s nutrient and sediment pollution. This project serves as an essential improvement for the farm and completes its conservation plan requirements, which support the family’s business, culture, and ultimately the local water quality.

* Lancaster City Alliance tree plantings The Lancaster City Alliance and Lancaster Tree Tenders will use the awarded funding to purchase 20 trees that will be planted in several locations along West King Street/Columbia Avenue and South Prince/South Queen Streets. Lancaster City staff will prep the sites, plant, mulch, and stake the trees. Lancaster Tree Tenders will provide tree care details in English and Spanish and species information to the property owners. The trees will benefit the target areas through energy savings, lower temperatures, reduced air pollution, enhanced property values, wildlife habitat, social and educational opportunities, and aesthetics.

*Funding for these projects is from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Countywide Action Plan Implementation grant to Lancaster.

2019

Climbers Run stream restoration The owners of the House at Climbers Run, a retreat center and rental space, used to dread heavy rain because it meant that the stream on their property would flood, causing significant land erosion, safety concerns, and increased pollution. Donegal Chapter of Trout Unlimited worked with the property owners to restore 1530 linear feet along the stream and planted 2.45 acres of riparian buffer.

Chiques Creek greenway and pollutant reduction plan The project will implement floodplain restoration work, riparian buffers, educational signage, and over 1,500 feet of new ADA accessible walking trails along the creek. A small dam will also be removed as part of this project, which will be included in the overall permitting process for the project (which is currently underway). This project will also reduce the amount of sediment and pollutants entering the Chiques Creek, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, by over 130,000 pounds each year, which will result in significant water quality improvement for this critical watershed.

Drager Road streambank stabilization and riparian buffer Rapho Township made streambank improvements to a 0.4-acre flooding-prone property on Drager Road in Columbia, Pa. The streambanks were severely eroded, only stabilized by rotting railroad ties. The township saw this vacant, graded lot as an opportunity for a clean water demonstration project. With the assistance of the Penn State Agriculture and Environmental Center staff and volunteers from the Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance, the township stabilized 175 linear feet of streambank using dump rock and planted 50 native trees on the property. The stabilization and plantings will greatly reduce erosion, preserving the land and stream. The property is owned by the township and will remain as open space in perpetuity. “This is another project that demonstrates the ongoing water quality improvement projects within Rapho Township. Dump Rock stabilization is one option that can be used by property owners to stabilize stream banks on their property,” says John Haldeman, public works director at Rapho Township. The project was completed in October 2020.

Stony Run streambank stabilization and livestake nursery East Cocalico Township recently stabilized 265 feet of streambanks and planted 75 feet of riparian buffer along a section of Stony Run, a small stream adjacent to the township building. With lack of adequate vegetation along the stream, the streambanks became severely eroded. In most areas, the vertical bank height ranged from three to four feet. It is estimated the project will prevent 30,475 pounds of sediment from entering the stream each year. With the project so close to the township building, countless residents can see, enjoy, and learn about the work. When the trees planted are sufficiently established, they will be used to cut live stakes suitable for other streambank stabilization projects elsewhere in the township. The project will count towards Lancaster’s efforts to accomplish Lancaster’s Countywide Action Plan.

Watson Run stream restoration and barnyard improvement This project consists of two parts: 1. Outreach and building commitment for water quality improvements with Leacock Township farmers 2. Demonstrate several agricultural water quality improvement BMPs at a Leacock Township farm (1110 feet of stream restoration (minimal), barnyard improvements, and 3.6 acres of riparian forested buffer). Most of Watson Run at the farm is already fenced, keeping animals out of the stream with good vegetation and little streambank erosion. The landowners have agreed to install riparian forested buffer. Those areas where there is streambank erosion will be restored by cutting back the banks.

*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.

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