350 miles of Lancaster County streams restored by 2030
The Lancaster Clean Water Partners has a goal to restore 350 miles of impaired streams in Lancaster County by 2030. Nutrient and sediment pollution have made more than half of Lancaster’s 1,400 miles of streams unsafe for drinking, recreation, as well as critical insect and fish populations. But many partners throughout the county are working to rapidly restore these waterways using a new and innovative strategy called “rapid stream delisting.”
If successful, 350 miles of impaired streams will be removed from the impaired streams list by 2030. Additionally, nutrient and sediment pollution levels will have decreased enough for critter and fish populations to live and thrive in the stream again.
The delisting strategy was created by the Chesapeake Conservancy. It couples cutting-edge mapping data analysis with an extensive partnership effort to align limited resources toward delisting streams on an accelerated time frame. The Partners’ goal of 350 miles of Lancaster streams coincides with Pennsylvania’s goal of 30 streams restored by 2030.
Created by GreenFin Studio
Steps to Stream Delisting
On April 26, 2021, the Partners’ RCPP proposal was selected to receive $7.4 million to implement best management practices on agricultural lands, resulting in restored and healthy streams.
“On behalf of the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, the Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County, and all our dedicated partner organizations, we thank NRCS for awarding these crucial funds to support Lancaster’s agricultural community,” says Allyson Gibson, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Programs at the Partners. “We’re eager to take action, using this funding opportunity to support landowners’ needs and ultimately reach our common goal of clean and clear water by 2040. Our efforts will improve public health, economic development, wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and water quality for not only Lancastrians, but also our neighbors downstream.”
