Over $700,000 aiding pollution cleanup in local watersheds to Donegal Trout Unlimited
Source: Lancaster Online
A total of $703,675 in grant money from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will flow into the Conewago, Conowingo, and Pequea Creek watersheds to assist with pollution cleanup work.
A restored section of Conowingo Creek with a rock wall bank and a pool-forming deflector device.
(Donegal Trout Unlimited)
Agriculture and urban stormwater runoff send nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment into local waterways, fueling harmful algae blooms and increasing streambank erosion that hurts aquatic life. The DEP grants funnel money from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency into projects that help Pennsylvania meet its share of the Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction goals and improve the health of local streams and creeks.
DEP recently announced $3.5 million in grant funding to 15 projects statewide. The Lancaster County Conservation District and Donegal Trout Unlimited, a volunteer-based nonprofit that focuses on environmental education and conservation projects, will administer the four projects in Lancaster County.
“For Donegal Trout, it’s our mission to have clean water,” DTU president Claire Landis said. “It’s for the future,” Landis said the nonprofit has moved much beyond its goal to improve the environment for the trout in local waterways, saying these funds will also benefit county residents who draw drinking water from the streams and creeks in the target area.
Here is more information on the four-county projects:
Conewago and Conowingo Tributary Focus Project
The county Conservation District received $166,375 for work in the Conewago and Conowingo Creek watersheds. The project will fund 25 to 30 acres of tree and shrub plantings alongside streams and creeks, streambank fencing, and five to seven livestock crossings.
There are 129 eligible projects in the Conewago Creek watershed and 126 eligible projects in the Conowingo Creek watershed. The estimated annual reduction in pollution from this grant-funded work is 490 pounds of nitrogen, 97.5 pounds of phosphorus, and 43.25 tons of sediment.
Conowingo Creek: 10,000 feet of stream restoration
Donegal Trout Unlimited received $302,000 to restore 10,000 feet of stream and plant 16 acres of trees and shrubs at five of the 126 target sites in the Conowingo Creek watershed. This money assists with design and permitting work.
Once construction is funded and completed at the five sites, the estimated annual reduction in pollution will be 750 pounds of nitrogen, 680 pounds of phosphorus, and 224.4 tons of sediment. Stream restoration work is in process or has been completed at another 20 sites in the watershed.
Conowingo Creek Watershed Implementation Plan Update
Donegal Trout Unlimited received $97,000 to update the pollution reduction plan for the Conowingo Creek watershed. About 20 projects identified in the existing 2006 plan have already been implemented in the 34-square-mile target area. An updated plan will identify future priority sites for restoration work.
Pequea Creek Watershed Implementation Plan: Water Monitoring Program and Expedited Project Design Program
The conservation district received $138,300 to design, plan, and permit eight projects in the Pequea Creek watershed. The district will also install four monitoring probes.
See more of Donegal Trout Unlimited’s Conservation Projects