Blog Archives - Page 2 of 11 - Center for Watershed Protection

Project Update: Stormwater Management Retrofit Inventory in Strasburg Borough, PA

For the past three years, the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) has operated a Circuit Rider program to provide technical assistance to municipalities in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on reducing stormwater pollution. This work has included technical support to the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, working collaboratively with the Center for Water Quality Excellence to bridge gaps between agricultural and municipal stakeholders, and, most recently, engaging Strasburg Borough in a green infrastructure opportunity analysis. This past Spring, CWP worked with the Strasburg Borough manager and ELA Group to conduct a stormwater management retrofit inventory across the entire Borough. Stormwater retrofits are structural [...]

admin2022-07-22T15:00:32-04:00July 22nd, 2022|

2022 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference Highlights

From April 26th to April 29th, the Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. hosted its seventh annual National Watershed & Stormwater Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. Each year, this conference provides a forum for sharing fresh ideas on watershed and stormwater management principles and practices. This year, there was a tremendous level excitement felt by the conference attendees in participating in the in-person event after two years of virtual conferences. The Center went above and beyond to make this a thrilling event filled with presentation about cutting edge research with experienced practitioners, evening activities which provided opportunities to network, and field trips [...]

admin2022-06-20T12:18:03-04:00May 31st, 2022|

Upcoming Virtual Training Series

Celebrate our 30th anniversary by going “back to the basics” with experts at the CWP Experts at the Center for Watershed Protection will share their experience, resources, and tools curated from decades of collaboration and industry leadership so that you may do more effective and efficient watershed work. This late summer virtual training series, beginning August 23, 2022 is comprised of six training modules, each of which is 90-minutes of live, interactive training with Center for Watershed Protection staff. Attendees will enhance their industry knowledge and skillset, network with industry professionals, receive access to guidance documents and manuals, and earn [...]

admin2022-06-20T12:18:29-04:00May 12th, 2022|

Evaluating the Economic Benefits of Land Protection in the Savannah River Basin

The mission of the Savannah River Clean Water Fund is to protect and restore forests in the Savannah River Basin to help provide safe, reliable, and affordable drinking water for the communities and businesses in the region. The Fund was formed based on the shared recognition among public and private interests in the Savannah River Basin of the explicit connection between the Basin’s land resources and uses and their impacts on raw water supplies. To maintain the quality of the Savannah River as a drinking water source, the Fund has set a goal of maintaining 60% natural cover in the [...]

admin2022-05-31T11:11:17-04:00March 29th, 2022|

Fishable and Swimmable Goals in the Delaware River Basin

The William Penn Foundation provides extensive funding for protection and restoration activities in the four-state Delaware River Basin towards the long term goal of ensuring all 25,000+ miles of stream are fishable and swimmable. In 2020, the Center led a study for the Foundation to assess the feasibility of developing Basin-wide metrics to measure progress on securing sustained regulatory protections for streams. As part of this study, the Center reviewed state Clean Water Act policies and analyzed data provided by the Basin states. This analysis showed that only 6% of Delaware Basin streams are currently meeting both fishable and swimmable [...]

admin2021-11-22T16:21:33-05:00November 19th, 2021|

Stormwater Improvements at Audubon Naturalist Society’s Woodend Sanctuary

The Audubon Naturalist Society’s Woodend Sanctuary is a haven for native plants that is visited by thousands of students, individuals, and families from the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area each year. The Center assisted with an ambitious plan to improve the property that included green infrastructure projects, a permeable path along the stream, and a large play space. The Center designed, obtained permits, and managed construction for a series of green infrastructure projects to address severe stream erosion and polluted runoff. The Center’s design converted 1,400 feet of eroding stream running through the property into a series of 45 sequenced step [...]

admin2021-08-18T12:16:27-04:00August 18th, 2021|

Redevelopment and Stormwater Management Projects Transform Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area

Six years in the making, this project rehabilitated a large impervious area at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area (NRMA) in Cecil County, Maryland. The site included a large barn complex that had deteriorated over the years and was destroyed by a significant fire. The remaining asphalt and compacted gravel generated large volumes of runoff that flowed untreated directly into Big Elk Creek during storms. With funding from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Center for Watershed Protection (the Center) designed a complete redevelopment of the site. This project complements a recent stream stabilization along parts [...]

admin2021-08-18T12:16:35-04:00July 26th, 2021|

Easy Water Conservation Tips

Save money and water by following these tips. Most people are not aware of how small adjustments in water conservation can bring a significant impact. According to Statista, “An average U.S. family of four pays about 72.93 U.S. dollars for water every month as of 2019 if each person used about 100 gallons per day.” Homeowners can save money and reduce wasteful water usage by making easy changes in the home. We’ve put together a quick list of changes you can make to help conserve water. You can find a pro to do it for you at Porch. In order [...]

admin2021-08-18T12:16:42-04:00June 10th, 2021|

Analysis of MS4 Monitoring Data in Maryland: What are the Effects of Restoration on Stream Quality?

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permittees in Maryland have been conducting monitoring for more than 20 years to meet their permit requirements, the most recent of which specifies the use of monitoring to assess the effectiveness of watershed restoration efforts. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) directed the MS4s to focus their monitoring efforts on small watersheds where significant restoration opportunities were planned, and to conduct pre- and post-restoration monitoring to evaluate whether the best management practices (BMPs) were effective in restoring physical, chemical and/or biological conditions. As a result [...]

admin2021-05-20T11:56:22-04:00May 20th, 2021|

2021 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference Highlights

On April 13th through April 16th, the Center for Watershed Protection hosted its sixth annual National Watershed & Stormwater Conference virtually. Our National Watershed & Stormwater Conferences are offered each Spring, and they provide a forum for sharing fresh ideas on the principles and practices of watershed and stormwater management. For the second year in a row, the 2021 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference was held virtually to keep our attendees, presenters, sponsors, and staff safe and healthy. This year, we worked especially hard to create opportunities for the same interactive and engaging networking as the Center’s in-person events. We [...]

admin2021-05-18T16:08:17-04:00May 17th, 2021|