THE CONEWAGO CREEK INITIATIVE a Model for Community Watershed Engagement
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THE CONEWAGO CREEK INITIATIVE A model for community watershed engagement Matt Royer Director, Agriculture & Environment Center Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences (814) 863-8756, [email protected] Conewago Creek Timeline “The Stars Align” (M Hubler) Photo by DCCD Conewago TCCCA DCCD’s First Initiative NFWF Founded 319 Grant Grant to PSU 2002 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Conewago TCCCA USDA WIP Hershey Showcase Finalized Meadows Watershed 319 Grant Designation Photo by NRCS Conewago Creek Initiative The Partnership Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay Red Barn Consulting Aquatic Resource Restoration Co. RGS Associates Capital Area RC&D South Londonderry Township Chesapeake Bay Foundation Stroud Water Research Center Chesapeake Commons Susquehanna River Basin Commission Dauphin County Conservation District Tetra Tech Elizabethtown Area Water Authority Tri-County Conewago Creek Association Elizabethtown College USDA Agriculture Research Service Lancaster County Conservation District USDA NRCS LandStudies, Inc. US Fish and Wildlife Service Lebanon County Conservation District US Geologic Survey Londonderry Township Viable Industries, LLC Lower Dauphin High School Wild Resources, Inc. Milton Hershey School ZedX, Inc. PA DEP Penn State Public Media Penn State University Conewago Creek Initiative Organizational Structure Project Advisory Team (PAT) Stewardship Envt’l Markets Monitoring Development BMP Team Non Ag Team Team Team Team Staff support provided by Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center • Project Coordinator (M. Royer) • Assistant Project Coordinator (K. Kyler) • Student Interns Conewago Initiative Our Approach Place People Practices Impact People • Over 100 residents engaged to create a vision for the watershed • CCDs: Letters to farmers, farmer meetings, farm surveys • Landowner survey (K. Brasier, PSU) People • Over 40 community events engaging 1,300 participants • 135 “Stream Team” volunteers trained, 3,400 youth involved • Website (conewagoinitiative.net), e-newsletter, Facebook Place • Communicating value of ecosystem services: Stories from the Conewago Place Place • Identifying environmental market opportunities (12 nutrient trading assessments) Practices Conservation Planning Practices BMP Implementation • Over 7,000 trees planted • 60 acres riparian buffers restored • 1,920 acres of conservation tillage • 183 acres of cover crops • 26,000 feet of fencing • 4,700 feet of stream bank restoration • 31,850 feet of terraces • 5,475 feet of diversions Practices BMP Implementation Rates Practices Stormwater Program • SW/urban assessment • Developed cost share program • 22 stormwater plans • 14 stormwater BMPs implemented Practices Municipal Outreach Program • Conservation Toolbox for Municipalities created • Londonderry Township: developed customized toolbox Impact • Comprehensive monitoring plan – 13 stations (2 USGS gage stations) – Water chemistry bimonthy – Macros every 3 years – Fish every 3 years Impact • Two USGS gage stations Impact • Visual assessments: “F.I.S.H.” Impact Impact • Visual assessments: Hershey Meadows Impact HM Fish Sampling Macroinvertebrate Sampling (IBI Scores) Visit us on the web at: www.conewagoinitiative.net Watch A Conewago Story at: www.conewagoinitiative.net Funding for the Conewago Creek Initiative provided by: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds, and our many Initiative partners .