Officials representing several Pennsylvania agencies on Tuesday highlighted watershed improvement work in Berks County along the east branch of the Conestoga River.
During a visit to Zeiset Farm in Caernarvon Township, they showcased work made possible by an investment of more than $430,000 in funding to support stream restoration, agricultural conservation practices and improvements in the Upper Conestoga Watershed.
The event coincided with Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.
The headwaters of the east branch of the Conestoga River are shown from a farm in Caernarvon Township. (Courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection)
Officials said the investment targeted more than 15 miles of streams in the watershed that were previously impaired due to nutrient and sediment runoff from agricultural activity and livestock access that have now been delisted, meaning they have been removed from the federal impaired waters list and restored for aquatic life use.
“What’s great for Pennsylvania is good for the Chesapeake Bay, and we know that comprehensive conservation can lead to restored waters,” said Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Through investments and targeted conservation work on the ground, we’re seeing real results — cleaner water, restored streams and healthier ecosystems that benefit communities across the commonwealth.”
Shirley said Doug and Michele Zeiset worked with several local, state and federal entities to implement a variety of conservation practices on their 170-acre dairy farm that included conservation planning, stormwater diversion, manure storage, prescribed grazing and streambank fencing to restrict livestock access to streams.
The project was completed over a four-year period using a combination of state and federal funding sources.