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Watershed Restoration

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Watershed Restoration: A Shared Public and Private Investment

Stroud Water Research Center works hand in hand with landowners, helping them use their land more effectively through whole-farm planning and watershed stewardship. In return for our program services, landowners are asked to install forested buffers on streams on their properties and to allow us ongoing access to their sites to gather the scientific data from these efforts.

Our expert team sets up the collaborations and partnerships necessary to achieve the highest level of freshwater conservation. The Stroud Center and many partner groups and agencies have secured over $20 million dollars through USDA’s Resource Conservation Partnership Program to support agriculture conservation and restoration projects on farms in the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay watersheds.

Archival photo of Robin L. Vannote, Ph.D., working at an indoor stream flume.The Robin L. Vannote Watershed Restoration Program is named for Robin Vannote, Ph.D., a research scientist and the Stroud Center’s first director. Under Vannote’s leadership, the Stroud Center evolved from a dream to an institution at the forefront of freshwater research. The Stroud Center has benefited enormously from Vannote’s hard work, keen insight, and long-term scientific vision since 1966, and the naming of the Watershed Restoration Program is a fitting tribute.

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Watershed Restoration Staff

Photo of Lisa Blazure

Lisa Blazure

Soil Health Coordinator
Rebecca Duczkowski

Rebecca Duczkowski

Assistant Director of Donor Relations and Watershed Restoration Assistant
Matthew Ehrhart

Matthew Ehrhart

Director of Watershed Restoration
Lamonte Garber

Lamonte Garber

Watershed Restoration Coordinator
Headshot of David Wise.

David Wise

Watershed Restoration Manager
Calen Wylie

Calen Wylie

Watershed Restoration Program Assistant

Watershed Restoration News

Scientists Explore the Power of Hemp and Better Farming Methods to Build Healthy Soils and Protect Clean Water
Scientists Explore the Power of Hemp and Better Farming Methods to Build Healthy Soils and Protect Clean Water
Two recent field days gave us an opportunity to present updates on research projects examining the connection between farming methods, healthy soils, and clean fresh water.
John Young and Lamonte Garber take stock of a three-acre riparian buffer planted on the Young farm.
A Riparian Buffer Takes Root in Lancaster County
Maintenance is critical to the survival of riparian buffers. We visited John Young on a buffer maintenance day, checking in on the trees, the weeds, and the birds.
A woman carries tree shelters as she helps maintain a streamside forest buffer.
Doing Good Better: Refining Buffer Restoration Methods
The goal of improving the survival and growth of trees has persisted through decades of research. Yet, with every new advance, new questions arise.
Sunset over a farm field.
Your Land and Legacy: Resources for Agricultural Landowners
Learn how non-operating agricultural landowners can plan and coordinate better with farm operators to enhance soil health, soil and water conservation, and crop productivity.
Brian and Lynette Saunder at the fence that keeps their cattle away from the newly planted buffer.
Lancaster Farm Buffers Its Effect on Chesapeake Bay
“God blessed us with this land, and we want to do our little part in conserving it and just making it a better place for everyone,” Lynette Sauder said.
2021 Lancaster Water Week webinar video
The Food, Farming, and Water Connection
Find out how you can make choices that support local organic and regenerative farmers who are dedicated to healthy food, healthy land, and clean water.

Watershed Restoration Projects

Targeted Agricultural Best Management Practices and Forested Buffers for Chester County Focus Areas

This project implements agricultural best management practices (BMPs) and forested buffers on farms, which includes stormwater-runoff controls for barnyards and Read more

Targeted Agricultural Best Management Practices and Forested Buffers

In targeted portions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Lancaster and Chester counties, Pa., the project implements whole-farm systems of Read more

Stroud Water Research Center/Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Forested Buffer Partnership

This project restores 30 acres of forested buffer in the west branch of Red Clay Creek and includes care after Read more

Stroud Water Research Center/Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Buffer Collaborative

This project installs nearly 80 acres of forested buffers and demonstrates the income potential from buffers for fruits, nuts, and Read more

South Central Pennsylvania Conservation Partnerships

This project helps about two dozen farms in Lancaster and Chester counties to install nearly 200 agricultural best management practices, Read more

Soil Health and Stream Health for Red and White Clay Creeks

This project engages two farmers to implement more than 1,000 acres of cover crops, conduct trials of eight or more Read more