Keep PA Beautiful Seeking Volunteers To Become PA Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter On Water Trails, Waterways

The goal of the Pennsylvania Waterway Steward Program is to engage Pennsylvania water trail users, outdoor and waterway enthusiasts, anglers and all who are concerned about the health and safety of our waterways, in community science to build long term stewardship of our water trails. 

You can help by volunteering to be a Waterway Steward and help to gather valuable data to tell the story about litter in our waterways.

Anglers, kayakers, bird watchers, water trail users, outdoor and waterway enthusiasts and all those who care about the health and safety of Pennsylvania’s waterways can apply.

Stewards are welcome to work in more than one water area. Concentrate on one spot or choose a different body of water each time, it's up to you!

You can--

-- Commit to being a community scientist and record data about litter on the waterways at least 2 times a year.

-- Collect litter using the provided waterway cleanup kit. Kits are available as supplies last.

-- Properly dispose of the litter when your waterway adventure is over.

-- Report your data and upload photos to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

-- Share your stories and tag us on social media. Don't forget to include photos of your new waterway kit in action!

DEP is using this data from this program to develop a monitoring protocol to determine stream impairment from trash as part of the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Limit) program.

Program partners include DEP-Coastal Zone Program, DCNR, Fish & Boat Commission, NOAA, Foundation For PA Watersheds, PA Environmental Council and PA Organization of Watersheds and Rivers.

Click Here to download a program flyer.

Click Here to apply and to learn more about the program.

Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 724-836-4121 ext. 113 or mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org. 

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, visit their YouTube Channel.

The 2025 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative is underway now!  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

Related Articles This Week - Watersheds:

-- Conventional Oil & Gas Well Owners Continue To Push DEP To Legalize Road Dumping Their Wastewater  [PaEN] 

-- Center For Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training Hosts May 27 Webinar On Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance Practices For Dirt & Gravel Roads  [PaEN]

-- Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership: Trees Across PA Will Thrive With Grants To Nine Partner Groups  [PaEN] 

-- Keep PA Beautiful Seeking Volunteers To Become PA Waterway Stewards To Reduce Litter On Water Trails, Waterways  [PaEN] 

-- House Hearing: Local Communities Ask For State, Federal Help After Devastating Floods  [PaEN]

-- Brandywine Conservancy, Partners Release Brandywine Flood Study Report [PaEN]

-- Susquehanna River Basin Commission Awards $6.1 Million To Support 17 Drought Resiliency Projects; 400+ Million Gallons Of Water Savings Expected Annually  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal - Jeremy Cox: Sediment Buildup Complicates Planned Dam Removal Along Chiques Creek In Lancaster County 

-- Chesapeake Bay Journal: Marginalized Communities In Chesapeake Bay Watershed Struggle To Overcome The Nature Gap-- Deficit In Green Spaces, Protected Land

-- TribLive: Clearer Waters Expected At Burrell Lake Following Last Year’s Algal Bloom In Westmoreland

[Posted: April 28, 2025]  PA Environment Digest