The visit showcased work made possible in part through DEP Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Funds and recognized Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week.
The project reflects the Shapiro Administration’s investment in agricultural conservation and stream restoration, which has helped restore stream health and improve aquatic life use conditions in the Upper Conestoga watershed.
The restored stream segment at the project site reflects the 2026 Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week theme: “Built by Nature, Protected Together.”
On June 10, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources also celebrated the naming of the Conestoga River as the Pennsylvania River of the Year. Read more here.
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 have 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 Bay, and we know that comprehensive conservation-- like those on the Zeiset family farm-- can lead to restored waters,” said Secretary Shirley. “Through DEP 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.”
Doug and Michele Zeiset worked with DEP, Berks County Conservation District, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and others to implement a variety of conservation practices on their 170-acre dairy farm, including conservation planning, stormwater diversion, roof runoff control, manure storage, animal heavy use area management, prescribed grazing, and streambank fencing with stream crossings to restrict livestock access to streams.
The project was completed over a four-year period using a combination of state and federal funding sources, including DEP CAP funds.
BCCD received $372,896 from DEP through the Water Quality Improvement Program along the Mariner East 2 Pipeline Corridor as part of a penalty settlement with Energy Transfer/Sunoco
It also received $20,000 from Stroud Water Research Center towards a buffer and Conservation Reserve and Enhancement Program cost shares and incentives, as well as $29,125 from DEP’s Chesapeake Bay County Action Plan Implementation Grant.
“Expanding on the ‘Built by Nature’ theme, projects like this one are also being built for nature,” said Executive Director Schaeffer. “Across Pennsylvania, these efforts are delivering measurable benefits for water quality and aquatic life, while strengthening the Chesapeake Bay watershed. When local water quality rebounds, fish return-- making meaningful and measurable differences for anglers, Pennsylvania waters, and the Bay as a whole.
The Upper Conestoga River watershed-- including the headwaters, East and West branches, and associated tributaries-- was previously on DEP’s impaired waters list because it did not meet aquatic life designated use for warm water fishes due to nutrient and sediment pollution, with agriculture identified as a primary source.
A 2005 total maximum daily load (TMDL), or pollution diet, identified phosphorus as a key stressor.
Since then, agricultural best management practices (BMPs) have been implemented throughout the watershed.
Combined with updated DEP water quality monitoring, approximately 15.16 miles of the stream were delisted (removed from the impaired waters list) in Pennsylvania’s 2024 Integrated Water Quality Report.
Click Here for the DEP announcement.
Visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed webpage to learn more about cleaning up rivers and streams in Pennsylvania's portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Click Here to sign up for regular updates on Pennsylvania’s progress.
How Clean Is Your Stream
DEP’s draft 2026 Water Quality Assessment includes a mapping tool that allows you to check on the status of water quality near you.
Click Here to check how clean your stream is.
(Photo: Headwaters of the east branch of the Conestoga River are shown from a farm in Caernarvon Township - Reading Eagle.)
Related Articles This Week:
-- Conestoga River Named PA River Of The Year: A River Once Associated With Pollution, Degradation, Now Source Of Community Enjoyment, Recreation [PaEN]
-- Conservation Efforts In Upper Conestoga River Watershed Highlighted In Berks County To Improve Water Quality In Chesapeake Bay [PaEN]
-- Foundation For Pennsylvania Watersheds Awards More Than $300,000 In Conservation Grants; Next Funding Opportunities [PaEN]
-- House Committee Moves Bills To Prohibit Road Dumping Contaminated Groundwater Released By Conventional Oil & Gas Well Drilling; Setting Minimum Standards For Power Plant Community Benefit Agreements; Encouraging Native Insect Habitats [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Reading Eagle: PA Invests More Than $430,000 To Improve Upper Conestoga River Watershed In Berks County
-- Indiana Gazette: Naturally: Blacklick Creek Watershed And Resilience
-- PennLive/LehighValleyLive: PFAS ‘Forever Chemical’ Contamination Widespread In Delaware River Basin, Study Finds: ‘Global Hotspot’
[Posted: June 10, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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