During 2025, Three Rivers Waterkeeper spent 765 hours monitoring our waterways and took 476 water samples while analyzing 95 different water parameters across 78 different locations.
They also launched our continuous monitoring buoy on the Beaver River from April 2025 to November 2025 - providing long-term trends. These data are explored in their report.
"Our report delves into the different types of data we collect throughout the year. By looking at our waterways through the lens of different water quality parameters, we can see more about our region's waterways as a whole. Whether it's E.coli data, chloride data, PFAS data, or YSI data, our observations and data show that many of our creeks and streams are within healthy ranges, but some areas are particularly impacted by pollution, some of which is ongoing and some of which is legacy" explains Koa Reitz, Environmental Scientist at Three Rivers Waterkeeper.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper’s most popular water testing is Swim Guide Monitoring.
During 2025, Three Rivers Waterkeeper collected small snapshots of E. coli levels (unhealthy bacteria/sewage in the water) at 35 different sample sites collecting 235 samples over 21 weeks of testing.
The total pass rate for all sites was 32% and 0 sites passed all 21 weeks.
"One of the most common questions we get from community members is 'how healthy are our rivers?' We hope that by providing the community with data about the state of our rivers, people are able to make informed opinions about our waterways" said Jess Friss, Director of Community Programs at Three Rivers Waterkeeper.
The report highlights the biodiversity of our region as well with a focus on a special project, “What’s living in our Waterways” where they surveyed 6 local tributaries to create a pocket field guide and ArcGIS storymap. They found over 100 species during their surveys, including Great Blue Herons, salamanders, water snakes, and toads!
"Our region has such a history of extraction, degradation, and pollution, but our rivers and tributaries are resilient and can sustain diverse ecosystems, and our report highlights that" explained Koa Reitz.
Click Here for a copy of the report.
Visit the Three Rivers WaterKeeper website to learn more about their programs, initiatives, upcoming events and how you can get involved.
Related Articles This Week:
-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners Blog: Clean Water Conservation Projects Weather Heavy Storms In Lancaster County [PaEN]
-- Master Watershed Steward Volunteer John Dubel From Cameron County Appointed To DEP Statewide Water Resources Committee [PaEN]
-- Future Master Watershed Steward Club At York Academy Growing Next Generation Of Watershed Stewards - By Roni Reed, Master Watershed Steward & York Academy Regional Charter School Science Teacher [PaEN]
-- Penn State Researchers Seeking Volunteer Biosolids Workers To Help With Research On PFAS 'Forever Chemical' Exposure In Handling Biosolids [PaEN]
-- Delaware RiverKeeper: Presentations Available From 2026 Watershed Congress [Videos]
-- Help Wanted: Armstrong County Conservation District - AmeriCorps Environmental Stewardship Position [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader Guest Essay: Who We Become - After The Flood Water Recedes - By Brittany Stephenson, Luzerne County Councilmember
-- Inquirer Online Feature - Frank Kummer, Others: Join The Inquirer For A Ride Up The Delaware River - Islands In The Stream
[Posted: July 23, 2026] PA Environment Digest
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