See All Watershed Protection and Restoration

Several Aquatic Invasive Species of particular concern in Pennsylvania are discussed, and their identifying characteristics reviewed.

Discover the Master Watershed Steward Program, empowering communities through conservation, environmental education, and community involvement. Join us today!

Penn State Extension has many resources for property owners, municipal staff, and anyone else who wants to learn more about building, planting, and maintaining rain gardens.

Stormwater can cause water pollution because it often contains harmful materials picked up when it washed across the land.

Have you ever wondered why your basement keeps flooding or your driveway is washing away? Stormwater could be damaging your property.

Want to control stormwater on your property? There are many different things you can do.

It is important to realize that activities on your property can adversely affect your neighbor's property, because water does not follow property boundaries

Does stormwater really affect me? Why should I care? Whether you live in a town, the country, a city, or the suburbs – when it rains, the water that runs off needs somewhere to go. Stormwater affects everyone!

While you may be familiar with the term, have you ever wondered what stormwater is?

Agricultural lands are increasingly identified as an important contributor of microplastics.

This large Pennsylvania salamander is an important inhabitant of our waterways.

Do you enjoy outdoor activities? Become a community scientist. First Investigation of Stream Health (FISH) monitors changes to local streams and their habitats.

Managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and improving water quality.

Summer camp for adults or a professional conference? The recent biannual Master Watershed Steward retreat held at the Penn State Greater Allegheny campus in McKeesport fit both descriptions.

Remember summertime maintenance of riparian buffer areas.

This article described how to plant and maintain a grass buffer around riparian areas for wildlife. Grass buffers do not replace forest buffers, but they can be used in areas where planting and maintaining a forest would not be possible.

Healthy streams typically don't follow the straight and narrow.

Discover the Master Watershed Steward Program, empowering communities through conservation, environmental education, and community involvement. Join us today!

Embeddedness is a complex word to describe a simple concept. Are the rocks, gravel, and boulders in the stream bed exposed? Or are they buried by sediment, surrounded by soils, and barely visible?

One of the many visual indicators you might use to assess the health of a stream is the amount of stream bank vegetation and other cover.

Monitoring our waterways is important for assessing stream conditions and water quality and using visual assessments is a low-tech way to evaluate stream health.

Microplastic pollution is not a new problem. However, in recent years, the public has become more aware, and scientists are studying the seriousness of the situation.

Chain of custody water testing is conducted to legally document water quality prior to a nearby activity or land use change. This article discusses how to find a state-accredited laboratory for this service.

Sediment is a stormwater pollutant made up of soil particles detached from the land by erosion and is Pennsylvania's largest surface water pollutant by volume.

This video explains the regulations pertaining to landowners in Pennsylvania about proper use of herbicides in aquatic settings.