Water Quality and Management

Explore how concentrated flow pathways affect nutrient and pesticide movement through riparian buffers and discover practical strategies to improve water quality protection.

Due to strong public interest in the inaugural 2025 start and continued successful statewide collaboration, the PA Invasive Replace‑ive Program will return in 2026 with additional sites.

This article introduces the reader to dye pollution and how it impacts people, animals, and the environment around the world.

Thoughtful selection of streamside trees and shrubs can have the added bonus of producing fruit, nuts, berries, or woody florals for profit or personal enjoyment.

A video guide to affordable and easy stream bank restoration using branch cuttings called live stakes.

Growing Great Buffers is a series of short, helpful videos that describe step-by-step maintenance tasks needed for newly planted riparian buffers.

Tips for using the Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow Curriculum at fairs and community events when time is limited.

An interactive online atlas of statewide water resources and use trends to inform and educate Pennsylvanians on the sustainable use of our lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater.

Comprehensive Water Quality and Pesticide Stewardship Outreach lesson plan on water sources, pollution, and best management practices, including engaging groundwater recharge and pollution activity.

The following is a list of Middle School Level performance expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)*, which are addressed by Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow.

Rain to Drain: Slow the Flow is a hands-on stormwater education curriculum available from Penn State Extension Youth Water Resources and 4-H.

Results of a 2006 Penn State study on the condition of septic systems statewide, funded by a grant from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania.

Data centers are increasing in number and size across Pennsylvania placing increasing demands on the state's water resources.

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

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

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

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

Managing stormwater, reducing flooding, and improving water quality.

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.

Live stakes are an increasingly popular way to repair eroding streams on a budget. However, moving plants always comes with the risk of spreading pests and diseases.

A brief introduction and instructional guide to using live staking as an inexpensive and simple technique to restoring eroding stream banks.

Vegetated swales are contoured land areas or ditches covered in plants. They are designed to collect stormwater runoff and move it away from areas where it can't soak into the ground.