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Tim Schultheis of Latrobe works on his hook and bait while fishing in Mill Creek near a log jam formed during a period of flooding in April 2020. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association (LWA) recently was awarded a $233,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which will be used for stream improvements to Mill Creek and Four Mile Run in Ligonier and Cook townships.

Tim Schultheis of Latrobe works on his hook and bait while fishing in Mill Creek near a log jam formed during a period of flooding in April 2020. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association (LWA) recently was awarded a $233,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which will be used for stream improvements to Mill Creek and Four Mile Run in Ligonier and Cook townships.

The Loyalhanna Watershed Association (LWA) recently secured a $233,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Growing Greener Plus grant program, which will be used for a stream improvement project that will impact Mill Creek and Four Mile Run in Ligonier and Cook townships, both tributaries of the Loyalhanna Creek.

The DEP announced a total of $2,998,875 in funding Thursday for 12 projects in the state’s southwest region. The Growing Greener Plus program aids projects geared toward the restoration of impaired waters and the protection of waterways from nonpoint source pollution. Statewide, this year’s awards exceed $20 million.

Representatives from the DEP’s Southwest Regional Office, the LWA, and stakeholders visited sites along Mill Creek and Four Mile Run, highlighting how DEP partnerships and a watershed-based planning approach not only improve water quality and aquatic habitats, but also benefit the economy through waterway recreation and tourism.

“When you’re out here and can see the streambank erosion and sediment in the channel, the need is clear,” said DEP Southwest Regional Director Jim Miller. “We’re thrilled to highlight Loyalhanna Watershed Association’s approach to watershed restoration and support each of the fantastic projects funded this round.”

Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address critical environmental concerns. Entities eligible for Growing Greener grants can be watershed groups, local or county government, municipal authorities, county planning commissions, county conservation districts, councils of government, educational institutions, or non-profit organizations. Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed additional funding for new Growing Greener projects using existing funds available under the American Rescue Plan Act.

“Ninety-six percent of impaired watersheds in Pennsylvania are polluted because of nonpoint source pollution,” added Miller. “The problem comes from many different sources, but we need a collaborative approach along with state funding to make a lasting impact.”

Some of the primary activities that generate nonpoint source pollution include, abandoned mine drainage (AMD), urban and agricultural runoff, earthmoving, and stream hydromodification. The purpose of Growing Greener, Surface Mining Conservation and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) bond forfeiture, and AMD set-aside grants is to address nonpoint source pollution through local, watershed-based planning, restoration and protection efforts.

Other approved Growing Greener Plus projects in southwestern Pennsylvania announced Thursday include:

• Borough of Castle Shannon: Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) Plan Implementation, $108,000;

• Allegheny County Conservation District: Findlay Township Activity Center Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), $150,417;

• North Fayette Township: Pollutant Reduction Plan Implementation, $70,125;

• South Fayette Conservation Group: Fishing Run Diversion, $90,000;

• South Fayette Conservation Group: Gladden AMD Treatment Plant – Operation and Maintenance, $836,815.

• Cambria County Conservation District: Cambria County Chesapeake Bay Watershed Sediment and Nutrient Reduction Program in Cresson and White townships and Hastings and Northern Cambria boroughs, $580,916.

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Back Creek Stream Restoration Project in Saltlick Township, $30,891;

• Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: Spruell Pipe 2 and Acid Seep Remediation Project in Stewart Township, $368,539.

• Greene County Conservation District: Willis Farm Stream Stabilization and Fencing in Cumberland Township, $111,578.

• North Franklin Township: Streambank Restoration – Construction Phase, $262,500;

• Washington County Watershed Alliance – Ten Mile Creek Restoration Project in Morris Township, $156,094.

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