The Restoration Fund

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund

The Schuylkill Action Network, in collaboration with Schuylkill River Greenways, hosted the 2023 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Bus Tour on September 8th.  Attendees were introduced to two recent Berks County projects that were funded in part by the SRRF.

The first, Willow Run Farm, is a dairy farm operated by 3rd generation farmer, Steve Miller.  Preserved by the Berks County Department of Agriculture, the farm encompasses two small creeks that flow into the larger Manatawny Creek and eventually the Schuylkill River.  Agricultural runoff, caused by the large amount of manure produced daily by even a relatively small herd of cows can wreak havoc on the local creeks and the watershed as a whole.  with help from USDA NRCS and financial support from the SRRF, Berks Nature implemented a rand of solutions including the installation of streambank fencing and animal crossings and the establishment of improved waste management facilities.

The second stop on the Restoration Fund tour took the group to Pine Creek.  Here, the Berks County Conservation District, the Pine Creek Valley Watershed Association and the private landowners worked together to address the streambank erosion caused by extreme storms and flooding.  Bioengineering techniques using local materials like root wads and native rock boulders were implemented to restore the ecological integrity and natural beauty of the stream, which has earned the designation of being an Exceptional Value stream.

RESTORATION GRANT STATISTICS

• Over $5,000,000 in project funding since its inception in 2006

• 136 projects funded; 121 completed to date

• 11 abandoned mine drainage projects completed

• Agricultural improvements completed on over 40 Farms in Berks, Montgomery, and Lehigh Counties

Over 2,000 acres of high priority lands permanently preserved within the Schuylkill River Watershed

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund provides grants to government agencies and non-profit organizations for projects that improve the quality of water in the watershed. The grants focus on three major sources of pollution: stormwater run-off, agricultural pollution and abandoned mine drainage.

The annual grant program begins each year in January with funding typically being awarded in May or June.  The goal of the Restoration Fund is to support projects in the Schuylkill River watershed that are consistent with restoration and water management goals for the entire basin. Any questions about the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund or the grant submission process should be directed to Tim Fenchel at tfenchel@schuylkillriver.org.

The fund was created in 2006 through a unique public/private partnership between Exelon Nuclear, the Delaware River Basin Commission and the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area. Since being established in 2006, the fund has distributed more than $4.6 million–and leveraged another $5 million–for 121 projects that protect and restore the Schuylkill River.

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund is the result of a unique public/private partnership. Funders include Constellation’s Limerick Generating Station, the Philadelphia Water Department, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, and Aqua PA. A number of partners oversee the fund and its projects. The grants are administered by the Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area, which is managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association. All grant recipients are carefully selected by an advisory committee consisting of:

• Constellation
• Delaware River Basin Commission
• Philadelphia Water Department
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
• Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area
• Schuylkill Action Network

The Schuylkill River Restoration Fund is funded through public/private partnerships and relies on donations from numerous organizations and individuals. Click here to donate to the fund.