- Sep 4

20 Years of Streamside Conservation  

By Jennifer Dombroskie & Jill Barskey

ClearWater Conservancy’s Riparian Conservation program was established in 2004 with the goal of improving the health of our region’s streams for humans and wildlife. For 20 years, ClearWater has planted trees, shrubs, and meadows along streams to reforest the riparian zone and improve water quality.

A forested streamside, or riparian buffer, provides habitat for birds and other wildlife, area for flood waters to dissipate energy, tree roots to stabilize the streambanks limiting erosion, and shade over the water, minimizing temperature fluctuations even as the air temperature changes. The twigs, leaves, seeds, and branches that fall into the water supply nutrients and food for insects and aquatic life. Cooler water temperatures maintain higher levels of dissolved oxygen, sustaining sensitive aquatic species. These are all goals of riparian conservation, but it takes time to grow into this mature streamside environment.

Throughout the years, the program has grown from volunteer tree plantings to using contractors who plant larger stock trees.  Our first buffer projects were planted with small, conservation grade trees that needed the help of tree tubes to grow and prevent deer damage. More recently, our projects have utilized larger stock trees, which are grown in air-pruned pots so that the tree develops a more robust root system. These trees have grown from 5-6 feet when planted to 25-30 feet in 5 years. Not only does the stream reap all the benefits of a forested buffer much sooner, but we can reduce our plastic use by using fewer tree tubes.

How far have we come in 20 years? 

26 miles of streamside forested buffers installed 
235 acres planted on 68 properties 
2 dam removals 
Countless hours of volunteers planting trees, removing invasive plants, and stewarding growing trees

In 2017, ClearWater’s Conservation team devised the Slab Cabin Run Initiative, which aimed to raise nearly $3 million to place conservation easements on 300 acres of land within the State College Borough Water Authority’s Source Water Protection Program’s Area. The initiative also included reforesting 30 acres of streamside forest to improve water quality in Slab Cabin Run.

With strong support from the community, this goal was met in 2017, and now this land in the source water protection zone is protected from future development. However, the work does not stop there. ClearWater is continuously working with partners, staff, and community members to plan how to effectively protect water resources, forested land, and agricultural areas throughout Central Pennsylvania.

With goals being set by partners in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to improve water quality and limit the input of non-point source pollutants into the bay, the call to plant streamside forests has increased over the years. In 2017, DCNR launched funding for multifunctional riparian buffers to encourage more landowners to plant trees along their streams.

A typical riparian buffer includes native trees and shrubs along streams. A multifunctional riparian buffer expands the opportunities for types of plantings, including a meadow zone that can be planted with harvestable grasses, such as switchgrass, which can be sold as fill for filter socks or planting fruits, nuts, and berries that can be sold at their local market or for personal consumption.

While some landowners may feel they are losing farming land, the Riparian Conservation team works to demonstrate the numerous benefits of gaining a forest. The team is dedicated to working with landowners of all types to find a streamside buffer that meets their needs.

ClearWater’s Riparian Conservation Program is at the forefront of water conservation working alongside organizations such as Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Chesapeake Conservancy, Centre County Conservation District, USFWS, Trout Unlimited, Spring Creek Watershed Commission, and many more. Restoring, implementing, and stewarding riparian areas is not an easy task.

It takes the cooperation of many to get the work done. It takes the collaboration of our community supporters and volunteers. It takes one person wanting to make a difference. We are grateful that we have been able to make a positive impact on our water resources for 20 years and are excited to see what we can accomplish in the next two decades.

If you own an unforested streamside property in the Centre Region and would like a forested buffer, please reach out to our riparian team at Jen@clearwaterconservancy.org or Jill@clearwaterconservancy.org .

Even if you don’t own waterfront property, you can still be part of the solution! Adding native plants and trees to your landscaping provides food and habitat for insects, birds, and animals. Do you know that more than 500 species of caterpillars use native oak trees as a host and caterpillars are the perfect bird baby food? Check out DCNR’s native plant resources or the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s plant finder for more information.

Buffer Project Highlights

ClearWater’s Community Conservation Center – Spring Creek. Installed 2004. Expanded in fall 2024.