Conowingo WIP Steering Committee Projects and Resources

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What's New?

In January 2024, the CWIP Steering Committee submitted their 2023/2024 milestones for CWIP implementation to EPA highlighting 2023 activities (see document below, under the "Tracking CWIP Progress" heading). Our January 2024 Progress Summary highlights progress made towards the Conowingo WIP through financing, pilot project development, fostering innovation, and more.

In addition, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) recently created an interactive story map showing the state of the Octoraro Creek Watershed, a small watershed in both Maryland and Pennsylvania. As established in the CWIP and our Implementation Framework, Octararo Creek is one of the Conowingo’s priority areas for smaller-scale watershed targeting. The story map uses video, images, maps, charts and more to tell the watershed’s tale through water quality monitoring data the Commission has collected over decades. View the story map to learn more about the implementation and monitoring efforts in the Octararo.

On October 23rd, 2023, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) held a webinar on the upcoming RFP for verified nutrient reductions and the pay for success program.

On September 6th, 2023, PA DEP held a webinar focused on the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan (CWIP). The presentation provided a brief overview of the CWIP, an update on the progress made toward the implementation milestones since the approval of the CWIP by the Principals Staff Committee in September 2021, and an overview of state-wide pay-for-performance financing efforts from MD and PA and other innovative initiatives. The recording and presentation slides are linked below:

The PENNVEST Clean Water Procurement Program, funded by the 2022-2023 Clean Streams Fund, is now closed as of September 1, 2023. The program will improve water quality in the Commonwealth through the purchase of verified nutrient (nitrogen/phosphorus) or sediment reduction resulting from the installation of Best Management Practices determined to be effective and practical to manage nutrient and sediment to protect surface water and groundwater.

In 2023, the SRBC Chesapeake Bay Watershed Region Freshwater Mussel Partnership, a voluntary affiliation of stakeholders drawn by our interest in freshwater mussels, was created to:

  • Advance and promote Conservation & Restoration; and,
  • Evaluate Water Quality best management practices (BMPs) to lessen excess nutrients and sediment in tributaries to the Bay.

In December 2022, the Steering Committee issued a Phase 1 Implementation Framework which shows the parties responsible for implementation of both the smaller-scale watershed implementation and the broader-scale state-wide implementation.

For more information about upcoming CWIP implementation funding opportunities, see the following handouts:

NOTE: All previous meeting materials, documents, and historical records can be accessed on the archived projects and resources page and the archived meetings page.

CWIP Steering Committee Correspondence with EPA