Educational Tools

Produced over the years by various sources, these tell the story of why watersheds are important to maintain.

Watershed Educational Publications

Community Watershed Associations: A Valuable Resource for PA  PDF — (A workbook for environmental activists who want to raise more money!)
Backyard Conservation Booklet PDF  — (A residential guide for landowner on how to maintain a healthy lawn while also protecting water quality)
Fence ‘Em Out Brochure  PDF — (A simple guide on streambank fencing options)
Riparian Buffer Brochure for Landowners  PDF — (A Virginia’s organizations effort to promote streamside buffers in their community)
Riparian Buffers: More than Meets the Eye PDF — (A brochure all about the benefits of riparian buffers, how to establish a buffer, and what some native plant options look like)
Lancaster County Watershed Basics Educational Booklet  PDF — (An educational overview of Lancaster County’s Watersheds)
Stormwater & Floodplains Educational Booklet  PDF — (An educational guide on what stormwater and floodplains are and ways to reduce stormwater locally)
Water Conservation Ideas That Protect Our Watersheds Educational Booklet  PDF — (How residents and save water both inside and outside their homes)
The Chesapeake Bay In Lancaster County Educational Booklet  PDF — (An educational overview of the Chesapeake Bay and what Lancaster County residents can do to improve its water quality)
Watershed Educational Bookmark  PDF — (Educational bookmark for kids and adults on ways to protect local water quality)
The Effects of Special Protection Designation  PDF — ( A booklet that describes the effects when a stream or waterbody has special protection designation attached to it what this means)
Adopt-A-Buffer Toolkit  PDF — (Long term monitoring & maintenance techniques of restoration projects)
Native Plant Species for Stormwater Basins  PDF — (A short list of native species that could be planted in stormwater basins and green infrastructure projects)
Stormwater Best Management Practices for Smart Growth  PDF — (An EPA booklet discussing ways to conduct stormwater management BMP’s into Smart Growth developments)
The Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Booklet  PDF — (This guide walks resident through creating a simple stormwater plan for their property and ways to implement some simple stormwater best management practices in the process)

Watershed Educational Presentations

Chesapeake Bay TMDL Forum Presentation  PDF — (Presentation on what the TMDL for the Chesapeake Bay is and what it means for Lancaster County) 
Chesapeake Bay  PDF — (Presentation on what the TMDL for the Chesapeake Bay is and what it means for Lancaster County) 
Fixing A Broken Stream  PDF — (A stream restoration story of a local stream in Lancaster County )
Benefits and Establishment of Riparian Buffers  PDF — (Presentation on what the TMDL for the Chesapeake Bay is and what it means for Lancaster County) 
Water Conservation Concepts  PDF — ( A presentation on watershed basics, nonpoint source pollution, rain barrels, rain gardens, and so much more)
Nutrient Trading  PDF — (Everything you ever wanted to know about nutrient trading in Pennsylvania and Lancaster County) 
Total Maximum Daily Loads  PDF — (A program that goes into what TMDL’s are and some of the terms and implications of them in a watershed) 
General Permits  PDF — (Presentation on the State’s Chapter 105 program and General Permits for stream encroachment activities) 
Streambank Fencing  PDF — (Program put together by two former large animal veterinarians on the value of streambank fencing livestock out of streams) 
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)  PDF — (Talks about what the CREP program is and how it works in Pennsylvania) 
Farm Conservation Plans  PDF — (Good overview on what Farm Conservation Plans are and why they are needed) 
Stream Visual Habitat Assessment  PDF — (An in-depth overview on how to conduct a DEP stream habitat visual assessment) 
Macroinvertebrates  PDF — (Presentation on macroinvertebrates found in streams and what they mean relating to water quality ) 
Bog Turtles  PDF — (Program on the life, habitat, and history of the endangered bog turtle) 
Legacy Sediment  PDF — (A story of what legacy sediments are, how they form and how to remove them for better water quality) 
Creating a Study Design Water Monitoring Plan  PDF — (A presentation on how to create a successful water monitoring study design program) 
Better Site Design for Stormwater Control in Lancaster County  PDF — (A story of how to use better site design concepts in new development) 
Designing a Backyard Rain Garden  PDF — (A program form Lebanon Conservation district on creating a rain garden in your backyard) 

Macroinvertebrate Data Sheet PDF — (A worksheet to complete alongside an in-stream macroinvertebrate study, to determine the stream’s overall health rating)