Programs of the Susquehanna County Conservation District

District Programs

Erosion and Sedimentation Pollution Control
Waterway and Wetland Protection
Nutrient Management
Chesapeake Bay Program
Dirt and Gravel Roads Pollution Prevention
No-Till Program
Watershed Association Development
Agricultural Land Preservation

The Susquehanna Conservation District prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status. The Susquehanna Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer.

Erosion and Sediment Control

The district is delegated by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection to conduct the Chapter 102 (Clean Streams Law) and Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management) programs. The district continues to provide education and outreach through the annual Contractor's Workshop. Two E&S program specialists respond to individual requests for information and technical assistance.

Under the Chapter 102 program, the district reviews erosion and sediment control plans. All earth disturbance activities are required to use Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to control erosion and sedimentation. Construction sites that disturb more than 5000 square feet of earth are required to have a written erosion and sediment control plan on site.

Included in the responsibilities of the Chapter 102 program is the National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) program. Earth disturbance activities of more than one acre may require an NPDES permit. District responsibilities under this program are to review NPDES permit applications for construction sites.

Waterway and Wetland Protection

Chapter 105 Permits are typically required when work is done in or near Waters of the Commonwealth. Under the Chapter 105 program, the district acknowledges the following general permits:

GP 1 - Fish Habitat Enhancement Structures
GP 2 - Small Docks and Boat Launching Ramps
GP 3 - Bank Rehabilitation, Bank Protection and Gravel Bar Removal
GP 4 - Intake and Outfall Structures
GP 5 - Utility Line Stream Crossings
GP 6 - Agricultural Crossings and Ramps
GP 7 - Minor Road Crossings
GP 8 - Temporary Road Crossings
GP 9 - Agricultural Activities
Applications are available at the district office or online.

While the district does not process permits for non-coal mining (quarry) operations, applications are available at the district office. [Return to top]

Nutrient Management

Pennsylvania's ACT 6 requires nutrient management plans for concentrated animal operations and encourages the development of nutrient management plans for all operations. The District has a technician on staff that can assist with developing plans and selecting a private plan writer. These plans are renewed and approved as per state regulations.

A nutrient management plan utilizes information about the nutrients applied to and taken from the land supporting the operation. This information includes data obtained from soil testing, soil type, acreage in use, slope of the land, average rainfall, crops being harvested, amount of manure applied, etc. The knowledge of nutrient flow into and out of the land can be useful in getting the most value from the land while reducing water pollution from excess nutrient loss into streams, ponds, or by leaching into the water table. A Nutrient Management Plan can also be useful in making land use decisions such as manure spreader calibration, fertilizer calculations, and Best Management Practices to reduce nutrient run-off to streams and ponds. [Return to top]

Chesapeake Bay Program

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a cooperative effort involving all of the jurisdictions in the Chesapeake watershed in the goal of reducing nutrient and sediment pollution and removing the Chesapeake Bay from the federal Clean Water Act’s list of impaired waters by 2010. Pennsylvania is critical in this effort as fifty percent of the fresh water to the Chesapeake Bay flows from the Susquehanna River. The Chesapeake Bay 2000 agreement is a multi-state and federal partnership to clean up and restore the Chesapeake Bay. The new agreement includes the goal of developing locally supported watershed management plans in two-thirds of the bay watershed by addressing the conservation of stream corridors, riparian forest buffers and wetlands.

The Chesapeake Bay Program partners developed and agreed to new water quality criteria and new nutrient and sediment reduction goals in 2003 which led to the development of the revised Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Tributary Strategies now in effect. The new Strategies utilize a “bottom-up” approach, sub-allocating cap loads to smaller tributaries and delegating funds available for non-point pollution control and habitat restoration goals accordingly.

Since 2005, as part of the new DEP Tributary Strategy, each county has been required to develop a County Implementation Plan which redirects the goals and efforts toward Best Management Practices that are lower in cost and easier to design and install. This allows the Conservation District to work with many more landowners on smaller practices than the old method of working on a few large projects and not being able to provide assistance to very many landowners.
The Susquehanna Bay Program has completed 35 landowner contracts with $950,000 in cost share money provided by DEP. Landowners provided another 20% or more of the cost of Best Management Practices. The majority of the projects have involved barnyards and related BMP’s.
[Return to top]

Dirt and Gravel Roads Pollution Prevention

This program seeks to improve local water quality by reducing sediment loss from local dirt and gravel roads. Local municipalities may apply for funds for road projects and are encouraged to adopt methods for managing dirt and gravel roads that reduce erosion. To learn more about the various techniques, including information on the aggregate recommended for this program, visit the Dirt and Gravel Roads Website. [Return to top]

No-Till Program

The district's No-Till Program seeks to reduce soil losses from cultivated cropland through minimal disturbance of crop fields. Residue from the previous year's crop is left in place over the winter season. Crops are planted with specialized equipment. The district has available for rent two no-till corn planters and two no-till seeders. Our No-Till program specialist delivers the equipment to your farm, assists in setting up the planter and returns to move the equipment to the next operation. Call 278-4600, ext. 282 for more information [Return to top]

Watershed Association Development

The Conservation District supports watershed association development and projects with organizational and technical assistance provided by the Watershed Specialist and other District staff. Watershed Associations invite members of a community to work together to solve or repair complex issues within their waterways and watersheds. Currently there are seven active watershed associations in Susquehanna County. They are the Choconut Creek, Martins Creek, Northern Susquehanna River, Snake Creek, Upper Tunkhannock Creek, Little Meadows Area and Wyalusing Creek Watershed Associations.

Choconut Creek Watershed Association has been active in education and restoration projects since 2000. They have finished a restoration project on Choconut Creek that was paid for by a County Initiative Growing Greener Grant through DEP.

The Northern Susquehanna River Watershed Association is a new group that was formed in 2004. They utilized their Start-Up grant funded through a DEP Growing Greener Grant and also carried out two stream restoration projects funded by a County Initiative Growing Greener Grant. They currently are working on a stream restoration project on DuBois Creek that was identified as an area of concern from a stream assessment that they did in 2009-2010.

The Little Meadows Area Watershed Association is the newest Watershed association having been formed in 2011.

For more information on what Watershed Association you may live within and how you can help, call the Conservation District Watershed Specialist at 278-4600 x 281.

For more information on watersheds, visit these web sites:
PA Department of Environmental Protection
Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers
"POWR is dedicated to the protection, sound management and enhancement of the Commonwealth's rivers and watersheds and to the empowerment of local organizations with the same commitment."
[Return to top]

Agricultural Land Preservation

Pennsylvania leads the nation in total number of farms and total number of acres preserved for agriculture. The program was developed to strengthen Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy and to protect prime farmland from being lost. The Farmland Preservation Easement Purchase Program enables state and county governments to purchase conservation easements through a joint fund.

The Susquehanna County Agricultural Land Preservation Easement Purchase Program is administered by the Susquehanna County Conservation District.

The State Agricultural Land Preservation Board has established minimum requirements which farms must meet to be eligible for the easement purchase program.

The farmland tract must:

be located in an Agricultural Security Area
be contiguous acreage of at least 50 acres
contain at least 50% soils of a capability class I-IV as defined by USDA-NRCS
have at least 50% of the property’s total acreage in current use as harvested cropland, pasture, or grazing land.

The application period is between November 15 and January 15 .
For further information contact Jim Garner – 570-278-4600 ext 283.
[Return to top]



> Home > Calendar > What's New > Projects > About Us > Directors > Staff > FAQ's > Programs > Links > Permit Applications > Education > Grants > Directions	District Programs Erosion and Sedimentation Pollution Control Waterway and Wetland Protection Nutrient Management Chesapeake Bay Program Dirt and Gravel Roads Pollution Prevention No-Till Program Watershed Association Development Agricultural Land Preservation The Susquehanna Conservation District prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or familial status. The Susquehanna Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer. Contact us at soil@susqco.com Erosion and Sediment Control The district is delegated by the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection to conduct the Chapter 102 (Clean Streams Law) and Chapter 105 (Dam Safety and Waterway Management) programs. The district continues to provide education and outreach through the annual Contractor's Workshop. Two E&S program specialists respond to individual requests for information and technical assistance. Under the Chapter 102 program, the district reviews erosion and sediment control plans. All earth disturbance activities are required to use Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to control erosion and sedimentation. Construction sites that disturb more than 5000 square feet of earth are required to have a written erosion and sediment control plan on site. Included in the responsibilities of the Chapter 102 program is the National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) program. Earth disturbance activities of more than one acre may require an NPDES permit. District responsibilities under this program are to review NPDES permit applications for construction sites. Waterway and Wetland Protection Chapter 105 Permits are typically required when work is done in or near Waters of the Commonwealth. Under the Chapter 105 program, the district acknowledges the following general permits: GP 1 - Fish Habitat Enhancement Structures GP 2 - Small Docks and Boat Launching Ramps GP 3 - Bank Rehabilitation, Bank Protection and Gravel Bar Removal GP 4 - Intake and Outfall Structures GP 5 - Utility Line Stream Crossings GP 6 - Agricultural Crossings and Ramps GP 7 - Minor Road Crossings GP 8 - Temporary Road Crossings GP 9 - Agricultural Activities Applications are available at the district office or online. While the district does not process permits for non-coal mining (quarry) operations, applications are available at the district office. [Return to top] Nutrient Management Pennsylvania's ACT 6 requires nutrient management plans for concentrated animal operations and encourages the development of nutrient management plans for all operations. The District has a technician on staff that can assist with developing plans and selecting a private plan writer. These plans are renewed and approved as per state regulations. A nutrient management plan utilizes information about the nutrients applied to and taken from the land supporting the operation. This information includes data obtained from soil testing, soil type, acreage in use, slope of the land, average rainfall, crops being harvested, amount of manure applied, etc. The knowledge of nutrient flow into and out of the land can be useful in getting the most value from the land while reducing water pollution from excess nutrient loss into streams, ponds, or by leaching into the water table. A Nutrient Management Plan can also be useful in making land use decisions such as manure spreader calibration, fertilizer calculations, and Best Management Practices to reduce nutrient run-off to streams and ponds. [Return to top] Chesapeake Bay Program The Chesapeake Bay Program is a cooperative effort involving all of the jurisdictions in the Chesapeake watershed in the goal of reducing nutrient and sediment pollution and removing the Chesapeake Bay from the federal Clean Water Act’s list of impaired waters by 2010. Pennsylvania is critical in this effort as fifty percent of the fresh water to the Chesapeake Bay flows from the Susquehanna River. The Chesapeake Bay 2000 agreement is a multi-state and federal partnership to clean up and restore the Chesapeake Bay. The new agreement includes the goal of developing locally supported watershed management plans in two-thirds of the bay watershed by addressing the conservation of stream corridors, riparian forest buffers and wetlands. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners developed and agreed to new water quality criteria and new nutrient and sediment reduction goals in 2003 which led to the development of the revised Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Tributary Strategies now in effect. The new Strategies utilize a “bottom-up” approach, sub-allocating cap loads to smaller tributaries and delegating funds available for non-point pollution control and habitat restoration goals accordingly. Since 2005, as part of the new DEP Tributary Strategy, each county has been required to develop a County Implementation Plan which redirects the goals and efforts toward Best Management Practices that are lower in cost and easier to design and install. This allows the Conservation District to work with many more landowners on smaller practices than the old method of working on a few large projects and not being able to provide assistance to very many landowners. The Susquehanna Bay Program has completed 35 landowner contracts with $950,000 in cost share money provided by DEP. Landowners provided another 20% or more of the cost of Best Management Practices. The majority of the projects have involved barnyards and related BMP’s. [Return to top] Dirt and Gravel Roads Pollution Prevention This program seeks to improve local water quality by reducing sediment loss from local dirt and gravel roads. Local municipalities may apply for funds for road projects and are encouraged to adopt methods for managing dirt and gravel roads that reduce erosion. To learn more about the various techniques, including information on the aggregate recommended for this program, visit the Dirt and Gravel Roads Website. [Return to top] No-Till Program The district's No-Till Program seeks to reduce soil losses from cultivated cropland through minimal disturbance of crop fields. Residue from the previous year's crop is left in place over the winter season. Crops are planted with specialized equipment. The district has available for rent two no-till corn planters and two no-till seeders. Our No-Till program specialist delivers the equipment to your farm, assists in setting up the planter and returns to move the equipment to the next operation. Call 278-4600, ext. 282 for more information [Return to top] Watershed Association Development The Conservation District supports watershed association development and projects with organizational and technical assistance provided by the Watershed Specialist and other District staff. Watershed Associations invite members of a community to work together to solve or repair complex issues within their waterways and watersheds. Currently there are seven active watershed associations in Susquehanna County. They are the Choconut Creek, Martins Creek, Northern Susquehanna River, Snake Creek, Upper Tunkhannock Creek, Little Meadows Area and Wyalusing Creek Watershed Associations. Choconut Creek Watershed Association has been active in education and restoration projects since 2000. They have finished a restoration project on Choconut Creek that was paid for by a County Initiative Growing Greener Grant through DEP. The Northern Susquehanna River Watershed Association is a new group that was formed in 2004. They utilized their Start-Up grant funded through a DEP Growing Greener Grant and also carried out two stream restoration projects funded by a County Initiative Growing Greener Grant. They currently are working on a stream restoration project on DuBois Creek that was identified as an area of concern from a stream assessment that they did in 2009-2010. The Little Meadows Area Watershed Association is the newest Watershed association having been formed in 2011. For more information on what Watershed Association you may live within and how you can help, call the Conservation District Watershed Specialist at 278-4600 x 281. For more information on watersheds, visit these web sites: PA Department of Environmental Protection Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers "POWR is dedicated to the protection, sound management and enhancement of the Commonwealth's rivers and watersheds and to the empowerment of local organizations with the same commitment." [Return to top] Agricultural Land Preservation Pennsylvania leads the nation in total number of farms and total number of acres preserved for agriculture. The program was developed to strengthen Pennsylvania’s agricultural economy and to protect prime farmland from being lost. The Farmland Preservation Easement Purchase Program enables state and county governments to purchase conservation easements through a joint fund. The Susquehanna County Agricultural Land Preservation Easement Purchase Program is administered by the Susquehanna County Conservation District. The State Agricultural Land Preservation Board has established minimum requirements which farms must meet to be eligible for the easement purchase program. The farmland tract must: be located in an Agricultural Security Area be contiguous acreage of at least 50 acres contain at least 50% soils of a capability class I-IV as defined by USDA-NRCS have at least 50% of the property’s total acreage in current use as harvested cropland, pasture, or grazing land. The application period is between November 15 and January 15 . For further information contact Jim Garner – 570-278-4600 ext 283. [Return to top]