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If you get your water from a private well, spring, or cistern, keeping it safe is on you, and that includes keeping an eye on PFAS. On Thursday, July 16, Penn State Extension is hosting a free one-hour workshop in Uniontown to help private water supply owners understand these “forever chemicals,” how to test for them, and what to do if they turn up. Better still, everyone who qualifies goes home with a complimentary water test worth about $300. Event details The workshop is open to Pennsylvania residents who get their water from a private well, spring, or cistern. What you will cover A free…
Our partners at Three Rivers Waterkeeper have a full July lined up, and they have opened it to the whole H2O network. These events run through the lower reaches of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio, part of the same basin we all share, and there is something here for just about everyone: boat tours, a kayak trip, a tire cleanup, water sampling, and even a night of printmaking. If you have been meaning to get out on the water this summer, here is your chance. Here is the July lineup: You can register and find full details for all of these at 3rwk.org/events. These events…
The Spring 2026 Confluence brought the H2O Water Network together at Geneva College in Beaver Falls for a day built around three simple things: connecting, sharing, and learning. Folks came from across the Upper Ohio River Basin, and the program covered a lot of ground, from the nuts and bolts of delivering clean water to the long shadow of microplastics. Here is some of what stuck with us. The people keeping the taps running A panel discussion put the spotlight on the side of the water story that does not get told often enough: the utilities. Tracy Price from the Beaver Falls Municipal Authority and…
The Casselman River Watershed Association (CRWA) has two July events lined up, and they make a nice pair: a beginner-friendly float down one of the prettiest stretches of the Youghiogheny, and a potluck and annual meeting with the pool open. Here are the details. CRWA’s First Middle Yough Sojourn, July 11 On Saturday, July 11, CRWA is holding its very first Sojourn on the Middle Yough, the Class 1 (easy) section that is ideal for beginners. Plan on three to four hours on the water, and bring something to eat and drink if you would like. There is no charge to join, though donations are…
Our partners at the Jacobs Creek Watershed Association have two events on the calendar this summer, and both are good excuses to get outside and support clean water in the Laurel Highlands. One is a quiet evening on the water, the other a full-on celebration in a historic barn. Here is what is happening. Sunset Paddle at Acme Dam, July 10 First up, on Friday, July 10 from 7:30 to 9 p.m., JCWA is hosting a Sunset Paddle at Acme Dam in Chestnut Ridge Park. Picture a calm evening on the water as the sun drops behind the Laurel Highlands, fireflies coming out, and not…
September 15-17 Legacy mine drainage is one of the most stubborn water problems across the Upper Ohio River Basin, so a chance to build real expertise in treating it does not come around often. The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR) is bringing back its NTTP Passive Treatment Course this September, and the deadline to get on the list is June 30. The course runs September 15 to 17, 2026 at the Ramada Inn and Conference Center in State College, offered in partnership with the National Technical Training Program (NTTP) and the Pennsylvania DEP Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation. Space is tight: registration…
A quick but time-sensitive heads up for anyone who has been monitoring with Salt Watch this year. The deadline to get your data into the 2025-2026 Salt Watch Annual Report is July 1. If you have readings sitting in a notebook or on your phone, now is the time to upload them. It is easy to think of road salt as a winter problem, but it does not simply wash away when the snow melts. The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies has found that salt can linger in the environment for decades after it is applied, and summer droughts and low water levels often concentrate…
Some water problems announce themselves. Nitrate pollution is not one of them. You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it, but it is one of the most widespread threats to clean water in our region, and it is exactly the kind of problem that gets easier to tackle when more people are paying attention. That is the idea behind Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week, running July 26 to August 1, 2026. The week is organized by the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the national partners H2O has connected with, and we are proud to help spread the word across the Upper Ohio River…
If you have ever stood at the Point and wondered whether jumping in would be a great idea or a terrible one, you are not alone. That exact question made the rounds this spring when a newly drafted Steeler asked, on live television, whether it was safe to swim in Pittsburgh’s rivers or eat the fish he hoped to catch. The reaction said plenty: surprise, a few laughs, and not much certainty. Dan Bain, a member of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and an associate professor of geology and environmental science at the University of Pittsburgh, decided to give the question a real answer. His new…
Every two years, Pennsylvania is required to tell the EPA and the public how its waters are doing. That document is the Integrated Report, and the state just finalized its 2026 edition. To help our partners make sense of it, the H2O Water Network sat down with Dustin Shull of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, who leads the assessment section in the Bureau of Clean Water. He walked us through what the report is, how to use it, and how the data our partners collect ends up shaping it. If your work touches a stream, a lake, or a watershed anywhere in our region,…
One of our coalition partners is having a busy 2026. From new river access work to a 15,000 trout nursery operation to a fresh look at Coxes Creek, here is what the Casselman River Watershed Association has going on, and how you can be part of it. If you have ever launched a kayak in Somerset County or pulled a bass out of a quiet pool on a summer afternoon, you have the Casselman River Watershed Association (CRWA) to thank, whether you knew it or not. This all-volunteer group has spent decades protecting a river that locals treat as a backyard and a livelihood at…
A new Chicago Tribune investigation published May 31 takes a hard look at how plastic pellets and microplastics are piling up across the Great Lakes, and a good deal of the reporting lands close to home. The piece features Dr. Sherri Mason, the microplastics researcher who keynoted our Spring Confluence at Geneva College just days earlier, and it follows the plastic supply chain straight through western Pennsylvania and the Ohio River Valley. Inside the Tribune report The western PA connection Much of this story runs through our own backyard. The Tribune reports that Shell’s petrochemical plant in Beaver County, which opened in 2022, can produce…
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Clean water is not just an environmental issue. It is an economic one. A new fact sheet from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes the case clearly: protecting healthy watersheds delivers measurable, documented financial returns to communities, property owners, businesses, and governments across the country. For the Upper Ohio River Basin – a region where watershed health directly affects drinking water, flood risk, recreation, and quality of life for millions of people across western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia – the findings are directly relevant to our work. Here is what the research shows. Healthy Watersheds Lower the Cost of Drinking Water When forests,…
When Dr. Sherri Mason walks into a room, people pay attention. As one of the world’s leading researchers on microplastics in drinking water, she has spent years documenting something most of us would rather not think about – the tiny plastic particles that have made their way into our taps, our rivers, and our bodies. On May 29, she is coming to Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA to deliver the keynote address at H2O Water Network’s Spring Confluence 2026. And if you have not registered yet, this is your reason. Why Microplastics Matter Here The Upper Ohio River Basin is not immune to plastic…
If abandoned mine reclamation is part of your work, here is a meeting worth adding to your calendar. The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation – WPCAMR – is holding its quarterly board meeting on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 10 AM at the Clearfield Conservation District in Clearfield, PA. What Is on the Agenda? The meeting will cover programs and policies around abandoned mine reclamation, advocacy efforts, and updates on funding. Topics include: The latest news on infrastructure funding and other funding sources for AMD remediation An update from PA DEP on BAMR – the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation – programs This…
Mark your calendar. On May 29, 2026, H2O Water Network is bringing together water advocates, watershed groups, municipal water authorities, conservation districts, and community partners from across the Upper Ohio River Basin for one day at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA. It is called Spring Confluence 2026 – and it might be the most important water conversation happening in western Pennsylvania this year. What Is Spring Confluence? Confluence is the annual gathering of H2O Water Network’s 60+ partner organizations. It is where the people doing the work – the watershed coordinators, the municipal water operators, the conservation district staff, the researchers, the advocates –…
If your community is navigating the cost of Clean Water Act compliance – and in the Upper Ohio River Basin, many are – the EPA wants to hear from you. Two public stakeholder webinars are coming up fast, and they are worth your time. What Is the Financial Capability Assessment Guidance? The EPA’s Clean Water Act (CWA) Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) Guidance is a framework that helps determine what communities can reasonably afford when it comes to meeting Clean Water Act requirements – things like upgrading wastewater systems, reducing combined sewer overflows, or implementing stormwater programs. For smaller municipalities and lower-income communities across our region,…
Dr. Seuss’ Lorax said it plainly: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not.” The Oil City Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America has been proving that quote right for exactly 100 years. The H2O Water Network is proud to join in congratulating the Oil City Chapter on their centennial – 100 years of fighting for clean water, healthy habitat, and a thriving outdoor tradition in western Pennsylvania and beyond. A Century Rooted in Clean Water The Izaak Walton League was born in Chicago in 1922, when 54 hunters, anglers, and conservationists gathered out…
Nitrate pollution doesn’t get the headlines it deserves – but it’s one of the most widespread water quality problems affecting communities across the country, including right here in the Upper Ohio River Basin. The Izaak Walton League of America is working to change that, and they’re inviting organizations like H2O to help spread the word. Nitrate Pollution Awareness Week runs July 26 through August 1, and planning is already well underway. The week is designed to highlight where nitrate pollution comes from, what it does to our water and our health, and – most importantly – what people can do about it. What’s Happening During…
Safecast has mapped over 250 million radiation data points worldwide — including parts of our region. H2O partner Jon Detisch is encouraging watershed organizations to explore the map and take a short survey helping shape the next generation of open environmental monitoring tools.
Join the conversation on U.S. environmental health at NatureRecord.org. Share your insights for a greener future!
Mountain Watershed Association’s Direct Support Fund offers small grants — typically under $5,000 — to grassroots groups and advocates tackling environmental justice issues across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. If your work touches shale gas, coal, petrochemicals, or related community harms, this one’s worth a look. Who it’s built for: What it covers: What it doesn’t cover: household relief, operating expenses, attorney fees, political campaigns, or matching grant funds. Deadlines: Applications are reviewed the third Friday of every month. Submit at least one week before that date. Apply via PDF or Google Doc at MWA’s website. Questions? Reach MWA at DSF@mtwatershed.com or 724-455-4200, ext. 10.
Mountain Watershed Association is taking a closer look at the health of local waterways — and what they’re finding matters for all of us in the Upper Ohio River Basin.
Explore Pennsylvania’s water quality trends, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts for stream health and aquatic life restoration.
A Partner Highlight from the H2O Water Network Introduction by John Detisch, H2O Water Network One of the things I love most about the H2O Water Network is the chance to spotlight the incredible work happening across our partner organizations. Today I’m excited to share a story from John Wenzel and the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy — a story that connects river restoration, science, and those magical summer evenings we all remember. John Wenzel joined the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy (CVC) in 2022 as Executive Director. Based in Johnstown, PA, CVC oversees a strong water monitoring program spanning hundreds of sites across five counties, along with river-related…
it’s Salt Week—And Tonight You Can Learn How to Make a Difference Quick reminder: Salt Week is happening right now, and tonight we’re hosting a free webinar to help you get involved. Road salt keeps us safe in winter. But all that salt has to go somewhere—and most of it ends up in our streams, lakes, and groundwater. Over time, it adds up. And when salt levels get too high, it’s bad news for fish, wildlife, infrastructure, and even our drinking water. The good news? You can help track what’s happening in your community—and push for smarter salting practices. Join Us Tonight Salt Watch Webinar:…
Looking to learn something new about the natural world this year? The Clarion Conservation District has you covered. Thanks to a DEP Environmental Education Grant, they’re hosting a series of free programs running from January through June—covering everything from nature journaling to soil health to invasive species identification. And yes, participants get free stuff at every event. Here’s what’s on the calendar: January 22 | Noticing Nature: Winter Nature Journaling 5–6:30 PM at CCD Office, Clarion, PA Participants receive free journaling supplies. February 25 | Noticing Changes: Phenology Webinar 5–6:30 PM | Online Participants receive a free book on phenology. March 28 | Soil Health…
ZOOM LINK HERE: Salt Watch Webinar: Protecting Our Water From Winter Runoff 📅 Wednesday, January 28th | 7:00 PM💻 Free Online Event Join H2O Water Network, Izaak Walton League of America, and the Ohio Water Network to learn how you can monitor salt pollution in your community and advocate for smarter winter road practices. Winter arrived early this year. Before the calendar even flipped to December, snow was already piling up—and so was the salt. By mid-January, many municipalities across our region had already burned through a significant chunk of their road salt supplies just trying to keep up with the weather. It’s the kind of thing…
If you’ve been sitting on an idea for a trail, a park improvement, a river conservation effort, or an environmental education program—now’s the time to act. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has officially opened its annual Community Conservation Partnerships Program grant round. And this year, they’re giving applicants a little extra breathing room: the deadline has been extended by a full month. Applications are due by 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 30. What Kind of Projects Get Funded? The Community Conservation Partnerships Program supports a wide range of recreation and conservation work across Pennsylvania, including: Whether you’re a municipality, a nonprofit,…
