Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

The Alliance restores the lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Our collaborative and action-oriented approach delivers on-the-ground solutions, technical assistance, and builds capacity to achieve healthier lands and cleaner water.

Did you know that 75% of the 18 million people who call our watershed home rely on it for drinking water? 

We believe that everyone has a right to clean land and water. That's what drives us to carry out our mission with passion and an understanding that everything we do will make a difference today, tomorrow, and 100 years from now. 

In our 55th year, our team of passionate experts made tree-mendous progress across the watershed.

A Closer Look at A Few Recent Projects in Lancaster County

A Breath of Fresh Air for Noel Dorwart Park in East Hempfield Township

With help from the Alliance and volunteers, Noel Dorwart Park has received shade trees, stormwater practices, and soon, a native meadow. Situated along the Conestoga River in East Hempfield Township, the park is near the Blue Green Connector, a vibrant greenway which is also beautified by these installations.

Due to high deer populations and low soil quality, tree shelters and caging, and routine maintenance, are necessary. The park’s half-acre of meadow is slated to be seeded soon, which will provide habitat for pollinators and a brilliant show of floral fireworks in the coming years. 

This initial work is a great stepping stone for more, similar projects. By installing various best management practices in such a high-profile location, it normalizes the implementation of clean water projects and educates the public about what pollution reduction work looks like. Further projects in the Little Conestoga watershed are in the planning phases at this time, and Noel Dorwart Park serves as an example of successful watershed restoration and beautification!

Investigating Biodiversity on Pennsylvania Dairy Farms

In April 2026, the Alliance, in partnership with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and ALDI, launched a biodiversity pilot study to understand the impacts of riparian forest buffers on dairy farms. While water quality and climate benefits of on-farm best management practices (BMPs) are well established, data documenting the benefits of biodiversity on farms is limited.

Alliance staff visited farms with well-established forest buffers, farms with newly planted forest buffers, and farms with no riparian forest to study water temperature, PH levels, plant life, and animal life. 

By conducting this innovative study, the Alliance aims to use data from these three types of farms to better understand how riparian forest buffers improve biodiversity and the long-term sustainability and profitability of the farms we work with.

We invite you to make a lasting impact and invest in proven solutions to the Chesapeake Bay’s most pressing challenges. 

Your generosity accelerates the pace of conservation by expanding on-the-ground work across the watershed. Thank you for helping us grow our team of passionate experts to bring new solutions to the Bay’s problems and engage more of the people who live, work, and play in our Chesapeake communities.

• $75 - Help a farmer plant cover crops on 1 acre of pasture
• $125 - Plant 2 native trees
• $200 - Grow 5 native tree seedlings
• $500 - Keep 1000 lbs of sediment out of a stream
• $1000 - Install 40 square feet of permeable pavers
• $1,500 - Install one urban rain garden
• $4,000 - Install and maintain 1 acre of riparian forest buffer