Over 20 Acres of Riparian Buffer Planted!

We are thrilled to announce the successful completion of our riparian buffer planting project, made possible through funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Over the past two years, Safe Water Conservation Collaborative partners worked together to plant native trees along streams in Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, creating forested buffers that will help protect our drinking water sources for years to come. This spring, we proudly reached our goals for this project.

Why This Matters:

• These buffers act as a natural filter by trapping sediment and nutrients before they enter our waterways, helping to protect local drinking water sources.

• Trees shade streams, improving habitat for aquatic life by reducing water temperature.

• Buffers also reduce the impact of floods and improve climate resilience by stabilizing streambanks.

Special Thanks

We want to recognize our incredible partners who helped make this project possible:

• Potomac Conservancy for coordinating landowner outreach and buffer planning

• Trout Unlimited for leading planting crews and buffer planning

• Cacapon Institute for helping with buffer design and planning, and additional funding

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for funding this project

...and many others who supported with time, expertise, and outreach efforts.

 We will be carrying these lessons forward as we look ahead to future focuses of our collaborative and expanded stewardship efforts.