Past Workshops

The 2025 Annual DGLVR Workshop was held September 23-25 in Gettysburg, PA. 150 people attended from Conservation Districts, DCNR Forestry, municipalities, and various other agencies. Attendees visited 8 field sites in Adams, Cumberland, and Franklin Counties. A wide variety of classroom sessions and panel discussions were held relating to various DGLVR related topics. SCC executive Secretary Doug Wolfgang and PA Secretary of Agriculture Russel Redding addressed attendees during the annual awards banquet.

• Agenda (612 KB)
• Field Sites Handout (1.17 MB)
• Photo Contest Winner: Susquehanna County/ Franklin Township/ Salt Springs Road (386 KB)
• 2025 Municipality of the Year: Mount Holly Springs Borough – Cumberland County (3.24 MB)
• Panel Discussions: Based on requests for more peer-to-peer sharing, these sessions had Districts give brief presentations about recently completed projects and lessons learned. Topics were split into stream crossing, dirt and gravel drainage, and low-volume drainage.
  • Boose Road – Perry County (3.49 MB): This presentation walks through a traditional dirt and gravel road project on Boose Road in Perry County consisting of road fill, drainage improvements, and DSA.
  • Phillips Road – Columbia County (2.95 MB): Multiple funding sources were combined to manage water and erosion on Phillips Road in Columbia County. Practices funded by DGR and CAP include bank stabilization, shifting the road away from the bank repair, and additional other drainage improvements. ACAP funds were also used for waterways in agricultural fields upslope of the road project.
  • Baker Run Road – DCNR (5.08 MB): This presentation walks through a ½ mile long DCNR DGLVR project on Baker Run Road in Sproul State Forest. This road contained no drainage structures and the existing road base consisted of bedrock, cobblestone, and dirt. The project installed 16 cross pipes, a French Mattress and 1,200 tons of 4” Minus to create a stable road base.
  • Rausch Road – Potter County (4.83 MB): This presentation walks through a stream crossing replacement on Rausch Road in Potter County. An existing 3’ round pipe in an exceptional value stream was replaced with a 14’5” bottomless box culvert. Coldwater Heritage Partnership grant funds were combined with DGR funds to complete this project.
  • Lawrence Road – Clarion County (4.37 MB): This presentation walks through progress on a stream crossing replacement on Lawrence Road in Clarion County. An existing 48” round pipe to a 36” round pipe was replaced with a 18’ bottomless box culvert.
  • Newhouse Park Road – Westmoreland County (2.71 MB): This presentation walks through a low volume road project on Newhouse Park Road in a borough in Westmoreland County. Gravel parking lot runoff washed out a road that ultimately drained to a stream. The LVR project included installing a paved grade break and new storm sewer to direct runoff into a stormwater basin with a forebay and rain garden plantings.
  • Rosebay Road – Monroe County (4.29 MB): This presentation walks through a low volume road project on Rosebay Road in a wooded area in Monroe County. The entrenched road had old chip seal and lacked proper drainage. The LVR project included installing new drainage pipes, road base material, and a simple and effective infiltration feature.
  • McConnells Mill Road – Lawrence County (4.29 MB): This presentation walks through a LVR project on McConnells Mill Road, Lawrence County. This road was saturated with spring water and had insufficient outlets. The conservation district worked closely with DCNR for off-right-of-way permission for new outlets as part of the project.
• Classroom Sessions: Breakout sessions on various topics.
  • Foundations of Project Management (1.72 MB): District staff often find themselves serving as a default “project manager”. With planning and proactive management, projects can succeed even in the face of adversity. This session discussed 3 foundations of project management (Cost, Time, and Quality), and review strategies for management. (Sarah Xenophon, SCC)
  • Municipal Bidding and Procurement (3.49 MB): This session explored a variety of topics and best practices for the bidding process, along with some forward-looking ideas— including the role of AI in shaping the future of bidding. (Gary Peterson, PennBID)
  • Trout Unlimited Update and Stream Table Demo (3.54 MB): This session included a split class, part update on recent TU projects and related efforts, and part stream table demonstration. (Scott Koser and JJ Zielinski, TU)
  • Finding and Funding Fish Passage Projects (3.49 MB): This session explored identifying, prioritizing, and implementing fish passage and stream habitat projects. A variety of topics were discussed, including existing tools to help prioritize projects, how to find and apply for grant funding, and the range of services that PFBC can provide for fish passage and stream restoration work. (Dave Dippold, PAFBC)
  • Project Phasing and Stretching Funds (1.39 MB): It is no secret that everything is getting more expensive. This session covered some ideas for getting the most out of DGLVR budgets and projects as buying power diminishes. (Andy Mickey, SCC)
  • MS4 & DGLVR: Driving Water Quality (3.76 MB): This session offered a background of the NPDES MS4 Program, an overview of the current MS4 permit, and introduced the key updates in new draft PAG-13 General MS4 Permit. It also highlighted how the Low Volume Road Program can help fund projects to address MS4 requirements. (Beth Uhler, Center for Watershed Protection)