In March of 2025, Clean Water Academy (CWA) surpassed 50,000 course completions. Course completions refer to the total number of individual courses successfully completed by all users of CWA. This milestone reflects significant engagement and successful completion of many courses by DEP staff, conservation district staff, sewage enforcement officers, cooperating agencies, and the public. A CWA usage report was recently released.

From January 1, 2018, through March 1, 2025, CWA recorded a total of 52,264 course completions by 4,205 users. Of the 52,264 total course completions, 23,165 (45%) were completed by conservation district staff.

Congratulations to the top ten individuals with the highest course completions:

1. Stephen Beach, Blair CD
2. Matthew Golden, Washington CD
3. Rebecca Smith, Mercer CD
4. Tyne Blazier, Huntingdon CD
5. Patti Abrogast, Union CD
6. Zach Green, Adams CD
7. Dave Taylor, Wyoming CD
8. Tom Ulrich, Washington CD
9. Jason Branning, Susquehanna CD
10. Devon Weyant, Blair CD

Click here to read the report.

 

 

In response to ongoing conversations about onboarding needs, highlighted most recently by the PACD District Employees Committee, we’ve developed new Clean Water Academy (CWA) resources to support conservation districts in training new staff.

These new resources include a CWA Orientation one-pager that provides a broad overview of the training platform, along with instructions on how to access CWA. We’re also offering CWA Course Checklists tailored to various conservation district roles, including Erosion & Sedimentation Technicians, Agricultural Technicians, and Watershed Specialists. 

These documents highlight available courses and training programs on CWA (links provided) and help streamline the onboarding process.

Please contact Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with questions.

Join us for the next Clean Water Academy Lunch & Learn session on Thursday, May 1, 2025, from Noon–1:00 p.m. with Jordan Sanford and Jason Beale from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Jordan and Jason will present “Revitalizing Conservation Education: Strategies for Connecting with Broader Audiences,” where they’ll provide a broad overview of the Game Commission’s education efforts, highlight recent projects, and explore strategies for engaging various audiences.

Grab your lunch and join us for this engaging and informative discussion! Click here to learn more and register. Registration is free but required.

Stay tuned for more Lunch & Learn sessions in the coming months!

 

In the April 7, 2025, issue of Front Page, we ran a story about Kelly Davidson, PACD Water Resources Trainer, capturing footage for the upcoming Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training using a drone. Just to clarify, Kelly is a licensed drone pilot and uses the drone to take videos of construction practices to use for staff training purposes only through the Clean Water Academy. 

The article was meant to celebrate Kelly getting her pilot’s license and let our members know we are working with the PA Department of Environmental Protection on planning the Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training. The training will be held in Harrisburg from May 19-23, 2025.

Drones are not being used for inspections, and training on using drones is not taught during Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training.

 

PACD Water Resources Trainer Kelly Davidson flew a drone in Cumberland County on March 31, 2025. This was the first site visit with the PA Department of Environmental Protection to prepare for the field portion of the Chapter 102 Basic Technical Training from May 19-23, 2025.

Click here to register for the training (you must be logged in to Clean Water Academy to access the link). 

 

Clean Water Academy is excited to launch our new Lunch & Learn Webinar Series! Our first session will take place on Thursday, March 27, from Noon–1:00 p.m. and will feature David Wise, Watershed Restoration Manager at Stroud Water Research Center.

David will present “The Overlooked Half of Forested Buffers: Stream Ecology and Trees,” exploring the critical connections between stream health and riparian forests. This session will provide valuable insights into how trees influence stream ecology and why they are essential for watershed restoration.

Grab your lunch and join us for this engaging and informative discussion! Click here to learn more and register. Registration is free but required.

Stay tuned for more Lunch & Learn sessions in the coming months!

As we kick off the new year, we’re looking back at 2024 to celebrate Clean Water Academy’s Top 10 Course Completion Champions across all conservation districts. These individuals completed the most courses throughout the year, demonstrating an incredible dedication to expanding their knowledge and expertise. Congratulations to our Top 10 learners!

1. Rebecca Smith, Mercer CD –145 course completions
2. Morgan Lee, Beaver CD – 87 course completions
3. Maria Rickenbaugh, Juniata CD – 75 course completions
4. Jonathan Wall, Huntingdon CD – 67 course completions
5. Christian DeSimone, Bucks CD – 65 course completions
6. Jason Branning, Susquehanna CD – 64 course completions
7. Katelynn Decker, McKean CD – 64 course completions
8. Charles Kelshaw, Monroe CD – 61 course completions
9. Robert McDonald, Mercer CD – 61 course completions
10. Carli McConnell, Clinton CD – 57 course completions

With new courses and training opportunities ahead in 2025, now is the perfect time to dive in. Click here to visit Clean Water Academy.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

The Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy is an online training library administered by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and supported by PACD. It provides training for DEP staff, Conservation District staff, Sewage Enforcement Officers (SEOs), and the public.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

2024 PAG-02 General Permit 

This course provides training on the 2024 PAG-02 General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater Associated with Construction Activities, including information on changes in comparison to the 2019 PAG-02 General Permit, eligibility requirements, how to complete the PAG-02 NOI, and an explanation of new requirements. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

Constructed and Restored Wetlands in the Agricultural Landscape

Participants will learn what wetlands are, why they are important, and how to leverage constructed and restored wetlands within the agricultural landscape to restore and improve water quality, reduce erosion, improve flood storage and damage, and restore natural habitats while enabling agricultural production. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

PFAS and Emerging Contaminants: Surface Water Monitoring (must be logged in to view)

In this presentation, Amy Williams (Water Program Specialist, DEP) discusses emerging contaminants in PA over the last decade and explains the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on aquatic life. She provides insight into PFAS, including their environmental persistence and sediment sampling for pesticides and PAHs. Lastly, she introduces total estrogenicity measures to assess impacts on both aquatic life and human health.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Course: Introduction to Wetland Determination – 2024

This course will teach you how to properly recognize wetlands in Pennsylvania. At the conclusion, you will be able to identify and evaluate the three components that make up a wetland: hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soil.

Clean Water Academy takes 7 to 8 hours to complete this entire course. A completion certificate is available only to users with a login, so please create an account first if you desire a completion certificate.

Course: Susquehanna River Story – What does the science say about water quality? 

The wide and majestic Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world. Despite its beauty, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay downstream have been facing the detrimental effects of excess nutrients. This new YouTube video provides a unique synthesis of the story of nutrient water quality in the Susquehanna watershed.

Course: Soils Evaluation and Wastewater Renovation (must be logged in to view)

This course will provide instruction on basic principles of soil science and evaluate and describe soil profiles in the field to determine suitability for wastewater effluent renovation. Topics covered include describing soil properties and identifying limitations to wastewater effluent renovation.

This training was initially developed for Sewage Enforcement Officers; however, the technical content can be valuable to any natural resources professional or those who wish to understand soils better.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions or to create an account.

Have you visited the Pennsylvania Clean Water Academy lately? New courses are continuously added. Check out these courses today!

Training Program: Landowner Engagement – Level 1 – Training Program (must be logged in to view)

This training program provides practical strategies and techniques for promoting and selling conservation practices to landowners. Participants will explore the ecological, economic, and social benefits of conservation, focusing on effectively communicating these benefits to diverse landowners. The program emphasizes relationship-building, demographic shifts in farming, understanding landowners’ needs, and tailoring conservation solutions that align with their goals. The use of social media as a tool to promote and sell conservation is also discussed. This training program will take six to eight hours to complete.

Course: Introductory Water Quality Standards

This is an introductory water quality standards course for new staff. After this course, learners will be able to describe the three main components of DEP’s Water Quality Standards (WQS), name some categories and examples of protected water uses, find WQS in Chapter 93, and look up protected use using several references and DEP GIS tools.

Course: Guiding Principles of Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration

This introductory training will cover several important aspects of the guiding principles important to the execution of highly successful restoration projects. The training is presented in four parts: Introduction, Basic Watershed and Ecosystem Functions, Watershed Alterations and Effects, and Project Considerations. Completing this training will provide a good foundation for future trainings that will dive deeper into these topics, research, and Division of Wetlands Encroachment and Training (DWET) program development efforts.

Please contact PACD Water Resource Trainer Kelly Davidson at kdavidson@pacd.org with any questions.