Farmers and forested property owners in the 171-square-mile Buffalo Creek watershed can apply for federal grant money providing partial reimbursement for planting cover crops, stream bank stabilization and other projects that improve water quality.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania a $1.17 million, five-year grant to help owners of property in the watershed in Butler, Armstrong and Allegheny counties pay for conservation projects.

“We’re tying to protect the water quality and improve the habitat in the Buffalo Creek watershed,” said Danielle Rihel, ASWP Buffalo Creek watershed coordinator.

Providing money to private land owners is necessary to improve water quality in the watershed because 98% of property in the watershed in privately owned, she said.

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