What’s up, Watershed? This July 4th was a special one, since along with celebrating the day the United States of America declared its independence, we celebrated the 250th anniversary of one of Pennsylvania’s most historically important events!
While watershed restoration often brings to mind projects such as rain gardens, tree plantings, and stream cleanups, healthy watersheds are also shaped by the public policies and community decisions that influence how our land, water, and natural resources are managed.
To get in the spirit of the holiday, this edition of “What’s Up, Watershed?” will focus on some of the revolutionary movements in protecting Pennsylvania’s watersheds so far this year, especially those powered by community action and the belief in self-governance.
PROTECTING THE PEOPLE
In the world of environmental policy, one area receiving increased national attention this year is the planning and development of large-scale data centers. The purpose of a data center is to physically house computers that contain digital information — which can range from the pattern recognition programs used in early cancer detection technology to the AI generated images you see on your social media feed. Data centers require substantial land(1) for their operations, electricity(2) to power the computer servers, and water(3) for their cooling towers. The studies and articles linked above raise concerns about potential impacts including noise pollution, water consumption, and increased demand on local power infrastructure. When data centers are built in proximity to residential areas, nearby communities often shoulder the increased pressure on local utilities and also contend with impacts on their health(4). Because of these concerns, many states and municipalities are evaluating how best to balance economic development with environmental protection and community needs. Nationally(5), there are no legally binding energy standards that apply specifically to data center operation, so many decisions about regulating them fall to state and local governments through zoning laws, energy standards, and other environmental ordinances.
Formerly known as Three Mile Island, the Crane Clean Energy Center (shown at right) is slated to provide energy for Microsoft data centers(6).
In June, the PA House of Representatives passed a bill that would codify Gov. Shapiro’s GRID Standards, which establish requirements for data centers that receive state funding to “protect energy affordability, engage local communities, create family-sustaining jobs, and meet strong environmental standards”(7). Supporting members from the general assembly including Sen. John Kane hope that, if passed by the Senate, the strict standards of HB2650 will “[give] communities the power to help determine how and whether these projects move forward, while ensuring developers operate responsibly, transparently, and in partnership with the people who call these towns home”(8).
Governor Shapiro is not the only policymaker working to regulate data center construction in PA. According to Pennsylvania Capital Star reporter Whitney Downard, roughly 200 people gathered at the Capitol building in Harrisburg on June 23rd to rally against data center development in Pennsylvania(9).
Participants expressed a variety of concerns, including the state’s $20 billion AI investment(10) from Amazon and the impact that high energy demands would cause — particularly, increased pollution from fracking and fossil fuel processing.
Most individuals were there in support of another bill introduced by Senator Katie Muth. SB1359 proposes a three-year moratorium on data center development(11) which, as she writes, would allow local elected officials “more time to evaluate risk, enact protective ordinances, update their zoning regulations, and other critical measures to ensure public safety and well-being”.
If you’d like to track the progress of either pieces of legislation, be sure to click the links above or check out the PA General Assembly’s website.
PROTECTING THE PLANET
Along with advocating for the community within their watershed; Pennsylvanians are also working to protect the water itself and the things that live in it. Enforcing the careful planning and regulation of new data center developments can help to conserve habitat, reduce the impact of noise and light pollution on birds and pollinators, and protect the water resources that all living things rely on every day(12).
Pennsylvania also leads the United States in dam removals(13), a crucial part of watershed restoration. Although dams serve many purposes — such as reserving water, creating recreational areas, and generating hydro-electricity — they can also damage watershed ecosystems and create risks for nearby communities.
The Oakland Dam in Oakland, Susquehanna County (shown at right),was removed from the Susquehanna River in 2023.
When a flowing river or creek is dammed, it prevents migratory fish (including Pennsylvania’s state fish, the brook trout) from moving through the watershed, which prevents fish from reaching their spawning grounds and limits an important source of food for the entire ecosystem. Damming also prevents oxygen from moving through the water, causes floods through sediment build up, and increases the risk for algae blooms from nutrient build up as well, which can negatively impact the ecosystem and lower the quality of our drinking water. When dam infrastructure weakens after roughly 50 years(14), it can lead to accidents for people using the area recreationally or even cause floods in communities downstream.
Many of the dams being removed today are aging, obsolete, unsafe, or known to be an impairment in the watershed(15). Removing these dams can improve public safety while restoring the natural flow of rivers and streams, reconnecting fish habitat, and improving overall watershed health. Between 2024(16) and 2025(17), Pennsylvania removed 41 dams, the most of any state during that period. This year, the trend continues, and community members in Berks and Schuylkill counties gathered this spring to create a master plan for the removal of the Kernsville Dam, which will allow water to flow freely through the Schuylkill River. The plan is currently under review(18) by the Army Corps of Engineers.
If you’ve been following this blog, you already know that the health of our land, the health of our wildlife, and the health of our communities are all intertwined. By removing obsolete dams and restoring the flow of our rivers and streams, we can reconnect ecosystems, improve water quality, and ensure Pennsylvania’s watersheds are here for generations to come.
Since the year is only halfway over, we are yet to see the full impacts of these protests, policy changes, and improvements to our environment. Regardless of their outcomes, these examples illustrate the many ways Pennsylvanians are advocating for the future of their communities and watersheds. Whether through restoration projects, public meetings, volunteer efforts, or everyday stewardship, individuals and communities continue to play an important role in protecting Pennsylvania’s natural resources. If you are impacted by any of the topics covered in this article, I hope you feel inspired to engage with your community, contact your local representatives, or get involved in whichever way suits you best!
That’s all for this edition of “What’s Up, Watershed?”. See you next time!
Photos shown (top to bottom); Screenshot taken from recording of 6/23 – Data Center Moratorium Rally; The Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Peter Hall/Pennsylvania Capital-Star); Data Center Moratorium Rally; Oakland Dam prior to removal in 2023; Brook trout
1 A Growing Demand for Land: Site Selection for Data Centers | LightBox. (2024, October 30). LightBox. https://www.lightboxre.com/insight/a-growing-demand-for-land-site-selection-for-data-centers/
2 The Rise of Data Centers in the Grid. (2025). RPA. https://rpa.org/news/lab/the-rise-of-data-centers
3 Rivers and Data Centers. (2026, March 27). Americanrivers. https://www.americanrivers.org/rivers-and-data-centers
4 Theodora. (2026, May 24). AI Data Center Health Impacts – Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental Health Sciences. https://ehsciences.org/ai-data-center-health-impacts/
5 Data Centers and Their Energy Consumption: Frequently Asked Questions (2025). Congress.Gov. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48646
6 Karbal, I. (2025, August). Federal regulators hear from the community about planned Three Mile Island restart. Pennsylvania Capital-Star. https://penncapital-star.com/energy-environment/federal-regulators-hear-from-the-community-about-planned-three-mile-island-restart/
7 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.(2026).NEWS: Legislation to Codify Gov. Shapiro’s GRID Standards Introduced in House. https://www.pa.gov/governor/newsroom/2026-press-releases/news–legislation-to-codify-gov–shapiro-s-grid-standards-introd
8 Commonwealth of PA. (2026).NEWS: Gov. Shapiro’s GRID Standards.
9 Downard, W. (2026, June 23). Rally attendees criticize Gov. Shapiro for being ‘incredibly cozy’ with data center industry. Pennsylvania Capital-Star.https://penncapital-star.com/technology-information/rally-attendees-criticize-gov-shapiro-for-being-incredibly-cozy-with-data-center-industry/
10 Cole, J. (2025, June 9). Amazon announces $20 billion AI investment that will bring at least 1,250 jobs to Pa. Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Pennsylvania Capital-Star. https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/amazon-announces-20-billion-ai-investment-that-will-bring-at-least-1250-jobs-to-pa/
11 Sen. Muth, K. (2025). Senate Co-Sponsorship Memo 48102 Information; 2025-2026 Regular Session. PA State Senate.https://www.palegis.us/senate/co-sponsorship/memo?memoid=48102&document=sb1359
12 Kandasamy, A. (2025, September 24). More data centers, more environmental problems? National Wildlife Federation. https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2025/Fall/Conservation/AI-Data-Centers
13 Boucher, E. (2026, March 16). 100 Dams Down: 2025 A Big Year for Reconnecting Rivers in the U.S.American Rivers. https://www.americanrivers.org/2026/03/100-dams-down-2025-a-big-year-for-reconnecting-rivers-in-the-u-s/
14 Pearce, F. (2021, February 3). Water Warning: The Looming Threat of the World’s Aging Dams. Yale E360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/water-warning-the-looming-threat-of-the-worlds-aging-dams
15 Boucher (2026). 100 Dams Down. American Rivers.
16 Boucher, E. (2025, March 4). Big Year for Dam Removals in 2024. American Rivers. https://www.americanrivers.org/2025/03/big-year-for-dam-removals-in-2024/?ref=lehighvalleypublicmedia.org
17 Smith, D. (2026, March 30). PA removes 14 dams to boost public safety and restore river health. The Pennsylvania Independent. https://pennsylvaniaindependent.com/infrastructure/pa-removes-14-dams-to-boost-public-safety-and-restore-river-health/
18 Kernsville Dam Removal Project – Schuylkill River Greenways. (2019, September 20). Schuylkill River Greenways. https://schuylkillriver.org/schuylkill-river-watertrail/newkernsvilledamremoval/
“WHAT’S UP, WATERSHED” BLOG SERIES
CLICK HERE to read Summertime Citizen Science
CLICK HERE to read Rachel Carson: Earth Day Hometown Hero
CLICK HERE to read Three Ways to Reduce Kitchen Waste
CLICK HERE to read Winter Wildlife: Secrets to Skipping the Winter Season
Meet PRC Environmental Program Coordinator Ryan Rabenold
Ryan’s work is centered around environmental education and creating equitable access to green stormwater infrastructure resources. They have a background in watershed conservation, as well as community engagement and grassroot activism. In their free time, Ryan enjoys kayaking and hiking, writing short fiction, and exploring international cuisine.
