LAWRENCE TWP. — A streambank stabilization project along Moose Creek in Lawrence Township has become the final completed project under a statewide recovery effort launched after Tropical Storm Debby devastated parts of northern Pennsylvania in 2024.
The project, completed in March 2026, was part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program, which was activated in Pennsylvania following the historic rainfall and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024.
The storm unleashed record-breaking rainfall across the northern tier of the Commonwealth, severely damaging streambanks and waterways and placing homes, businesses and infrastructure at risk.
In response, the NRCS partnered with local sponsors through the EWP program to help communities recover from storm damage and reduce the threat of future flooding. Eligible sponsors included state, county and local government entities with responsibility for areas affected by watershed emergencies.
Following the storm, 10 sponsors across Pennsylvania requested EWP assistance and worked closely with NRCS staff to identify and complete approximately 80 projects. Many of the projects focused on protecting private homes and businesses threatened by streambank erosion and flooding.
Through the program, NRCS provided financial assistance covering 75 percent of construction costs, along with technical support that included engineering design and site inspections. The remaining 25 percent of project costs were covered through support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
The final project completed under the initiative was located in Clearfield County and carried out with the assistance of Lawrence Township.
Construction began in early March and was completed within a matter of weeks. Crews installed a stacked rock wall nearly six feet high along a heavily eroded section of Moose Creek where streambank deterioration had threatened a nearby residence.
Township officials contributed time and resources to support the effort, helping secure federal and state funding that ultimately protected the property from future flood damage.
The completion of the Lawrence Township project closes a nearly two-year recovery effort that helped communities across Pennsylvania rebuild after one of the state’s most significant flooding events in recent years.
Suzanne Klinger, District Conservationist for NRCS said, “Tropical Storm Debby really impacted our counties. This project stabilized the stream that was threatening another home long after the initial storm damage. Lawrence Township stepped up to the task and worked well with an unfamiliar process, engineers, contractors and landowners. I can’t thank Lawrence Twp. Manager Ashley Pritchard and the Lawrence Twp. Supervisors enough for helping the Clearfield Community.”
She also noted the project serves as an example of how federal, state and local partnerships can work together to address immediate storm damage while strengthening communities against future flooding hazards.
