Program Overview

The Coldwater Heritage Partnership (CHP) is a collaborative effort between the PA Fish & Boat Commission, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Western Pennsylvania Watershed Protection Program and Pennsylvania Trout.

The purpose of the Coldwater Heritage Partnership (CHP) is to provide leadership, coordination, technical assistance, and funding support for the evaluation, conservation and protection of Pennsylvania's coldwater streams.   

While Pennsylvania has over 83,000 miles of streams, only 25% are considered high-quality coldwater fisheries.  Of that, less than 2% are designated as highly productive waters that contain naturally reproducing wild trout.  The CHP’s primary focus is to foster protection and improvement of these streams and their watersheds. 

Goals of the program include:

• foster a greater public understanding of watershed characteristics and how they affect coldwater ecosystems;

• identify special areas of concern, such as areas with exceptional water quality with high potential for impacts; 

• produce conservation plans that will lead to additional planning or implementation of projects that protect and enhance our coldwater ecosystems; and 

• provide technical assistance and financial opportunities to organizations dedicated to protecting coldwater ecosystems.

Completed Coldwater Conservation Plans are available to download here