Pittsburgh, PA – March 16, 2026 – The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is seeking grant applications for its Canoe Access Development Fund (CADF), which supports projects to improve canoe and kayak access to Western Pennsylvania’s waterways.
The Conservancy’s CADF provides technical assistance and grants of up to $5,000 for the construction and enhancement of canoe and kayak access locations.
Founded in 2008 and funded by longtime Conservancy members and outdoor enthusiasts Roy Weil and Mary Shaw, CADF provides grants to watershed organizations and other community groups to make the region’s rivers and streams more accessible for outdoor recreation by developing and improving access sites for canoeists, kayakers and anglers. Grant funding could be used to help to stabilize access areas to rivers or streams, add nearby parking areas, purchase riverside land for an access site or to make other improvements.
The Conservancy has funded 105 canoe access site projects along 40 different waterways in 24 counties in the region. An interactive map on the Conservancy’s website allows users to explore the region’s Conservancy-funded access sites.
Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County received a CADF grant in 2025 to improve a canoe launch on Indian Creek near Mill Run in Springfield Township, Fayette County. “The canoe takeout point was in rough shape,” says Colin Sheridan, MAWC security and caretaker supervisor. “Cars were able to drive to the shoreline, causing erosion and slippery, muddy conditions and increasing sedimentation in the reservoir.”
Using the grant money, MAWC laid layers of geotextile cloth, gravel and stone. “We added support to the shoreline for ease of entering and exiting the river, and large
stones to prevent vehicles from driving to the water’s edge, ensuring these upgrades will last far into the future.”
The most recent awardees include:
- Benscreek Canoe Club for the Border Dam Boating Ramp on StoneyCreek in Somerset County ($5,000);
- Cameron County Chamber of Commerce Foundation for the Cameron Canoe/ Kayak Launch on Driftwood Branch Sinnemahoning in Cameron County ($4,400);
- Heath Township Sportsmen’s Club for Heath Township Canoe Launch on the Clarion River in Jefferson County ($5,000);
- Ken Sink Trout Unlimited for the Little Mahoning Creek Canoe and Kayak Public Access Site on Little Mahoning Creek in Indiana County ($5,000);
- Ridgway Borough for the Ridgway Mills Campground Access on the Clarion River in Elk County ($5,000).
Kelly Horrell, watershed conservation program administrator at the Conservancy, says the fund provides technical assistance for all aspects of project development, including helping a group decide on a site location and assisting with the permit process. “We can assist with a site design to show where a ramp or trail to the stream could be situated, or help determine ideal surface materials,” Kelly notes,adding that the access sites restore and stabilize the streambank, reducing erosion and sedimentation into the streams.
A downloadable application, including a complete list of requirements, is available at WaterLandLife.org/canoe-access-development-fund-cadf/. Applications open March 16 and must be mailed and postmarked by April 24. Grant recipients will be notified by May 18, 2026.
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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.
Jennifer Sumoske
Communications Specialist
412-586-2328, work
jsumoske@paconserve.org