Coming Together For A Shared Vision
Gunpowder Watershed Partners (GWP) is a collaborative network of stewards working to protect and restore the Gunpowder watershed through shared knowledge and aligned efforts.
Whether you represent a land trust, a faith community, a local government, a school, or simply care about the health of this watershed, there's a place for your organization at the table.
Email us to learn more about joining GWP.
Our Watershed
The Gunpowder watershed spans 488 square miles, stretching from York County, Pennsylvania down to Middle River, Maryland. It's home to forests, farms, historic mill towns, state parks, and the drinking water supply for much of the Baltimore region — and it's facing real pressure. Declining water quality, habitat fragmentation, invasive species, increasing runoff and sedimentation, and ongoing development all threaten the health of this landscape.
No single organization can solve watershed-scale problems alone. That's why Gunpowder Watershed Partners exists.
Who We Are
Gunpowder Watershed Partners (GWP) is a collaborative of more than 30 organizations across jurisdictions and sectors to restore and protect the Gunpowder watershed. We're united by a shared vision: a healthier Gunpowder watershed for all.
Our Common Agenda commits us to four goals:
- Build a collaborative governance framework that lets partners work together effectively
- Restore and regenerate the watershed's natural systems
- Promote responsible land use and community stewardship
- Ensure safe, enjoyable water resources for everyone who lives, works, and plays here
How We Work
GWP brings partners together through a structure designed to turn shared priorities into real progress:
The Annual Forum connects over 60 community stewards who work together to protect and restore the Gunpowder watershed. We set shared priorities at our Annual Forum, guide projects through monthly leadership meetings, and keep everyone engaged through quarterly partner gatherings.
The Leadership Committee meets monthly to advance those priorities — reviewing projects, aligning partner roles, clearing barriers, identifying funding opportunities, and tracking progress.
Open Quarterly Meetings give every partner a chance to share updates, propose projects, and request collaboration — keeping the work transparent and accessible to everyone at the table.
An Annual Workplan lays out our shared priorities and outcomes for the year, so partners can move efficiently from planning to action while pooling resources across the watershed.
This rhythm — quarterly convenings, monthly leadership coordination, and ongoing collaboration in between — helps us reduce duplicated effort, strengthen communication, and get more done together than any of us could alone.
Our Partners
GWP is led by a Leadership Committee that includes:
- Maryland Trout Unlimited - Leadership Committee Chair
- Gunpowder Valley Conservancy - Backbone organization, providing coordination, project tracking, and collaborative grant development support
- Baltimore County Land Trust Coalition - Event Committee Chair
- Co-founder of Jennifer Branch Conservation Association - Leadership Committee
- NeighborSpace of Baltimore County - Leadership Committee
Our broader network of partners and Forum contributors includes:
- Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake
- University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County Master Gardeners
- Mad About Mud
- Oliver Beach Improvement Association
- Friends of Oregon Ridge
- St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
- The Nepali Center
- Camp Puh'tok
- Manor Mill
- Gunpowder Falls State Park
- Baltimore County
- Carroll County
- York County
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Maryland Department of Environmental Justice
- and many more!