Grants to Maryland nonprofit organizations, community associations, faith-based organizations, and landowners in eligible locations for activities to restore local watersheds and enhance water quality. Applicants must contact the funding source to arrange a staff visit prior to applying. Applications are encouraged from underrepresented groups. Eligible applicants are located in Anne Arundel County, including the City of Annapolis.
The Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration Grant Program will fund projects to reduce pollutants flowing into local waterways through the implementation, or in some cases planning and design, of watershed restoration practices. This program aims to improve water quality in the County’s local streams and waterways, as called for in the County’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit and County and City of Annapolis’ Stormwater Management Inventory and Watershed Improvement Plan, which require reductions in storm flow volume and pollutants entering waterways.
The Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration Grant Program encourages on-the-ground watershed restoration activities that reduce the amount of stormwater flowing into local waterways, that treat and filter pollutants from impervious surfaces, and that engage residents in the restoration and protection of the local rivers and streams.
This program funds projects in Anne Arundel County, Maryland (County and City of Annapolis properties):
- Restoration implementation/construction projects are eligible in both the County and City.
- Restoration design and watershed planning projects are eligible in the City of Annapolis.
The Trust strongly encourages applications directly from underrepresented groups, and for projects that increase awareness and participation of communities that are traditionally underrepresented, such as communities of color.
Eligible projects are separated into three categories below based on the size and type of work proposed and if the project is a restoration (implementation/construction) effort or a planning effort:
- Watershed planning projects (Category 1) are eligible only in the City of Annapolis. Watershed plans are a first step to assess the area with the community, identify potential target areas for restoration, propose restoration practice types if possible, and serve as a guiding document for future work, including applications for restoration projects. Applicants may propose watershed planning or watershed assessment projects for properties/areas only in the City of Annapolis. Category 1 project final products will include planning documents useful for future design and implementation of restoration projects in this grant program.
- Small-scale restoration projects (Category 2) including but not limited to bioretention cells, bioswales, rain gardens, or other stormwater best management practices (BMPs). Category 2 projects have a disturbance footprint less than 5,000 square feet or less than 100 cubic yards of earth disturbed.
- Large-scale restoration projects (Category 3) have a disturbance footprint greater than 5,000 square feet or more than 100 cubic yards of earth disturbed. Additional stormwater BMPs that are typically “large-scale” restoration projects include stormwater wetland and marsh creation and enhancement; stream and wetland restoration; regenerative conveyance systems (also known as coastal plain outfalls, step pool storm conveyance, etc.); living shorelines (on community, other not-for-profit, or public property); and green roofs.
For additional information, see page 4 of the RFP, in Supporting Documents, below.
