Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Division
This grant funds collaborative, science-based projects to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution and restore water quality in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Funder: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2026 (CAP Implementation Block Grant application deadline, projected)
Funding Amounts: Recent annual CAP Implementation Block Grant awards: ~$19.3 million (2024); individual project funding varies. State and federal investments in the Bay watershed: $575M (2024), $1.79B (2020–2024).
Summary: Supports Pennsylvania’s efforts to reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed through collaborative, locally-driven restoration projects and grants.
Key Information: This is a forecasted opportunity; dates and details may shift—check program pages for updates.
Description
The program, administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management, provides funding and coordination for projects that restore and protect water quality in Pennsylvania’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The focus is on reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution to meet the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP) goals.
Funding is primarily delivered through the Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Block Grants, which support locally-identified projects such as stream restoration, agricultural best management practices (BMPs), urban stormwater controls, riparian buffer plantings, and more. The program emphasizes a county-led, collaborative approach and leverages partnerships between local governments, conservation districts, non-profits, and landowners.
Recent years have seen significant investments and measurable outcomes, including miles of streams restored, acres of buffers planted, and substantial reductions in pollutant loads. The program’s structure is designed to be adaptive, responding to local needs and evolving state and federal goals for water quality.
