Watershed Assistance Grant Program
Watershed Assistance Grant Program supports organizations with restoration design, permitting, and watershed planning to improve water quality and prepare projects for implementation.
Funder: Chesapeake Bay Trust
Due Dates: December 9, 2026, 4:00 PM EST (Application) | November 5, 2026, 1:00 PM (Office hours) | November 12, 2026, 1:00 PM (Office hours) | November 19, 2026, 1:00 PM (Office hours)
Funding Amounts: Generally up to $100,000–$150,000 for design or $75,000 for planning; projects last 12–16 months
Summary: Supports early-stage watershed restoration design, permitting, planning, and program development that improve water quality and prepare projects for implementation.
Key Information: All applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations, and projects must serve eligible areas in Maryland, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania.
Description
The Watershed Assistance Grant Program is administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust in partnership with Maryland’s Departments of Natural Resources and the Environment and West Virginia’s Department of Environmental Protection. It funds the earliest phases of watershed restoration, helping organizations develop designs, secure permits, and create plans that position projects for future implementation funding.
Supported work includes stormwater green infrastructure, agricultural best management practices, stream restoration, wetland and marsh restoration, and living shorelines. Planning support includes watershed assessments and action plans, financing strategies, policy development, and organizational capacity building. Projects should advance water quality improvements and connect to local or state watershed priorities, including Watershed Implementation Plans, Total Maximum Daily Load implementation plans, and green infrastructure plans.
