Watershed Assistance Grant Program
Watershed Assistance Grant Program supports organizations with restoration design, permitting, and planning to prepare water-quality projects for implementation and build local restoration capacity.
Funder: Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Due Dates: December 9, 2026, at 4:00 PM EST (Full application) | November 5, 2026 (Office hours) | November 12, 2026 (Office hours) | November 19, 2026 (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 watershed restoration designs, permitting, planning, and program development that prepare water-quality projects for implementation.
Key Information: The FY27 RFP requires all applicants to have 501(c)(3) status, including applicants in the listed agency and institutional categories.
Description
The Watershed Assistance Grant Program is administered by the Chesapeake Bay Trust in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department of the Environment, and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. It supports early-stage restoration design, permitting, watershed planning, and program development in Maryland, West Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay watershed, and specified Pennsylvania watersheds.
The program helps organizations prepare projects for future implementation funding and align restoration with local and state watershed plans. Design work includes stormwater and agricultural best management practices, stream restoration, wetlands, marshes, and living shorelines. Planning support includes assessments, action plans, financing strategies, policy development, and tools that build local restoration capacity. Both organizations new to environmental grants and experienced design and planning applicants are welcomed.
