4^ A
Chesapeake Bay Program Backgrounder
A Watershed Partnership
Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program
2002 Awards
Community Legacy Grants
The 2002 grants program is being expanded with the creation of the Community Legacy Grants initiative. Through the
Community Legacy Grants program, five grants of $100,000 are being awarded to innovative projects which either restore
vital fish and wildlife habitats, develop locally-supported watershed management plans, or promote environmentally-
sensitive development. This initiative is intended to encourage the establishment of partnerships that will create a
conservation legacy in communities throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. As envisioned under the Chesapeake
2000 agreement, this legacy includes abundant, diverse populations offish, wildlife and plants, fed by healthy streams
and rivers, sustaining strong local and regional economies, and our unique quality of life.
Paradise Creek Restoration
Elizabeth River Project
Portsmouth and Chesapeake, Virginia
Community Legacy Grant:
$100,000
Partnership Funds:
$169,000
Through this initiative, the Elizabeth River Project will launch a concerted community restoration of Paradise Creek, a
distressed urban tributary of the Elizabeth River. The Chesapeake Bay Program's monitoring has determined that the
Elizabeth River is the most toxic river within the entire Chesapeake Bay. In this project, a five-year watershed
management plan will be developed for Paradise Creek, with specific goals for restoring fish, wildlife, and plants,
improving water quality, and sustaining a strong local economy. In addition, a former industrial site will be restored
through the planting of 40,000 square feet of forested buffer and 9,000 square feet of new tidal marsh. Project partners
include the City of Portsmouth and numerous local businesses and landowners. Partial funding for this grant is provided
by the NOAA Community-Based Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Baltimore City Public Schools Greening
Baltimore City Department of Public Works
Baltimore, Maryland
Community Legacy Grant:
$100,000
Partnership Funds:
$307,200
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works will coordinate an innovative community-based project that will provide a
large-scale demonstration of environmentally sensitive landscaping techniques. Nine acres of impervious asphalt cover
will be removed from the grounds of six local public schools, and these areas will be planted with grasses and Bay-
friendly landscaping. Three acres of school building rooftop will be disconnected from existing storm drain systems and
the roof drainpipes set to discharge onto the new landscaping areas. The design will trap nutrients and contaminants
before they can enter nearby creeks, and will also help to reduce the flow of stormwater. Students, teachers, and other
community members will participate in all phases of the project, from design to implementation.
Little Kishacoquillas Creek Restoration
Village Pride Association
Belleville, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Community Legacy Grant:
$100,000
Partnership Funds:
$589,000
The Village of Belleville is restoring 2,000 feet of stream and associated riparian areas in the center of the town. Natural
stream morphology will be restored, and riparian buffers planted on both sides of the stream. The Little Kishacoquillas
Creek is currently listed as impaired due to excess nutrients and sediment, and much of the creek lacks adequate riparian
buffers. This project will be complemented by upstream riparian restoration work in the creek's headwaters area. It is
hoped that this comprehensive restoration will help to alleviate the frequent flooding that has plagued downtown Belleville.
Project partners include Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Growing Greener Grants Program, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Mifflin County.
Rappahannock Comprehensive Watershed Planning
Friends of the Rappahannock
Stafford County, Virginia
Community Legacy Grant:
$100,000
Partnership Funds:
$194,800
Friends of the Rappahannock will coordinate a major cooperative effort between non-profit organizations, local
government agencies, and state agencies to produce a set of comprehensive, action-oriented watershed plans for the
tributaries of the Rappahannock River in Stafford County, Virginia. As a part of these plans, specific resource
management recommendations will be developed, and the costs and funding options for implementing these
recommendations will be determined. One watershed, Claiborne Run, will be targeted for specific on-the-ground
demonstration projects aimed at removing the creek from Virginia's list of impaired streams. Projects will include the
retrofitting of existing storm water facilities using innovative techniques such as rain gardens and rain barrels that are
designed to slow storm water flow and absorb nutrients that would otherwise contaminate the creek. Finally, an
innovative program for educating residents about the effects of non-point source pollution will be tested in the
communities along Claiborne Run.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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St. Mary's College of Maryland, in partnership with the Sustainable Development Institute, is coordinating an innovative,
whole systems based effort to revitalize the St. Mary's River watershed. Building on work funded by the 2001
Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Program, a community-wide watershed coalition is being developed to
coordinate and catalyze community-based watershed protection activities. Interactive educational and outreach materials
will be created that translate scientific data from the College's watershed assessment into meaningful forms that are
accessible to lay people. The project will serve as a model for watershed management planning in rural and semi-rural
areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and nationwide.
Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants
Several projects benefit multiple states or the District of Columbia. These projects are listed under each of the states or
the District of Columbia where project activities will occur.
St. Mary's River Watershed Management Plan
St. Mary's College of Maryland Foundation
St. Mary's City, Maryland
Community Legacy Grant:
$100,000
Partnership Funds:
$81,800
District of Columbia
Anacostia Islands Nature Preserve
Earth Conservation Corps
Washington, D. C.
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $177,500
The Anacostia Islands Nature Preserve is a community-
based environmental education and habitat restoration
project on Heritage and Kingman Islands in the Anacostia
River. Using NFWF-Chesapeake Bay funding, Earth
Conservation Corps will train community members who
will, in turn, lead groups of volunteers in the clean up and
restoration of riparian habitats on Heritage Island. Project
partners include Americorps, National Geographic Society,
DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC
Environmental Health Administration, and DC Office of
Planning.
Anacostia River Restoration
Anacostia Watershed Society
District of Columbia and adjacent parts of Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $91,800
The Anacostia Watershed Society is launching a new
streambank stabilization project. Volunteers will restore
five miles of severely eroded streambanks along the
northwest branch of the Anacostia River using old
Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
www.chesapeakebay.net
Christmas trees to stabilize the soil. Additional mulch and
soil will be added, and native vegetation planted. Partial
funding forth is grant is provided by the NOAA Community-
Based Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake
Bay Office.
Anacostia River Watershed Business Coalition
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Anacostia River watershed, District of Columbia and
Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $34,000
Partnership Funds: $43,878
The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin,
in collaboration with the District of Columbia Environmental
Health Administration (DC-EHA), will work with businesses
in the Anacostia Watershed to identify specific practices
that each business can use to reduce non-point source
pollution. Funding from the Small Watershed Grant
Program will be used to: conduct site visits and host a
workshop; print and mail a quarterly newsletter to
participating businesses; and develop and coordinate a
network of persons who can provide voluntary technical
support to participating businesses. Project partners, in
addition to DC-EHA, include Potomac Electric Power
Company, Washington Gas, and the Anacostia River
Basin Commission.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Washington DC 20036
www.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Low Impact Development for Urban Watersheds
The District of Columbia Office of Planning
Washington, DC
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $100,000
Low Impact Development (LID) strategies for storm water
management apply new technologies and techniques to
minimize the adverse environmental impacts that are
associated with storm water runoff. Although a number of
small-scale LID demonstration projects have been built,
methods have yet to be developed for applying LID
principles in large scale urban areas. In this project, the
District of Columbia Office of Planning will work with staff
from the Low Impact Development (LID) Centerto develop
a set of LID planning procedures that can be applied in
urban areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay area. As a
test project, a LID master plan will be created for an area
of the District of Columbia that is currently undergoing
revitalization.
Maryland
Adkins Arboretum Invasive Species Control
Adkins Arboretum
Ridgely, Caroline County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $12,800
Partnership Funds: $11,266
Adkins Arboretum will undertake an invasive species
control program to remove four troublesome exotic plant
species from two native meadow restoration areas at the
Arboretum. The meadows will be enhanced with native
forbs and grasses to increase their diversity. A seminar
will be held for professionals and the general public on
exotic/invasive plant removal techniques. Signs will be
installed that explain the significance of the restoration
work and its relationship to the Bay's health. Project
partners include Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, Maryland
Cooperative Extension's Master Gardeners program,
Maryland Conservation Corps, Washington College, and
local youth organizations.
Anacostia River Restoration
Anacostia Watershed Society
District of Columbia and adjacent parts of Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $91,800
The Anacostia Watershed Society is launching a new
streambank stabilization project. Volunteers will restore
five miles of severely eroded streambanks along the
Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
www.chesapeakebay.net
Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River using old
Christmas trees to stabilize the soil. Additional mulch and
soil will be added, and native vegetation planted. Partial
funding forth is grant is provided by the NOAA Community-
Based Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake
Bay Office.
Anacostia River Watershed Business Coalition
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin
Anacostia River Watershed, District of Columbia and
Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $34,000
Partnership Funds: $43,878
The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin,
in collaboration with the District of Columbia Environmental
Health Administration (DC-EHA), will work with businesses
in the Anacostia watershed to identify specific practices
that each business can use to reduce non-point source
pollution. Funding from the Small Watershed Grants
Program will be used to: conduct site visits and host a
workshop; print and mail a quarterly newsletter to
participating businesses; and develop and coordinate a
network of persons who can provide voluntary technical
support to participating businesses. Project partners, in
addition to DC-EHA, include Potomac Electric Power
Company, Washington Gas, and the Anacostia River
Basin Commission.
Annapolis Community Watershed Conservation
Alliance for Community Education
Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $40,000
Partnership Funds: $330,800
Alliance for Community Education will bring together a
diverse group of partners, including the City of Annapolis,
Anne Arundel County, local developers, civic
organizations, and environmental groups, to construct
seven demonstration sites showcasing a variety of
techniques for environmentally sensitive development.
NFWF-Chesapeake Bay funds will be used at a site where
a highly innovative technique for preventing clay particles
from reaching local streams is being tested. The method
uses compost berms to trap the clay particles, which would
otherwise cloud water for weeks and clog the gills offish
and other aquatic organisms. It has long been assumed
that clay particles could not be controlled on construction
sites.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Washington DC 20036
www.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Antietam and Monocacy Watershed Restoration
Ducks Unlimited
Antietam and Monocacy Creeks, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $379,474
This large-scale restoration project will help meet several
of the restoration goals established by the Potomac
Watershed Partnership and the Chesapeake 2000
agreement. Twenty-three miles of riparian habitat and 35
acres of wetlands will be restored within the local
watersheds, primarily by working with members of the
Mennonite and Amish communities. In addition, a set of
evaluation techniques will be developed to assess the
work of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
(CREP) in Maryland. Finally, a stream restoration guide
targeted at dairy operations will be published and
distributed to major dairy operators in the two focal
watersheds. Key project partners include the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife
Service, USDA Forest Service, and the Washington
County Soil Conservation District. Funding forthis project
is provided by the USDA Forest Service and the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Bog Turtle Habitat Restoration on Private Lands
Ecosystem Recovery Institute, Inc.
Gunpowder River headwaters, Maryland and
Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $50,000
Ecosystem Recovery Institute will work with farmers to
restore and conserve habitat forthreatened bog turtles and
other wildlife species in the headwaters area of the
Gunpowder River in north-central Maryland and adjacent
parts of Pennsylvania. This project is part of a larger-scale
restoration effort aimed at protecting and restoring critical
riparian and wetland habitat throughout the Gunpowder
River watershed, which has been identified as a critical
region for bog turtle recovery activities. Partners include
Maryland Quail Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. Foundation funds will be used for salaries and
benefits. Funding forthis project is provided by the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Chesapeake Conservation Challenge
The Conservation Fund
Wicomico County, Maryland; York and Lancaster
Counties, Pennsylvania; and Richmond, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $190,000
Three areas of critical wildlife habitat will be conserved as
a part of this large-scale conservation initiative. A 47-acre
wetland in the headwaters of Barren Creek, a tributary of
Maryland's Nanticoke River, will be restored using native
tree species. In addition, 5 acres of wetlands will be
restored and 200 acres of riparian buffer and native warm
season grasses will be planted along the lower
Rappahannock River in Virginia. Finally, a comprehensive
conservation assessment and land protection strategy will
be produced for lands owned by electric utilities along the
lower Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Potential
partnerships will be explored with the utilities aimed at
long-term preservation of natural resources within the river
corridor. Project partners include the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation. Partial funding for the project is provided by
Bass Pro Shops.
Chesapeake Bay Wildlife Habitat Stewardship
Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage
Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Dorchester Counties, Md.
Small Watershed Grant: $49,600
Partnership Funds: $273,300
Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage will continue their highly
successful wildlife habitat conservation program on
Maryland's Eastern Shore. This program has previously
received funding through other grant programs of the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Under this year's
project, 100 acres of wetlands will be restored, 50 acres of
wooded riparian buffer will be planted, and 250 acres of
native warm season grass meadows will be created. The
four hundred acres of restored wildlife habitat will be
permanently protected through conservation easements,
and approximately two hundred acres will be re-sold to
conservation buyers. Project partners include the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Services' Conservation
Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), two local
foundations, a local Waterfowl Festival and a dedicated
group of volunteers.
Chester River Farmland Conservation
Chesapeake Fields Institute
Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $40,000
Partnership Funds: $471,700
The Chesapeake Fields Institute will continue pioneering
research into alternative markets forfarmers on Maryland's
Eastern Shore. By encouraging farmers to grow value-
added crops for specialty niche markets, this project aims
to insure that farming remains a viable land use option on
Maryland's Eastern Shore. Farmers will be encouraged
to implement environmentally benign management
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
Page 6
practices and to participate in community-wide
environmental stewardship efforts. Project partners
include Kent County, the University of Maryland, the
Maryland Soybean Board, the Maryland Center for Agro-
Ecology, and the Town Creek Foundation.
Eastern Neck Restoration and Wetland Nursery
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Baltimore City and Kent County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $37,755
Partnership Funds: $36,019
Elementary school children in the City of Baltimore will
help construct two wetland plant nurseries, in which they
will grow smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) for the
National Aquarium's large-scale marsh restoration project
at Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge in Kent County,
Maryland. The four-acre Eastern Neck site has been
created through the beneficial use of dredged materials,
and is located within view of the Refuge's headquarters
footpath. Project partners include the Friends of Eastern
Neck National Wildlife Refuge, the USDA Plant Materials
Laboratory, Parks & People Foundation's KidsGrow
Program, and the Back River Tributary Team. Funding for
this grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
Gaithersburg Watershed Restoration
City of Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $46,800
Partnership Funds: $42,312
The City of Gaithersburg is working in partnership with
community organizations to improve water quality and
implement recommendations of recent stream
assessments through riparian forest restoration projects.
The City's watershed has been severely degraded by
urban development and the presence of two major
interstate highways. For this particular project, 200 linear
feet of eroding stream bank will be stabilized and restored,
while 1,000 feet of riparian forest buffer will be established
at two sites. Several Boy and Girl Scout troops as well as
staff, students, and parents from two local schools will
participate in the restoration activities. The Izaak Walton
League and a local for-profit environmental consulting firm
are providing technical assistance. Partial funding forthis
project is provided by the USDA Forest Service.
Herring Run Watershed Conservation
Herring Run Watershed Association
Baltimore, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $186,100
Herring Run Watershed Association is continuing a
successful program ofwaterquality monitoring and habitat
restoration within Baltimore's Herring Run watershed.
With NFWF-Chesapeake Bay funding, the association will
reforest approximately 200 acres of under-utilized urban
brownfields along the creek, and seek permanent
protection forthese reforested areas as public open space.
In addition, plans will be developed for mitigating an
uncontained 170-acre landfill which is leaching
contaminants into the creek and which has been
nominated for Superfund designation.
Island Creek Marsh and Shoreline Conservation
Chesapeake Bay Field Lab
St. George's Island, St. Mary's County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $5,000
Partnership Funds: $69,300
The Chesapeake Bay Field Lab will purchase supplies and
materials necessary to engage local schoolchildren in
marsh and seagrass restoration projects. Restoration
areas are located in and around the mouth of the St.
Mary's River in southern Maryland. Project partners
include the Chesapeake Bay Trust, St. Mary's College of
Maryland, local schools, and numerous local volunteers.
Partial funding forthis grant is provided by the U.S Fish
and Wildlife Service.
Jones Falls Watershed Restoration
Greater Homewood Community Corporation for
the Jones Falls Watershed Association
Baltimore, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $150,000
Through this project, the Jones Falls Watershed
Association will restore 1,000 linear feet of stream and
develop a comprehensive management plan for Jones
Falls, which has been designated a Priority Urban Water
under the Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement. Over 70%
of the Jones Falls watershed is urbanized, and 59% of the
stream miles are without a forested buffer. The stream
restoration project will involve channel realignment,
reconnecting the channel to the floodplain, recreating step
pools, eradicating invasive species, and reestablishing a
native forest buffer. The watershed management plan will
synthesize and update the existing plans of Baltimore City
and Baltimore County into a single plan that incorporates
the entire watershed. Project partners include Towson
University and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Lower Potomac Habitat Restoration
Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and
Development Board
Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $45,000
The Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and
Development Board, in conjunction with the Lower
Potomac Tributary Team, will install a bioretention facility
adjacent to the new offices of the St. Mary's County
Department of Planning and Zoning. The facility will be
designed to absorb storm water runoff and pollutants from
2.5 acres of asphalt parking lots and roadways. Native
vegetation will be planted in the bioretention areas, and
riparian forest buffers will be restored along a stream that
drains from the site. Additional project partners include the
Southern Maryland Forestry Service Office and three
departments of the St. Mary's County government.
Nanticoke River SAV Restoration
University of Maryland Foundation
Cambridge, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $47,320
Partnership Funds: $38,197
This project will create three 0.5-acre areas of submerged
aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitat in the lower Nanticoke
River. Local students, teachers, and citizen volunteers will
assess site suitability for restoration, propagate and plant
eelgrass, monitor the success of the restoration efforts,
and share their results with others through the use of the
Internet. Project partners include the University of
Maryland's Horn Point Laboratory, the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation, the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, the Lower
Shore Tributary Team, and Dorchester and Wicomico
County public school systems. Funding for this grant is
provided by the NOAA Community-Based Restoration
Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.
Neff Run Watershed Restoration
Allegany Soil Conservation District
Midland, Allegany County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $95,480
The Allegany Soil Conservation District will use
bioengineering techniques to stabilize and restore severely
eroding stream banks along 800 feet of Neff Run and two
of its tributaries. 100 feet of riparian forest buffer will also
be restored using native tree species. A fish habitat
structure will be installed in Matthew's Run, which is a
tributary to Neff Run. This restoration project is closely
integrated with the Maryland Bureau of Mines' acid mine
drainage abatement project for Neff Run and its tributaries.
Other project partners include the Environmental
Protection Agency's 319 Program, USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Maryland Department of
Agriculture, Maryland Department of Natural Resources,
Allegany County Department of Community Services,
Upper Potomac Tributary Team, and the George's Creek
Watershed Association.
Non-point Source Pollution Prevention
Global Action Plan
Arlington and Fredericksburg, Virginia; Annapolis,
Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $16,881
One of the major goals of community-based watershed
protection is the reduction of non-point source pollution. In
the Chesapeake Bay watershed, community watershed
organizations have conducted extensive education and
outreach campaigns to inform the general public of the
actions needed to reduce non-point source pollution.
Although these campaigns are generally well received,
they often fail to translate into specific actions. In this
project, Global Action Plan will apply an innovative
approach that recruits and empowers individual
householdsto achieve measurable reductions in theirnon-
point source pollution. If successful, this technique could
serve as a model for larger-scale non-point source
reduction efforts throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay
watershed. Project partners include the City of Annapolis,
Weems Creek Conservancy, Arlingtonians for a Clean
Environment, Arlington County, and the cities of
Alexandria and Falls Church.
Piney Creek Watershed Conservation
Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation
Parkton, Baltimore County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $71,600
Equine Rescue and Rehabilitation, a non-profit educational
farm located along Piney Creek in Baltimore County,
Maryland, will develop a demonstration site for livestock
farmers that models best management techniques for
improving waterquality. 50 acres of steep, eroded pasture
land will be restored with native grasses to prevent
sediment erosion. The construction of a manure storage
facility for the farm will help reduce contamination of the
creek and groundwater. A pasture management plan will
be developed that uses livestock rotation and other
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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innovative managementtechniquesto minimize the impact
of livestock on steep, easily eroded slopes. Education and
outreach efforts will be conducted to inform nearby farmers
of the water quality problems that can result from
continuous grazing on steep slopes. Project partners
include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, a local high school, and faculty from Johns
Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.
Funding for this project is provided by the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
Potomac Gorge Protection and Restoration
Potomac Conservancy
Montgomery County, Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax
Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $83,200
The Potomac Conservancy will combine habitat restoration
projects and landowner outreach to restore critical native
plant habitat and improve water quality in the Potomac
River Gorge. Home to over 200 rare plant species, the
Potomac River Gorge is an important area for plant
diversity, and is a priority conservation area for both The
Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service.
Within the gorge, one thousand linearfeet of riparian forest
buffer will be restored, and a crew of volunteer "Weed
Watchers" will be established to monitor ecologically
sensitive areas and eradicate invasive plant species. In
addition, educational mailings and workshops will inform
private landowners along the gorge about steps they can
take to minimize impacts on water quality and native plant
communities in the gorge. Project partners, in addition to
TNC and NPS, include the Fairfax County Park Authority
and the Audubon Naturalist Society. Partial funding for
this project is provided by the U. S. Fish and Wldlife
Service.
Severn River Watershed Restoration
Severn River Association
Annapolis, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $117,500
The Severn River Association is in the process of
developing a large-scale community-based watershed
restoration strategy for Maryland's Severn River. NFWF-
Chesapeake Bay funding will support the completion of
this restoration strategy and the preparatory work needed
to design and develop at least ten on-the-ground
restoration projects. The association will draw on its
existing network of over 60 community organizations and
state and local government partners to implement these
restoration projects.
Smith Island Wetland Restoration
Crisfieid & Smith Island Cultural Alliance
Smith Island, Somerset County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $6,967
Partnership Funds: $16,576
Crisfieid & Smith Island Cultural Alliance will hire a part-
time staff person to restore one acre of wetlands adjacent
to the Smith Island Center's museum. Invasive plants will
be removed and native wetland plants re-established.
Interpretive signs will be installed to inform museum
visitors about the restoration efforts and about native
wetland plants. Somerset County will be contributing in-
kind goods and services to this project. Funding for this
grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
South River Oyster and SAV Restoration
Chesapeake Appreciation, Inc.
South River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000 (NOAA)
Partnership Funds: $227,000
Chesapeake Appreciation, Inc., in partnership with the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, will restore a
5-acre oyster reef in Harness Creek, South River,
Maryland. The restored reef will be seeded with oyster
spat provided by the Oyster Recovery Partnership. The
presence of the oysters will help improve water quality,
which in turn will improve the likelihood of successful
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration in
Harness Creek. Previous efforts to restore SAV in this
area have failed due to poorwaterquality. Funding forthis
grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Susquehanna Watershed Leadership Initiative
Izaak Walton League of America
Susquehanna River Watershed: Maryland, New
York and Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $40,500
Partnership Funds: $52,500
Building on work funded under last year's Chesapeake
Bay Small Watershed Grants Program, the Izaak Walton
League will continue to provide watershed restoration
training to communities in the Susquehanna basin. A
series of workshops will be offered at sites throughout the
Susquehanna watershed to train volunteers and staff of
community organizations in techniques for habitat
enhancement, stream restoration, and monitoring of
restoration sites. These skills will translate into additional
on-the-ground restoration projects that will help protect
and restore living resources and water quality in the
Susquehanna River. Project partners include the
Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, the
Upper Susquehanna Coalition and Philip Morris
Companies, Inc.
Takoma Park Riparian and Wetland Restoration
Takoma Park Middle School
Takoma Park, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $10,170
Partnership Funds: $19,160
275 students from Takoma Park Middle School will
participate in conservation education, riparian buffer
restoration, and wetland restoration activities. The
students will map a stream buffer area 0.25 miles long,
remove non-native plants, and re-establish native plants in
the riparian area. In addition, the students will help to
restore a wetland area at Brookside Gardens, a public
arboretum maintained by the Maryland Capital Parks and
Planning Commission. Materials are being donated by
local nurseries and civic organizations, as well as the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Alliance
for the Chesapeake Bay, and the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation.
Truxton Park Wetlands Restoration
City of Annapolis Recreation and Parks Department
Annapolis, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $32,095
Partnership Funds: $67,300
The City of Annapolis is restoring a 1500-foot wetland
zone along Spa Creek in Truxton Park, which is located in
downtown Annapolis. Offshore fiber logs will be installed
to trap sediments from eroding stream banks. The logs
will be planted with native Spartina grasses to augment the
existing sparse wetland vegetation. Areas of bare soil
along the creek bank will be planted with native vegetation
to further stabilize the eroding slope. Dramatically eroded
footpaths along the shoreline will be repaired or redirected
to stabilize the slopes while reducing human impact within
the buffer. Members of five community organizations and
NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Program Office staff will
participate as volunteers in this restoration effort. Funding
for this grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
Upper Chesapeake Bay Oyster Reef Sanctuary
Oyster Recovery Partnership
Upper Chesapeake Bay, near Gales Lump
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $100,000
Six thousand cubic yards of rubble from Baltimore's
Memorial Stadium are being used to develop a four to five
acre oyster sanctuary reef in the upper Chesapeake Bay
near Gales Lump. The installation of reef balls, disease-
free oyster spat on shells, and supplemental overlying
shell will complete the project, which has been designed to
support a diverse benthic community, including
commercial species of finfish. Project partners include the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the U. S.
Army Corps of Engineers, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
and the Maryland Watermen's Association. Funding for
this grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
US Naval Academy SAV/Oyster Reef Restoration
Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Annapolis, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $41,900
Partnership Funds: $20,500
The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in partnership with
the U.S. Navy and Maryland Department of Natural
Resources, will restore an oyster reef and associated
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) plantings in the
Severn River adjacent to Annapolis, Maryland.
Approximately 100 linear feet of oyster reef will be created,
and 2,000 shoots of SAV planted. The reef will help to
slow shoreline erosion at the U. S. Naval Academy. Other
project partners include the Oyster Recovery Partnership,
NOAA's Chesapeake Bay office, and the Severn River
Association. Funding for this grant is provided by the
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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NOAA Community-Based Restoration Center and the
NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.
Western Maryland Karst Sinkhole Education
Western Maryland Resource Conservation &
Development
Washington, Carroll and Frederick Counties, Md.
Small Watershed Grant: $7,392
Partnership Funds: $7,392
Karst topography presents a unique set of challenges for
watershed management. Limestone sinkholes can rapidly
channel surface contamination into groundwater, thereby
polluting both streams and drinking water sources. This
problem is particularly acute in western Maryland, where
surface contaminants readily enter tributaries of the
Potomac River. Western Maryland Resource Conservation
and Development is developing a 20-page guide that will
provide landowners with a clear explanation of water
quality problems associated with sinkholes, as well as a
compilation of local resources for treating sinkhole
problems. This information is not currently being provided
by any other source. Project partners include the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department
of Agriculture, Maryland Geological Survey, and multiple
local government agencies. Funding for this project is
provided by the USDA Forest Service.
Whitehall Bay Oyster Reef Restoration
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Whitehall Bay, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000 (NOAA)
Partnership Funds: $135,719
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will create an intertidal
oyster reef along the eastern shore of Whitehall Bay.
Thirty piles of marine limestone will be placed parallel to
and about 100 yards from shore in 4-6 feet of water. Once
completed, the reef will be stocked with 2-3000 seed
oysters raised by community volunteers. The restored reef
will also serve as a breakwater to help prevent shoreline
erosion. Project partners include the Oyster Recovery
Partnership, the University of Maryland, the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources, and the Maryland
Watermen's Association. Funding for this grant is
provided by the NOAA Community-Based Restoration
Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office.
Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
www.chesapeakebay.net
New York
Owego Creek Watershed Management Plan
Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District
Tompkins and Tioga Counties, New York
Small Watershed Grant: $26,100
Partnership Funds: $14,800
The Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation
District will coordinate the preparation of a watershed
management plan for Owego Creek, a tributary of the
Susquehanna River in New York's Southern Tier. New
York State's Department of Environmental Conservation
has determined that fish propagation in this creek is
threatened by excess nutrients and sediment from
agricultural sources. The management plan will identify
agricultural practices that can help improve water quality,
and four local watershed organizations will work with
farmers to implement these strategies. Project partners
include the New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation, the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ducks
Unlimited, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Susquehanna Watershed Leadership Initiative
Izaak Walton League of America
Susquehanna River Watershed: Maryland, New
York, and Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $40,500
Partnership Funds: $52,500
Building on work funded under last year's Chesapeake
Bay Small Watershed Grants Program, the Izaak Walton
League will continue to provide watershed restoration
trainings to communities in the Susquehanna basin. A
series of workshops will be offered at sites throughout the
Susquehanna watershed to train volunteers and staff of
community organizations in techniques for habitat
enhancement, stream restoration, and monitoring of
restoration sites. These skills will translate into additional
on-the-ground restoration projects that will help protect and
restore living resources and water quality in the
Susquehanna River. Project partners include the
Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, the
Upper Susquehanna Coalition, and Philip Morris
Companies, Inc.
Upper Susquehanna Zebra Mussel Outreach
Madison County Planning Department
Madison County, New York
Small Watershed Grant $12,500
Partnership Funds: $12,900
The Madison County Planning Department will conduct an
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Washington DC 20036
www.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
Page 11
extensive public outreach campaign and scientific
monitoring aimed at limiting the spread of zebra mussels
within the upper Susquehanna River watershed. Efforts
will be targeted at recreational boaters using Eaton Brook
Reservoir. The reservoir contains the first population of
zebra mussels to become established within the
Chesapeake Bay watershed, posing an extreme threat to
the health of the Bay ecosystem. Funding will be used for
scientific testing and preparation of public outreach
materials. Funding forthis project is provided by the U. S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
Pennsylvania
Bog Turtle Habitat Restoration on Private Lands
Ecosystem Recovery Institute, Inc.
Gunpowder River headwaters, Maryland and
Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $50,000
Ecosystem Recovery Institute will work with farmers to
restore and conserve habitat forthreatened bog turtles and
other wildlife species in the headwaters area of the
Gunpowder River in north-central Maryland and adjacent
parts of Pennsylvania. This project is part of a larger-scale
restoration effort aimed at protecting and restoring critical
riparian and wetland habitat throughout the Gunpowder
River watershed, which has been identified as a critical
region for bog turtle recovery activities. Partners include
Maryland Quail Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wldlife
Service. Foundation funds will be used for salaries and
benefits. Funding forthis project is provided by the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Chesapeake Conservation Challenge
The Conservation Fund
Wcomico County, Md.; York and
Lancaster Counties, Pa.; and Richmond, Va.
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $190,000
Three areas of critical wildlife habitat will be conserved as
a part of this large-scale conservation initiative. A 47-acre
wetland in the headwaters of Barren Creek, a tributary of
Maryland's Nanticoke River, will be restored using native
tree species. In addition, 5 acres of wetlands will be
restored and 200 acres of riparian buffer and native warm
season grasses will be planted along the lower
Rappahannock River in Virginia. Finally, a comprehensive
conservation assessment and land protection strategy will
be produced for lands owned by electric utilities along the
lower Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Potential
partnerships will be explored with the utilities aimed at
long-term preservation of natural resources within the river
corridor. Project partners include the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation. Partial funding forthis grant is provided by
the Bass Pro Shops.
Conestoga Nutrient Trading Pilot
Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Conestoga River watershed, southeastern
Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $795,000
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council will develop and
implement a nutrient trading pilot program for the
Conestoga River watershed. Much of the Conestoga
watershed is listed as impaired due to phosphorus and
sediment, and current conventional treatmenttechnologies
and management practices are not adequately controlling
nutrient loading in the watershed. The nutrient trading
program will enable local stakeholders to trade nutrient
credits, with a goal of reducing overall nutrient loading in
the watershed. This program will follow the Chesapeake
Bay Program's 2001 nutrient trading principles and
guidelines. At least one nutrient reduction trade will be
completed as part of this project, and a framework will be
developed for establishing additional nutrient trading
programs statewide.
Conodoguinet Creek Dam Removal
Trout Unlimited - Cumberland Valley Chapter
Camp Hill and Newville, Cumberland County,
Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $170,000
The Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will
work with a variety of partners to remove two run-of-river
dams, one on the main stem of Conodoguinet Creek, the
other on a tributary to the creek. The dam structures will
be removed to the level of the historic streambed and the
stream channel restored. These two removals will open
up a total of 22 miles of habitat to native anadromous fish.
Community volunteers and staff from the Pennsylvania
Fish and Boat Commission will monitor fish populations
and water quality before and after the removals. Other
project partners include EPA's Chesapeake Bay Program,
the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, American Rivers, and
Pennsylvania Department of Environment Protection's
Growing Greener Grants Program. Partial funding forthis
grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Office.
Kettle Creek Watershed Conservation
Trout Unlimited for Kettle Creek Watershed
Association
Clinton, Potter, and Tioga Counties, Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $145,800
Kettle Creek Watershed Association will undertake a
series of restoration activities aimed at improving water
quality and the health of native brook trout populations in
Kettle Creek, a popular recreational stream in north-central
Pennsylvania. One-half mile of the creek with eroded
banks will be restored using natural stream channel
design, and 2.1 miles of new riparian forest buffer will be
planted along the creek. In addition, an assessment will
be made of the impacts of nearby dirt and gravel roads on
creek water quality. Once this assessment is conducted,
additional state funds will become available to mitigate the
impact of these roads on the creek. Finally, a workshop
will be held to educate local landowners about the
importance of forest buffers for reducing property erosion.
Project partners include the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection's Growing Greener Grants
Program, the R. K. Mellon Foundation, and three
Pennsylvania state agencies (Department of Forestry, Fish
and Boat Commission, and Department ofTransportation).
Leggetts Creek (PA) Riparian Restoration
Lackawanna River Corridor Association
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant:
$10,000
Partnership Funds: $558,050
Volunteers from the Lackawanna River Corridor
Association and three other community organizations will
plant native trees and herbaceous vegetation along 2,000
feet of Leggetts Creek in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The
area to be restored is part of a former anthracite coal mine
which is located on city property. Initial reclamation work
at this site has been funded through Pennsylvania's
Growing Greener grants program. The USDA Forest
Service's Community Forestry Program will be providing
funding for trees and shrubs.
Quittapahilla Creek Watershed Assessment
Lebanon Valley Conservancy for Quittapahilla Creek
Watershed Association
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $195,000
The Quittapahilla Creek Watershed Association is
conducting a comprehensive assessment of conditions in
the creek's watershed, which is located in Lebanon
County, Pennsylvania. NFWF-Chesapeake Bay funding
will be used to collect baseline data on fish and
macroinvertebrate communities, sediment transport rates,
and water quality. These data will be used to develop a
watershed restoration and protection plan for short- and
long-term planning and management efforts. Additional
funding has been provided by Pennsylvania's Growing
Greener grant program, as well as by the U. S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Plan
Susquehanna Economic Development Association -
Council of Governments
Central Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $700,000
The Susquehanna Economic Development Association -
Council ofGovernments will continue the planning process
for the Susquehanna Greenway, a large-scale initiative
linking human and biological communities along the main
stem and west branch of the Susquehanna River in central
Pennsylvania. This year's planning effort will focus on
completing strategic plans and identifying early-action
demonstration projects within six corridor segments along
the river. In addition, the compilation of the technical data
needed forthe implementation of the Greenway project will
be completed, and a series of GIS-based maps will be
created for reporting and planning purposes.
Susquehanna Watershed Leadership Initiative
Izaak Walton League of America
Susquehanna River Watershed: Maryland, New York
and Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $40,500
Partnership Funds: $52,500
Building on work funded under last year's Chesapeake
Bay Small Watershed Grants Program, the Izaak Walton
League will continue to provide watershed restoration
trainings to communities in the Susquehanna basin. A
series of workshops will be offered at sites throughout the
Susquehanna watershed to train volunteers and staff of
community organizations in techniques for habitat
enhancement, stream restoration, and monitoring of
restoration sites. These skills will translate into additional
on-the-ground restoration projects that will help protect and
restore living resources and water quality in the
Susquehanna River. Project partners include the
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, the
Upper Susquehanna Coalition, and Philip Morris
Companies, Inc.
Volunteer Monitoring of Dam Removal
Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers
Cumberland and Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania
Small Watershed Grant: $40,000
Partnership Funds: $29,000
Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers, in
partnership with American Rivers, will work with three
watershed organizations in a demonstration program that
uses volunteers to assess the ecological benefits of dam
removal. A variety of dam removal monitoring activities
will be developed, and pre- and post-removal monitoring
will be conducted at three different sites in the
Susquehanna and Potomac River watersheds. A
guidebook will be published that describes the dam
removal monitoring techniques, making it possible to
replicate this program in other areas of the Chesapeake
Bay watershed.
Virginia
Alexandria Wetland and Buffer Restoration
Alexandria Seaport Foundation
Alexandria, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $40,000
Partnership Funds: $50,000
Working with over 150 in-school and at-risk youth, the
Alexandria Seaport Foundation will restore 60 acres of
wetlands and 65 acres of shoreline buffers along the
Potomac River in Virginia through clean-ups and plantings
of native vegetation. This restoration work will help to
offset the loss of wetland areas due to the construction of
the new Woodrow Wlson Bridge. Project partners include
the National Park Service, EPA Office of Water and
Wetlands, USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service, the City of Alexandria, Alexandria City Public
Schools, Alexandria Juvenile Court Service Unit, and
numerous non-profit organizations. Partial funding forthis
grant is provided by the NOAA Community-Based
Restoration Center and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay
Office.
Chesapeake Conservation Challenge
The Conservation Fund
Wcomico County, Maryland; York and
Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania; and Richmond,
Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
www.chesapeakebay.net
Partnership Funds: $190,000
Three areas of critical wildlife habitat will be conserved as
a part of this large-scale conservation initiative. A 47-acre
wetland in the headwaters of Barren Creek, a tributary of
Maryland's Nanticoke River, will be restored using native
tree species. In addition, 5 acres of wetlands will be
restored and 200 acres of riparian buffer and native warm
season grasses will be planted along the lower
Rappahannock River in Virginia. Finally, a comprehensive
conservation assessment and land protection strategy will
be produced for lands owned by electric utilities along the
lower Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Potential
partnerships will be explored with the utilities aimed at
long-term preservation of natural resources within the river
corridor. Project partners include the Chesapeake Bay
Foundation. Partial funding forthis grant is provided by
the Bass Pro Shops.
Chesterfield Riparian Habitat Restoration
Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $19,700
Partnership Funds: $9,100
The Commonwealth of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay
Preservation Act of 1988 mandated protection for 100-foot
riparian corridors along 469 miles of perennial streams and
wetlands. In 1990, Chesterfield County adopted an
ordinance requiring landowners to maintain these riparian
corridors in a natural, fully vegetated state. While the
county has been successful in applying these rules to
commercial and residential developers, many small
landowners, especially within residential subdivisions, are
unwittingly in violation. In 2000, the county began working
with these landowners to educate them about the
importance of restoring degraded riparian areas. The
present project will construct three demonstration sites,
showing how proper management techniques can provide
landowners with both water access, views of the water,
and a functional riparian forest buffer.
Eastern Shore Watershed Network
Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation
District
Accomack and Northampton Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $98,475
The Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District
will coordinate community watershed monitoring and
restoration efforts along Virginia's Eastern Shore.
Intensive water quality monitoring will be conducted in six
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Washington DC 20036
www.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
Page 14
creeks draining directly into the Chesapeake Bay.
Additional intensive studies will be focused on a single
watershed to determine priority areas for restoration of
submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). A series of
workshops will be offered to educate community members
about watershed conservation, and to facilitate the
development of a community watershed association.
Four Mile Run Watershed Conservation
Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment
Arlington, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $49,200
Partnership Funds: $24,700
Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment will pursue a variety
of strategies to improve water quality within the Four Mile
Run watershed. Interpretive signs, presentations to
community organizations, and a new website will help to
educate watershed residents about watershed ecology
and the effects of human activities on water quality. Three
demonstration sites - one at a business, one at a home,
and one at a school - will be created to demonstrate Bay-
friendly gardening techniques. In collaboration with Global
Action Plan, nine "Eco-Teams" will be started in the
watershed to educate neighbors about waterquality and to
track behavioral changes that lead to water quality
improvements. Other project partners include Arlington
County, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and the
Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.
Goose Creek Rapid Watershed Planning
Piedmont Environmental Council, as fiscal agent for
Goose Creek Association
Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $40,000
The Goose Creek Association and its partners will develop
and begin implementation of a comprehensive watershed
management plan for the Goose Creek watershed, which
is undergoing rapid development. Final products will
include a watershed vulnerability analysis, a
comprehensive survey of stream conditions, three detailed
subwatershed management plans, and a set of
Geographic Information System (GIS) data layers needed
for conservation work in the watershed. A broad coalition
of local stakeholders, including 11 different organizations
and local government agencies, supports the project,
which is in a priority area for the Potomac Watershed
Partnership. The Piedmont Environmental Council will
provide fiscal oversight, while the Center for Watershed
Protection will provide technical assistance. Partial
funding for this project is provided by the USDA Forest
Service.
James River Watershed (VA) Habitat Restoration
James River Association
James River watershed, south-central Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $45,000
Partnership Funds: $90,000
The James River Association will restore 50 acres/7 miles
of riparian corridor along the lower James River in Virginia.
The project area has the largest summer concentration of
bald eagles east of the Mississippi and supports
anadromous fish such as alewife, shad, herring, and
sturgeon. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
recommendations will be followed in designing and
implementing the restoration. Buffers will have an average
width of 50 feet. This project will help the Commonwealth
of Virginia meet its riparian buffer restoration goals under
the Chesapeake 2000 agreement. The annual goal for
buffer restoration in the entire James River watershed is
12.6 miles; this project will restore 7 miles, which is more
than 50% of the annual goal for the entire watershed.
Funding for this project is provided by the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service.
James Spinymussel Habitat Restoration
Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
Albemarle, Fluvanna, and Nelson Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $25,000
The Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation
District will work with farmers and other landowners to
restore four miles of riparian buffers along four tributaries
of the James River in central Virginia. The presence of
these buffers will improve waterquality, which will directly
benefit the federally endangered James Spinymussel. The
mussel has been extirpated from 90% of its historic range
because of water quality degradation. Project sites will be
targeted to conserve existing mussel populations and
establish potential re-population areas. Partners for this
project include the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
Albemarle County Department of Engineering, local
conservation organizations, and numerous local
landowners. Partial funding for this project is provided by
the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Lake Anna Shoreline Conservation
Friends of Lake Anna State Park
Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $4,000
Partnership Funds: $1,440
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Friends of Lake Anna State Park will demonstrate an
alternative approach to shoreline erosion control that is
less costly than traditional methods such as rip-rap.
Shoreline stabilization at Lake Anna State Park will be
achieved by using a combination of bio-logs, cut cedar
trees, erosion control matting, and riparian buffer
plantings. Funding has been requested for materials only;
volunteers from Friends of Lake Anna State Park will
provide all of the labor for construction. Project partners
include three state agencies (Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Department of
Forestry, Virginia Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service), the
York Watershed Council, and Dominion Power.
Lexington Bioretention and Biofiltration Basins
City of Lexington
Lexington, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $10,000
Partnership Funds: $50,000
The City of Lexington is creating six landscaped beds at
the south end of the city's Main Street commercial corridor.
Each bed will use vegetation and soils to filter pollutants
and reduce the amount of storm water runoff from adjacent
streets, parking lots, and building roofs. By constructing
these beds, the city will implement a specific
recommendation of the comprehensive Wood's Creek
Watershed management plan. The biological health of
Wood's Creek has been in decline in recent years, and the
city is working in partnership with the Izaak Walton
League, the Virginia Department of Forestry, the Valley
Conservation Council, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, and other partners to reverse this
decline.
Monacan Watershed Management Plan
Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District
Goochland and Powhatan Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $28,000
Partnership Funds: $37,700
The Monacan Soil and Water Conservation District will
begin the first phase of watershed plan development in
Goochland and Powhatan Counties. Workshops will be
held to educate county residents, administrators, and
landowners about the importance of watershed
conservation and to obtain buy-in for the watershed
planning process. Simultaneously, a conceptual
framework will be developed for the Monacan Soil and
Water Conservation District's comprehensive watershed
management plan. Project partners include Goochland
and Powhatan Counties, Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation, USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Virginia Department of Game and
Inland Fisheries, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Ducks
Unlimited, and local businesses and non-profit
organizations.
Non-point Source Pollution Prevention
Global Action Plan
Arlington and Fredericksburg, Virginia; Annapolis,
Maryland
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $16,881
One of the major goals of community-based watershed
protection is the reduction of non-point source pollution. In
the Chesapeake Bay watershed, community watershed
organizations have conducted extensive education and
outreach campaigns to inform the general public of the
actions needed to reduce non-point source pollution.
Although these campaigns are generally well received,
they often fail to translate into specific actions. In this
project, Global Action Plan will apply an innovative
approach that recruits and empowers individual
households to achieve measurable reductions in their non-
point source pollution. If successful, this technique could
serve as a model for larger-scale non-point source
reduction efforts throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay
watershed. Project partners include the City of Annapolis,
Weems Creek Conservancy, Arlingtonians for a Clean
Environment, Arlington County, and the cities of
Alexandria and Falls Church.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
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Piedmont Habitat Corridor Conservation
Piedmont Environmental Council
Western Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $100,000
The Piedmont Environmental Council will use a
combination of strategies to permanently protect 8,500
acres of critical wildlife habitat along riparian corridors in
Virginia's Piedmont region. Private landowners will be
contacted and encouraged to participate in this large-scale
conservation program. Tools that will be available for this
effort include revolving funds, purchase of development
rights programs, and a newly developed conservation
buyer program, in addition to more traditional strategies
such as donation of conservation easements. Small
Watershed Grant funding will provide support to staff who
will be identifying key parcels and conducting landowner
outreach. Other project partners include individual donors
and a number of regional foundations.
Potomac Gorge Protection and Restoration
Potomac Conservancy
Montgomery County, Maryland; Arlington and Fairfax
Counties, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $83,200
The Potomac Conservancy will combine habitat restoration
projects and landowner outreach to restore critical native
plant habitat and improve water quality in the Potomac
River Gorge. Home to over 200 rare plant species, the
Potomac River Gorge is an important area for plant
diversity, and is a priority conservation area for both The
Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service.
Wthin the gorge, one thousand linearfeet of riparian forest
buffer will be restored, and a crew of volunteer "Weed
Watchers" will be established to monitor ecologically
sensitive areas and eradicate invasive plant species. In
addition, educational mailings and workshops will inform
private landowners along the gorge about steps they can
take to minimize impacts on water quality and native plant
communities in the gorge. Project partners, in addition to
TNC and NPS, include the Fairfax County Park Authority
and the Audubon Naturalist Society.
Sandy River Watershed Management Plan
Piedmont Soil & Water Conservation District
Farmville, Prince Edward County, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $20,000
Partnership Funds: $83,400
The Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District will
complete a watershed management plan for the Sandy
River in south-central Virginia. Restoration projects will
help to implement the plan's recommendations. Over a
half-mile of riparian forest buffer will be planted with native
trees and shrubby vegetation. In addition, fifteen septic
systems that have been identified as major contributors to
nutrient pollution within the watershed will be pumped out.
Project partners include Prince Edward County, USDA's
Earth Team volunteers, the Virginia Department of Health,
Clean Virginia Waterways, and Longwood College.
Shenandoah Valley Conservation
Potomac Conservancy
Winchester, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $50,000
The Shenandoah Conservation Project is dedicated to
securing permanent protection for riparian forest lands in
the northern end of the Shenandoah Valley. Less than
30% of riparian forests remain along the Shenandoah
River and its tributaries, and significant portions of the
existing forests and wetlands are degraded. Jim
Lawrence, Shenandoah Conservation Manager at the
Potomac Conservancy, will work with private landowners
to permanently protect targeted parcels through voluntary
easements and enrollment in federal programs such as the
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
The program is an important complement to the ongoing
restoration work of the Potomac Watershed Partnership.
Project partners include the USDA Forest Service, the
George Washington-Jefferson National Forest, and the
Virginia Department of Forestry. Funding for this project
is provided by the USDA Forest Service.
State of Loudoun County Streams Report
Loudoun County Department of Building and
Development
Loudoun County, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $25,000
Partnership Funds: $85,000
Loudoun County will develop a single, centralized county-
wide database for stream water quality monitoring
information, including chemical, physical, and biological
data. The database will be integrated into the Loudoun
County Geographic Information System ("LOGIS"), making
these data available for land use planners and other
county staff. From the database, a "State of Loudoun
Streams" report will be generated that provides an analysis
of water quality data, identifies data deficiencies, and
identifies areas having greatest need for corrective or
restoration efforts. An intensive public outreach campaign
will also be launched to educate the county's 169,000
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
Page 17
residents about individual actions that can help improve
water quality and to develop new watershed associations
for underserved areas. Funding forthis project is provided
by the USDA Forest Service.
State of the Shenandoah Valley Report
Valley Conservation Council
Staunton, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $17,000
Partnership Funds: $17,000
The Valley Conservation Council is currently working on a
"State of the Valley" report that will provide data on growth,
conservation, and land use planning in Virginia's
Shenandoah Valley. This funding will allow the report to
be printed and copies distributed to nearly 400 land-use
decision makers in the Valley's 11 counties, 7 cities, and
30 towns. In addition to the printed report, PowerPoint
slide presentations will be developed, illustrating
environmentally sensitive models for development, and
presenting the results of the "State of the Valley" report.
These slide shows will be presented to the public via a
series of public forums as well as presentations to local
decision-making bodies. Project partners include the
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, local
land use consultants, and several private foundations.
Funding for this project is provided by the USDA Forest
Service.
Western Loudoun Restoration Project
Ducks Unlimited
Loudoun County, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $74,800
Through this project, Ducks Unlimited will restore 30 acres
of wetlands, restore 3 miles of riparian buffers, and
construct 4 demonstration bioretention facilities, or rain
gardens, at multiple sites on private lands within the two
largest watersheds in Loudoun County, Virginia. Outreach
efforts will inform county landowners of the importance of
riparian buffers and increase awareness of available cost-
share programs. Project partners include the Virginia
Department of Forestry, the Potomac Watershed
Partnership, Loudoun County Soil & Water Conservation
District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
and two local non-profit organizations. Funding for this
project is provided by the USDA Forest Service and the
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Westmoreland Oyster Reef Restoration
Westmoreland County
Yeocomico River, Westmoreland County, Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Program
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
www.chesapeakebay.net
Small Watershed Grant: $30,000
Partnership Funds: $102,000
Westmoreland County is restoring ten acres of oyster reef
in Virginia's Yeocomico River. One acre will be a
protected "sanctuary" reef while the remaining nine acres
will be open to commercial harvest. Westmoreland County
currently produces more than three quarters of Virginia's
annual oyster harvest. The county's overall goal is to
enhance the existing oyster populations through the
restoration of 77 acres of reef habitat. In addition to the
restoration work, a detailed oyster restoration plan will be
developed for the county that is consistent with the
guidelines of the Baywide Comprehensive Oyster
Restoration Plan. Project partners include the Virginia
Marine Resources Commission, the Chesapeake Bay
Restoration Fund, and the Port Kinsale Foundation.
Funding for this grant is provided by the NOAA
Community-Based Restoration Center and the NOAA
Chesapeake Bay Office.
Yorktowne Square Storm water Management
Yorktowne Square Condominium Association
Falls Church, Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $50,000
Partnership Funds: $115,000
Yorktowne Square is a condominium complex in a highly
urban area of Fairfax County, Virginia. Recent
construction activity has led to impairment of a small creek
running through the complex. With Small Watershed Grant
funding, the condominium complexwill be retrofitted using
BayScaping and an innovative storm water management
system. One building will be fitted with a "green roof that
filters storm water and recycles nutrients by using natural
vegetation. Three rain gardens and four heavily planted
drain areas will help reduce the flow and filter storm water
runoff. Finally, volunteers will restore riparian forest
buffers along the stream. Project partners include Fairfax
County's Department of Public Works, the Northern
Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, and the
Virginia Department of Forestry.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Washington DC 20036
www.nfwf.org
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2002 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants Recipients
Page 18
West Virginia
Cacapon and Lost Rivers Watershed Plan
Implementation
Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust
High View, West Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $35,000
Partnership Funds: $518,500
Cacapon and Lost Rivers Land Trust will build on the
successful watershed planning effort that was supported
last year by the Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants
Program. This year's funding will be used to print and
distribute copies of the watershed conservation plan to key
landowners and local decision-makers. Owners of areas
that are important for watershed protection and wildlife
habitat conservation will be invited to participate in
workshops that will provide information about conservation
options, including voluntary conservation easements. In
partnership with the Potomac Conservancy, the Land Trust
will also develop a Conservation Buyers program to help
local landowners find conservation-minded buyers for key
parcels. Other project partners include the National Park
Service, Canaan Valley Institute, and several family
foundations.
Tuscarora Creek Watershed Management Plan
Eastern Panhandle Soil Conservation District
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Small Watershed Grant: $31,500
Partnership Funds: $53,800
The Eastern Panhandle Soil Conservation District is
preparing a comprehensive stream corridor and
watershed management plan for the entire length of
West Virginia's Tuscarora Creek. This creek, 15 miles
long, flows into the Opequon, which is in turn a tributary
of the Potomac River. Members of thirteen government
agencies and local non-profit organizations will inventory
land use within the creek's watershed, identify resource
concerns, and develop action plans for addressing these
concerns. The ultimate goal of this planning effort is the
restoration of a "greenway" of riparian wildlife habitat
and complementary trails along the creek corridor.
Chesapeake Bay Program National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 900
Annapolis, Maryland 21403 Washington DC 20036
www.chesapeakebay.netwww.nfwf.org
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