NFWF Atlantic River Restoration Grants 2018

In December 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), along with with numerous federal, state, and local agencies, companies, and organizations announced funding for a variety of upcoming projects to protect and restore rivers, fisheries, and important habitat in the USA.

Funding for the projects originated from the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF), and Bring Back the Natives program.

This summary includes projects that will impact rivers of Long Island Sound, the Chesapeake Bay, and Atlantic Coast. For the full list of NFWF funded projects, visit www.nfwf.org.


Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) Grants:

A Fishway for Pages Millpond Dam (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound will construct a fishway opening 5.35 river miles and 4.25 lake acres of fish habitat for alewife, blueback herring, and American eel in North Branford, Connecticut. The project will complete the restoration of this riverine migratory corridor to Long Island Sound for the first time in 300 years.

A Fishway for the Railroad Pond Dam (CT)

The Town of Berlin will install a fishway at the Railroad Pond Dam in Berlin, Connecticut. The fishway will remove an impediment to passage and open a 12-acre pond and river for fish to pass to Long Island Sound including alewife, blueback herring, sea lamprey and American eel.

Planning for Two Fish Passage Projects in Southeastern Connecticut (CT)

Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound will develop engineered designs for fishways at Whitford Pond Dam in Stonington and at Alewife Cove Dam in Waterford, Connecticut. The project will set the stage to provide 4.2 miles of access to spawning, rearing and refuge habitat along two riverine migratory corridors valuable to Long Island Sound diadromous and freshwater fish such as alewife, blueback herring, brook trout, American eel and American shad.

Shewville Dam Fishway Design Project (CT)

The Eastern Connecticut Conservation District will prepare an engineered plan for a fishway on the Shewville Dam and Shewville Brook in Ledyard, Connecticut. The project will set the stage for the installation of a fishway that will reconnect 4.3 river miles and 152 acres of lake for alewife migration to all historic upstream habitat along a river corridor of Long Island Sound.


Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Grants

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will support projects aimed at restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in six U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

The grants were awarded through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (CBSF), a partnership between NFWF and the EPA’s Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction Grants Program (INSR Program) and Small Watershed Grants Program (SWG Program). Additional support is provided by other government agencies and the private sector.

Increase Collective Impact on the Elizabeth River through Strengthened Partnership (VA)

The Elizabeth River Project will recieve funding to further coordinated stormwater management and ecosystem restoration in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. The project will establish a leadership roundtable and summit to formally adopt a new watershed action plan, explore regional financing options, and improve coordination of green infrastructure projects at a variety of scales.

Formalizing and Growing the Middle and Upper James Riparian Consortium (VA)

The James River Association (JRA) will formalize an existing multi-party partnership structure designed to improve coordination and delivery of riparian conservation programs and practices in the middle and upper James River watershed. This project will utilize a consortium model to build individual organizational capacity of partners, coordinate project prioritization, and implement 200 acres of riparian buffers.

Envision the Choptank: Expanding and Scaling-Up Regional Partnership (MD, DE)

Shorerivers will strengthen and expand the Envision the Choptank partnership by identifying specific locations for best management practices on agricultural lands, providing training and education on high impact restoration techniques, and expanding landowner partnerships and technical assistance offerings. Project will continue to build the partnership of 17 regional and state organizations while implementing 250 acres of best management practices in the Choptank watershed.

Stormwater Pollutant Mitigation and Green Infrastructure at the Science Museum of Virginia

The Science Museum of Virginia Foundation will help mitigate sewer overflow events by removing 3 acres of impervious surface, installing an advanced bioretention system, enhancing existing green stormwater infrastructure education and outreach, and developing a predictive model of future green site and stormwater management projects. Project will reduce nutrient and sediment loads discharging into the James River and will demonstrate effective stormwater management practices.

Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River (VA)

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) will help establish 2.5 acres of new oyster reef, construct and plant 200 reef balls, and place 5.5 million young oysters in the Lynnhaven River. The project will be conducted in partnership with Lynnhaven River Now oyster reef construction, enhancing the population of native eastern oysters, and engaging approximately 500 volunteers in a wide array of hands-on oyster restoration activities.

Supporting Community-Based Municipality Stormwater Retrofit Plans in Prince George’s County (MD)

The Low Impact Development Center will create partnerships and provide capacity to the 12 municipalities within the Anacostia Watershed to assist in meeting National Pollutant Dischare Elimination System permit requirements. Project will engage elected officials, community leaders, citizens, staff and businesses resulting in the planning, selection, and design of stormwater retrofit best management practices.

Restoration of the Eastern Oyster in the Lynnhaven River Western Branch (VA)

Lynnhaven River Now, in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will construct a 3-acre oyster reef using crushed concrete substrate in the Lynnhaven River. Project supports an overall goal of 60 acres reef habitat in the Lynnhaven River.

Oyster, Shoreline and Stream Retoration in the Rappahannock Tidal Tributaries (VA)

Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR) will undertake projects in Carter’s Creek and Urbanna Creek implementing oyster restoration on the river bottom, living shorelines and grasses to reduce shoreline erosion, and green infrastructure to address polluted stormwater runoff. Project will engage schools and community volunteers in restoration work.

Engaging Local Landowners in Living Shorelines and Shoreline Management (VA)

The Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission will target landowners with contiguous repetitive loss properties to create a 500 to 700-foot stretch of living shoreline and develop rural coastal flooding resiliency plans utilizing sand from other dredging projects. The project will improve coastal resiliency and mitigation efforts, while simultaneously improving water quality and managing shoreline erosion and marsh loss.

Sustainable Streamside Buffer Establishment in the Upper Susquehanna (NY)

The Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District of New York will provide support to the Upper Susquehanna Coalition Buffer Program to plant additional riparian buffer acreage and facilitate management on riparian buffer practice acres. The project will enable riparian buffer stewards to evaluate and assess buffers throughout the watershed to determine plant survival and management needs and to facilitate management activities.

Stormwater Management in Shenandoah Towns (VA)

The Town of Woodstock will construct two biofiltration projects, incorporate permeable pavers into a retrofit of court square area, and foster broader adoption and better maintenance of stormwater facilities by the localities in the Shenandoah River Friendly Towns collaboration through a series of related outreach and training efforts. Project will demonstrate benefits of green infrastructure in Shenandoah localities.

Stream and Habitat Restoration in Kings Branch Flat Creek Greenway Natural Area (MD)
Grantee: South River Federation

Oyster Reef Restoration in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary (MD)

The St. Mary’s River Watershed Association will construct and install 5 acres of three-dimensional reef structures and traditional oyster restoration structures in the St. Mary’s River Shellfish Sanctuary. The project will engage 200 volunteers on site and an additional 600 STEM and public school students.

Trees for Public Health in the Harris Creek Watershed (MD)

Baltimore Tree Trust (BTT) will expand the urban tree canopy and remove impervious surfaces, focusing on planting trees along streets in neighborhoods identified as concrete-laden, with critically low tree coverage. The project will result in 275 newly planted street trees and the removal of 8,800 square feet of impervious surface.

Mircro-Bioretention at St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church (MD)

The St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Congregation will install three micro-bioretention facilities in St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church’s parking lot. The project will capture and treat stormwater and pollutants that run off from the parking lot into Jones Falls River and Baltimore Harbor.

Living Shoreline and Oyster Reef Ball Restoration in the Turnbull Community (MD)

A South River Federation (SRF) project on the the South River will stabilize 748 feet of shoreline through rock sills and oyster reef balls; reef balls will be placed along the bottom of rock sills and set with oyster spat to study oyster population success.

Leveraging Partnership and Data in the Nanticoke for Stormwater Best Management Practices (DE)

The University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center will use existing collaborative structures in the watershed to collect and analyze data about demographics and landownership to identify needed changes and gaps. The project will assist Nanticoke Watershed Alliance (NWA) in developing recommendations for stormwater management to increase participation in programs and implementation, meet total maximum daily load goals across regulated and unregulated parts of the region, and fit the communities’ financing capacity.

From Design to Construction: Scaling-Up to Meet Demand for Living Shorelines on the Lower Bay (VA)

Environmental Concern will increase the capacity of the Elizabeth River Project for in-house design and construction of living shorelines, rain gardens, wetlands, and other green infrastructure. The project will address a lack of available and affordable construction firms to meet an increasing demand for this work on the lower bay.

Reconnecting Floodplains and Stream Restoration in the Upper Sassafras (MD)

Shorerivers will produce a fully permitted stream and wetland restoration design that addresses an eroding 4,800 linear foot stretch of forested perennial stream in the headwaters of the Sassafras River. The project will result in designs for a stream that receives runoff from surrounding highways and a weigh station, as well as 370 acres of surrounding agricultural land.

Developing a Privately-Managed Upland Restoration Plan for Gwynns Falls (MD)

CityScape Engineering will perform green infrastructure audits and individual restoration site plans, providing a capital improvement planning tool for individual property owners, including anticipated costs for design, construction and maintenance of best management practices with recommended funding mechanisms.


Bring Back the Natives Program Grants

Restoring Stream Connectivity for Eastern Brook Trout in the Upper Rappahannock Watershed (VA)

This Piedmont Environmental Council project seeks to improve native eastern brook trout habitat in Virginia’s Upper Rappahannock watershed. In partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) the project will reconnect 2 miles of intact brook trout habitat and restore 200 linear feet of riparian habitat by replacing culvert structures with an open-span bridge.