Watershed Assistance Grant Program FY2027
The Chesapeake Bay Trust, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Department of the Environment and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection are accepting applicant grant proposals for early-stage watershed restoration project design and watershed planning. The controlling 20-page FY27 Request for Proposals was released September 9, 2026. This is financial assistance for eligible nonprofit/community watershed initiatives and qualifying governmental or institutional applicants, not an ordinary consulting bid to sell services to the government.
Individual applicant funding
Track 1, Project Design: generally up to $100,000 for design of stormwater best-management practices such as bioretention, rain gardens, green infrastructure, and agricultural BMPs; generally up to $150,000 for stream restoration, wetland/marsh restoration, or living-shoreline design. Track 2, Watershed Planning and Program Development: generally up to $75,000 for assessments, watershed action plans, surveys, studies and program-building or financing strategies. Higher requests may be considered with funder discussion and a scalable, justified budget; the listed figures are general request levels, not absolute funding guarantees.
The FY27 RFP estimates an overall $1,400,000 pool for Maryland and eligible Pennsylvania watershed projects plus approximately $60,000 for eligible West Virginia projects, with possible additional City of Rockville support. These are pooled program funds, NOT amounts available to each applicant. Partner funds depend on final agreements.
Eligible projects and applicant restrictions
Projects must be located anywhere in Maryland; in Chesapeake Bay watershed portions of West Virginia; or in Octoraro Creek and Conowingo Creek watershed areas in Chester and Lancaster Counties, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania projects must align with the Conowingo Watershed Implementation Plan. The RFP lists municipal/county/regional agencies, nonprofits, faith-based groups, homeowners/community associations, conservation districts, forestry boards, and higher education institutions as potential applicants. Important qualification: its eligibility page also states that all applicants must hold 501(c)(3) status, even while listing government bodies. That appears internally inconsistent for government applicants. Organizations without 501(c)(3), including public agencies, must obtain a written eligibility determination from the Trust before relying on this opportunity; this listing does not assume they qualify without clarification. Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities remain within the RFP’s stated applicant classes.
Match, allowable expenses, and compliance
Matching cash or in-kind resources are encouraged but not required. Funded work includes design and permitting for voluntary water-quality restoration, stream and wetland projects, green stormwater controls, and watershed planning. Grant applications should emphasize water-quality outcomes, reasonable budgets, measurable deliverables, implementation readiness, and cost-effectiveness. Projects that address only water quantity without water-quality or habitat improvement are generally not competitive, except certain eligible Rockville projects. Design projects involving land not owned by the applicant require written landowner permission for surveys and expected future access. Applicants must plan for applicable engineering/design licensure and regulatory approvals. The normal project completion period is 12 to 16 months after award; EPA-funded awards are subject to relevant 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 1500 terms and conditions as specified in award agreements.
How and when to apply
Application deadline: Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Register or log in to Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Awards Portal (SmartSimple), select Track 1 Design or Track 2 Planning, complete the track-specific narrative questions, itemized project budget, supporting letters, maps, relevant plans and stakeholder/landowner commitments. The executive officer and project leader details must be provided and the portal account must correspond to the designated project leader. Applicants are encouraged to discuss proposed projects with the Trust at least two weeks before submission.
Current official program page: Watershed Assistance Grant Program. Controlling application instructions: FY27 Request for Proposals (PDF). Last verified against official funder documents November 5, 2026.