CBT and DEP Award $650,000 for 8 Water Quality Projects

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) recently awarded $650,000 in grant funding to eight organizations to improve water quality and help manage stormwater runoff throughout Montgomery County, including the County’s very first Band-a-long trash trap in the Rock Creek watershed.

History of the Program

The grant program, now in its 5^th year, fills an important niche to help neighborhood groups, faith-based organizations, and nonprofit organizations really make a difference for water quality in their local communities.  Supporting and engaging these dedicated organizations helps fulfill DEP’s mission for achieving better water quality and helps our County move further toward environmental sustainability. In 2020, support for organizations ranges from $9,000 for stormwater educational efforts to $250,000 for the County’s very first band-a-long trash trap set to be installed in the Rock Creek watershed.

For the past five years, DEP has administered the program with the assistance of CBT to support educational programming and on-the-ground restoration projects throughout Montgomery County.  Funding for these projects is made possible through the County’s water quality protection fund. To date, the program has issued 47 grants to nonprofit organizations in the amount of $1.7 million to coordinate volunteers, educate our residents and install community based restoration projects such as rain gardens, porous pavement, and trees to improve stormwater management. Official announcement.

The Awardees

• Anacostia Riverkeeper: To reduce trash in the Anacostia River watershed through the design, fabrication and installation of one Bandalong Litter Trap in the Lockridge Drive Tributary. $250,000.
• Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, Inc.: To implement a Stormwater Pavers project for the Audubon Naturalist Shop parking lot. $68,125.
• Bannockburn Community Club: To implement conservation landscaping, dry wells and rain gardens. $48,596.
• Christ the Servant Lutheran Church: For the replacement of 4,000 sq. ft. of impervious blacktop with permeable pavers at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. $119,200.
• Friends of Cabin John Creek (and) Watershed: For community‐based public engagement, watershed stewardship, and stormwater management installations including residential rain planters. $64,191.
• Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake: To design and deliver a Green Team Leadership Development Program training, developing successful green teams at 3-5 places of worship. $8,944.
• National Wildlife Federation: To expand the understanding and practices of stormwater management through residential lawn replacement with native plants to reduce stormwater and create wildlife habitat. $50,000.
• Rock Creek Conservancy: To expand Rock Creek Conservancy’s existing Stream Team Leader program by recruiting and training 20 Leaders to lead litter cleanups for about 450 community members. $21,444.