Six Coastal Resiliency Projects Approved by Board of Public Works

$380,000 to Design Restoration Projects in Four Jurisdictions

Photo courtesy of Carlos Bautista, Underwood & Associates

The Board of Public Works today approved funding for six Coastal Resiliency Grant Program projects, selected through a competitive solicitation, to help Maryland’s communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of climate change, erosion, flooding and extreme weather.

In year two of the program, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will help design six shoreline restoration, stormwater and wetland enhancement projects in four jurisdictions across the state to demonstrate the protective benefits of nature-based solutions. These approved projects will complement six resiliency projects already underway.

“This first-of-its-kind program will utilize natural and nature-based designs to help our local partners become better prepared and more resilient to climate- and weather-related challenges, risks and threats like erosion, flooding and sea level rise,” Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton said. “Working with community associations, church congregations, nonprofits and others, we seek to improve water quality, protect infrastructure while replacing hardened shorelines with dynamic living shorelines.”

The following awards have been approved:

• Anne Arundel County, West River Methodist Center – The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay will address erosion, sea level rise and stormwater pollution through a 760-linear foot living shoreline and regenerative stormwater conveyance system.
• Anne Arundel County, Community of Deale Beach – The Deale Beach Citizens Association will design a 175-linear foot living shoreline that replaces an existing hardened shoreline, addresses storm impacts and wave energy, and kick starts community-wide resiliency efforts.
• City of Annapolis, St. Mary’s Church – St. Mary’s Catholic Church will design a 650-linear foot living shoreline along Spa Creek that replaces an existing bulkhead and works in tandem with on-site stormwater practices to address water quality and quantity.
• Town of Oxford – The Town of Oxford will work with the National Wildlife Federation to design “green” infrastructure practices that address coastal storm impacts, tidal flooding, and stormwater runoff on private and public properties.
• Worcester County – Worcester County Commissioners will address recurrent flooding and sea level rise along Selsey Road and the Cape Isle of Wight community through a natural shoreline stabilization and marsh restoration project to be built with local dredge material.
• Worcester County, Tizzard Island – The Maryland Coastal Bays Program will address erosion and sea level rise through a comprehensive island resiliency plan and design that builds coastal resiliency and wildlife habitat on an island environment in Chincoteague Bay.

These design projects are part of a larger Resiliency through Restoration Initiative, which also supports restoration targeting, climate-resilient designs, monitoring, adaptive management, community outreach and education.