A newly constructed living shoreline on Tilghman Island with vented marsh sill and oyster structures protects a tidal wetland and adjacent community infrastructure from coastal flood impacts. Maryland DNR photo by Maggie Cavey.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources awarded competitive grants for nine flood reduction and restoration projects to help communities plan and design solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events.
The selected projects will reduce risk for vulnerable communities, incorporate changing environmental conditions into existing plans and policies, and develop nature-based or natural solutions to help manage flooding and erosion.
Funding is provided by the state’s Resilience Through Restoration Initiative and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Following eight years as a pilot program, the Resilience through Restoration Initiative was successfully codified through 2026 legislation, transforming it into a permanent fixture for protecting communities from flooding, erosion and storm events.
Grant funding for Fiscal Year 2027 is awarded to the following local governments and community partners, pending final approval by federal partners:
Anne Arundel County:
- The Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County – To design a living shoreline in Crownsville that protects the adjacent tidal marsh and flood vulnerable River Road while preserving and enhancing bird habitat.
- Reverend Samuel Green Sr. Foundation – To design a living shoreline in Annapolis along Martins Cove that protects existing and planned trails reconnecting two historic African American communities.
Cecil County:
- Cecil County – To launch a public outreach initiative focused on flooding that includes educating property owners, increasing flood reporting on MyCoast Maryland, and gathering essential data to earn credits under the Community Rating System of the National Flood Insurance Program.
Dorchester County:
- Dorchester County – To design a living shoreline that protects adjacent wetlands and access to a county marina and public boat ramp on Elliott Island.
Harford County:
- City of Havre de Grace – To design a submerged gravel wetland and offline wetland along Lilly Run to mitigate nuisance stormwater overflow and flooding.
Howard County:
- Howard County – To design a stormwater detention pond retrofit with bioswales and concrete channel removal at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Old Ellicott City to reduce flood risk associated with storm system overflows.
Prince George’s County:
- City of Hyattsville – To design innovative right-of-way green infrastructure stormwater practices along Kennedy Street to reduce neighborhood flooding and pilot hybrid approaches to localized flood mitigation.
- Town of Berwyn Heights – To develop a flood preparedness and mitigation plan to address vulnerable properties, critical assets, and infrastructure, recommend green infrastructure interventions, and provide a framework for future investments.
Somerset County:
- City of Crisfield – To design a tidal wetland restoration project in southern Crisfield that reduces tidal and stormwater flooding along South Somerset Avenue and Woodson School Road.
Beginning in mid-July, the Department of Natural Resources will accept applications for the next fiscal year through the department’s online Grants Gateway.
