Cambridge Residential Stewardship Initiative II

Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program

The Nanticoke Watershed Alliance received funding from the National Fish and Wildlife  Foundation to complete a second phase of work in Cambridge, Maryland. The first project, funded by NFWF in 2016, determined the willingness of residential property owners to learn about and install stormwater best management practices (BMPs) on their properties. Phase I was a success with ten residential BMP installations now in place as a result of the effort.

Phase II involved continued outreach and installation of another set of residential BMPs and went a step further to produce a more comprehensive assessment of stormwater issues in the city. This phase was intended in part to demonstrate support for dedicated investment in stormwater control, which in Cambridge does not yet exist. Although Cambridge is currently not required to manage stormwater under a federal discharge permit, this could become a requirement within the next few years, necessitating a significant expansion in the city’s activities in this area. Securing a larger share of private investment in a cost-share program can reduce the burden of the public sector to treat stormwater once it reaches the public domain, increasing the potential for publicly financed stormwater programs to succeed at reduced government expense.

EFC led the process of completing a stormwater financing feasibility study following the model used by our Stormwater Financing and Outreach Unit with communities throughout the Mid-Atlantic. EFC oversaw the gathering of necessary information, the engagement of local decision makers and stakeholders, and the development of financing recommendations to sustainably support local stormwater priorities.

Partners

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Nanticoke Watershed Alliance

ShoreRivers

Sponsor