Maryland has selected the five watersheds in the state that will receive initial state grant funding as part of the Whole Watershed Act. These watershed-scale restoration efforts will contribute to both short-term and lasting economic benefits in the state of Maryland, say state officials.
“When we preserve and protect Maryland’s natural treasures, we grow and strengthen Maryland’s economy. Prioritizing these five watershed programs will ensure Maryland agriculture, Maryland tourism, and Maryland businesses remain strong,” said Governor Wes Moore. “Our administration’s environmental protection work isn’ t just responsible, it’s strategic – and it’s going to advance our economic growth agenda for the entire state.”
Cleaner waterways bolster tourism in Maryland, which generates about $3.2 billion a year in economic activity. Improved water quality and habitat also benefits Maryland’s seafood industry, which contributes about $600 million to the state’s economy each year.
In the selected watersheds, restoration work will contribute to local economic development by making areas more attractive for businesses and creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation.
The state’s interagency management team selected Antietam Creek in Washington County, Baltimore Harbor, Newport Bay near Ocean City, the Severn River in Anne Arundel County, and the Upper Choptank River on the Eastern Shore.
Maryland’s Whole Watershed Act, passed by the Maryland General Assembly in 2024, establishes a collaborative and science-based approach to watershed restoration.
The act created a five-year program to target five Maryland watersheds for water quality improvements that best represent the state’s diverse land uses, geographies, and environmental challenges.
A watershed is a land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt to creeks, streams, and rivers, and eventually to outflow points such as the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean.
“We are thrilled to announce these five watersheds selected for Whole Watershed Act funding,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said. “These five watersheds, which span the state of Maryland, will usher in the next phase of Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays restoration. By working closely with local partners and focusing on specific areas, we believe we can more quickly attain statewide clean water goals. This new program will help ensure more residents feel safe swimming in local rivers, boost habitat for fish populations, and improve prospects for businesses that depend on the Chesapeake Bay and the state’ s network of rivers and streams.”
The selected watershed teams include partners from community organizations, local governments, private firms, and other groups. The following program sponsors led the proposal process for each team that was selected:
Catoctin Land Trust for Antietam Creek; South Baltimore Gateway Partnership for the Baltimore Harbor; Maryland Coastal Bays Program for Newport Bay; Resilience Authority of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County for the Severn River; ShoreRivers for the Upper Choptank River.
The Whole Watershed Act aligns with the new strategy for Bay restoration in Maryland that focuses on improving shallow waterways such as creeks, streams, and rivers.
These are areas where clean water goals for safe, swimmable, and fishable streams and rivers can be met through focused restoration. Cleaner air and water will attract more businesses to restored areas and will provide families with more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors.
The Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership’ s State Management Team selected the watersheds.
The management team includes experts from the Maryland departments of Agriculture, Emergency Management, Environment, Natural Resources, and Planning, along with the Critical Area Commission.
Each applicant’s program will receive five years of technical and financial assistance to design and implement conservation and pollution reduction projects.
During fiscal year 2026, the five programs will each receive at least $2 million in initial funding that the program sponsors can then leverage to secure matching funds outside of the Whole Watershed program.
To meet requirements of the law, the selected watersheds include one predominantly urban area (Baltimore Harbor); one in a predominantly suburban area (Severn River); at least two that reduce runoff in a predominantly agricultural area (Antietam Creek, Newport Bay, and Upper Choptank River); and at least one with a collaborative effort with an adjoining state (Antietam Creek’ s watershed includes Pennsylvania and the Upper Choptank River’ s watershed is partially in Delaware).
With Antietam Creek, the Baltimore Harbor, and the Upper Choptank River, the management team selected three watersheds located within and providing benefit to overburdened or underserved communities.
The Whole Watershed Fund will not fund every aspect of each application.
The law utilizes existing state funds to create a new Whole Watershed Fund for the program. The Whole Watershed Fund pools resources from multiple state sources, including the Maryland Cost Share Program (MACS), Preservation Foundation (MALPF), the Bay Restoration Fund, the Clean Water Commerce Act, the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and the Waterway Improvement Fund.
Proposed agricultural best management practices within each watershed program that are ready to implement will be prioritized within the Maryland Department of Agriculture for cost sharing and receive additional funding based on specific practice eligibility.
The Whole Watershed Act provides implementation grants for up to 50% of the program cost, and each watershed program has been asked to secure additional funding from other state, federal, local, and private sources.
As required by the Whole Watershed Act, program sponsors will hold four public meetings a year and provide an opportunity for public comment on the preliminary design of each major or largescale action proposed for the Whole Watershed program.