Newport Bay Watershed Receives Whole Watershed Grant

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the Newport Bay watershed as a recipient for Whole Watershed grant funding for a five-year initiative to enhance water quality and improve habitat. An initial $2 million dollars will be allocated to the Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) for the first phase of work. This grant is the result of a collaborative effort between MCBP, the Lower Shore Land Trust, Worcester County, Assateague Coastal Trust, and the Town of Berlin who submitted a proposal to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in December of 2024. Funding will be dedicated to improving stormwater management, addressing flooding issues, pursuing opportunities for best management practices on agricultural lands, and improving habitat in streams and marshes in Newport Bay.

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. Newport Bay has consistently received lower grades for water quality than other Coastal Bays watersheds over the last five years and the Whole Watershed initiative will seek to address the underlying sources of this watershed’s impaired condition.

“We are extremely pleased that the State of Maryland chose Newport Bay for this initiative. The Town of Berlin and Worcester County have been working to improve water quality in this watershed for some time and this provides additional revenues and attention to improving this watershed,” said Kevin M. Smith, Executive Director of the Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

"This is fantastic news for Worcester County and the Newport Bay region. We are fortunate to have strong partnerships dedicated to preserving our ecological treasures and rural landscapes. This funding affirms those efforts. The Lower Shore Land Trust is proud to be part of this project, and we look forward to conserving and enhancing the natural beauty that makes Worcester County so special," commented Matt Heim, Executive Director Lower Shore Land Trust.

Town of Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall added, "We are excited to be part of this significant initiative to enhance the Newport Bay watershed. The Town of Berlin has faced stormwater management challenges. This project will help build upon the work the Town of Berlin has done through our Stormwater Utility and with our partners to address flooding issues and improve water quality in Newport Bay. We are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to ensure the success of this project and to creating a healthier, more sustainable future for Newport Bay."

“The Whole Watershed initiative is key to helping us preserve, protect, and revitalize the Newport Bay watershed,” Worcester County Commissioner President Ted Elder said. “As a committed, longtime MCBP partner, we are thrilled by today’s grant announcement. We recognize that this grant will infuse significant funding for essential programs that bring about tangible improvements locally to preserve our waterways, support wildlife habitat, and restore water quality all while improving communities across the watershed.”

“We are thrilled for this unbelievable opportunity for the region. This novel watershed focused approach to restoration is poised to strengthen aquatic resources across Newport Bay. This is a strategic investment in the health and associated economy of our Coastal Bays, and couldn’t be more excited to get to work,” said Taylor Swanson, Executive Director & Assateague Coastkeeper of Assateague Coastal Trust.

The recipients of the grant will be meeting with Maryland Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies in the next few weeks to iron out details regarding priority projects and the initial allocation of funding.

For more information contact:

Kevin M. Smith at ksmith@mdcoastalbays.org

Matt R. Heim at mattrheim@lslt.org

Taylor Swanson at taylor@actforbays.org

Robert Mitchell at bmitchell@co.worcester.md.us

Mary Bohlen at Mbohlen@berlinmd.gov