The Upper Choptank River has been selected by Maryland’s Interagency Management Team as one of five watersheds to receive investment over the next five years through the Whole Watershed Act.
This program, created by a bill passed in the Maryland legislature in 2024, is in direct response to the 2023 Comprehensive Evaluation of System Response (CESR) report, which recommended a science-based approach to waterway restoration that targets investment in key watersheds to accelerate water quality, habitat, and living resource benefits, particularly in shallow water areas. Projects selected for the Whole Watershed Fund needed to demonstrate that they were cost–effective, likely to demonstrate a rapid systemic response to restoration activity, and supported by the local community and government.
Envision the Choptank’s proposal, submitted by partner organization ShoreRivers, will provide a holistic approach to improving watershed health. By implementing projects across multiple sectors (outlined below) within the same watershed, the program is expected to maximize benefits and accelerate water quality and habitat improvements. An initial $2 million dollars will be allocated to the Upper Choptank for the first year, starting in July 2025. This funding will advance the following initiatives:
Agriculture: This project will launch the Producer-Led Bundling Agricultural Practices Program, which was developed by Envision’s Advancing Large-Scale Restoration Workgroup. The program will support Producer-Led Groups in implementing multiple in-field and edge-of-field best management practices on individual farms and across multiple, adjacent farms in the same area to achieve water quality and farm productivity goals. It pulls lessons learned from the Wisconsin Farmer-led model, Lancaster Clean Water Partners Rapid Delisting Strategy, and multiple initiatives taking place across the Eastern Shore. By focusing efforts within smaller watershed areas and establishing performance measures, the program is expected to result in “rapidly-improving conditions in local ecosystems,” a primary objective of the Whole Watershed Act. An Advisory Committee, composed of Envision partners, farmers, and representatives from the agricultural community, will develop an outreach and incentive framework to support practice implementation, while Producer-Led Groups will identify practices and innovations specific to their landscapes that they believe will achieve both water quality and farm productivity goals.
A diagram showing the proposed structure for the Producer-Led Bundling Agricultural Practices program.
Stormwater and Wastewater: Through Envision’s Working with Local Governments and Engaging Disenfranchised Communities Workgroups, partners have already begun identifying and developing multiple stormwater and septic/sewer projects within the Upper Choptank watershed. The Center for Watershed Protection is serving as Envision's Technical Assistance Circuit Rider and will work with partners to advance the identified projects, which will likely include green infrastructure retrofits, stream restoration and living shoreline projects, wastewater infrastructure improvements, schoolyard habitat restoration and stormwater conveyance efforts, and stormwater flooding mitigation projects in underserved communities. These projects are expected to result in reductions in nutrient, sediment, and bacterial pollution in local waterways. Throughout the five-year period of the grant, Envision will continue to work with jurisdictions to advance additional stormwater and wastewater projects.
Fish Passage: The Chesapeake Fish Passage Prioritization Tool identifies 18 barriers to fish passage blocking permanent access to over 330 miles of upstream functional habitat in the Upper Choptank River project area. Working with the US Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), the Envision the Choptank partnership will identify and advance four opportunities to structurally enhance fish passage over the next five years. To maximize the benefits provided by these projects, Envision partners will work closely with local governments to identify opportunities that not only improve fish passage, but also address jurisdictions’ infrastructure needs, such as culvert replacements and bridge improvements.
Land Protection: This project also supports the implementation of land conservation actions to ensure the protection of the area’s natural and cultural resources in perpetuity. As a core partner in these efforts, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy will use their experience and expertise to advance land conservation within the Upper Choptank Watershed. ESLC will assist any interested agricultural and residential landowners engaged through the Upper Choptank Whole Watershed Project with evaluating which land protection options best meet their conservation goals and the objectives of the Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership.
Capacity-Building: This project will also expand several of Envision’s successful pilot initiatives, including the LEAD the Shore program and the Community-based Restoration Project, which works with underserved communities to develop and implement community-scale restoration plans. Through this project, the Envision partnership will also explore opportunities to advance environmental workforce development and youth engagement in the Upper Choptank watershed.
Map of the Upper Choptank 8-digit watershed and its location within the Choptank River watershed.
The Envision the Choptank partnership is grateful to the legislators, partner organizations, and community members who helped create a thoughtful, science-based, and innovative proposal. This award will allow the partnership to advance our goal of restoring swimmable, fishable waters to the Choptank River, and supporting healthy and productive native oyster reefs.