Hawkins Cove is a mud filled corner of Spa Creek. It is imperative to the health of Spa Creek to clean up the cove and prevent further runoff. Spa Creek Conservancy is please to announce the following grants and actions that are underway:
Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) Watershed Assistance Grant Program Awarded 2015 – $68,681
This grant funded the following:
- Center for Watershed Protection did an upland watershed stormwater runoff retrofit assessment and identified several opportunities.
- Biohabitats/Cultivate Landscape Planning + Consulting did ravine surveys and engineering, forest, wetland assessment and conceptual plans.
- Ridges to Reefs did an assessment of the cove and shoreline issues.
- Upland Stormwater Runoff Best Management Practices (SWBMP) plan with “shovel ready” design plans was developed. Construction will start in May 2016 and be completed for fall planting.
CBT Outreach and Restoration Grant, $25,000
The grant purpose is to build a “showcase” bioretention cell to get the communities engaged. Completed in May 2015 and planted as part of the Fall Plantathon.
BGE Green Grant $7,000 and Constellation Energy $500 Community Champions Grant along with the MD Forestry TreeMendous. a 40 tree donation planting program.
These initiatives with the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) including an EcoFair for over 200 participants, an after-school educational sessions, a 40 tree planting program with TreeMendous donations, an a demonstration stormwater planter. The final phase included a community PLANTATHON for the all the projects, including 10 more trees.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awarded a grant for $477,508 for the implementation of nine upland Stormwater Best Management Practices (SWBMP), with a partnership with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay to develop and conduct a disadvantaged youth job training program ($203,000) in SWBMP landscaping skills. This grant includes sites in Hawkins Cove Condos, HACA community, Spa Cove Condo/Apts, and Hope Rising community.
CBT Watershed Assistance Grant Program (WAGP) 2016 grant for $73,070 is underway to finalize the ravine design and start the permitting process. This grant is to prepare for a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Trust Fund grant application due March 31 2016 for the ravine restoration and living shoreline at the outfall area of the ravine. The various reports will be consolidated and final design parameters established.
Grant due March 31 2016 TF2017 application for $1,827,917. The program has received high marks and with the WAGP work underway for “shovel ready” status we expect the grant to be awarded.
Next steps are to look at the cove for dredging and/or muck mitigation programs to restore the bottom conditions and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). The bottom averages 4 to 12 feet of decomposed muck and is starved for oxygen at the anaerobic bottom water layer.