The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has awarded 15 localities across the commonwealth with $20 million from this year’s Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF). The SLAF program, managed by DEQ, provides matching grants to localities for improvement projects that implement cost-effective best management practices. This year’s awards will support 24 projects that will reduce water pollution across the state.
The grants represent the fifth round of SLAF funding, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2013. This year’s applications were evaluated and ranked in priority. This year, DEQ received a total of 59 applications from 34 localities for projects totaling more than $39 million. Funding for this round ranges from $82,000 to a maximum of $4 million. To date, more than $80 million in SLAF funding has been awarded to support 193 stormwater improvement projects across the commonwealth.
“This stormwater funding is vital to assist our partners in local government to improve their streams and the health of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Matthew J. Strickler. “As the Commonwealth prepared its new plan for a cleaner Chesapeake Bay, the Phase 3 Watershed Implementation Plan, we heard clearly from local governments that this funding support is essential to meeting our comprehensive goals.”
“Under heavy rainfall many conventional stormwater drainage systems may be overwhelmed
and route runoff to streams and rivers,” said DEQ Director David Paylor. “This increases pollution and results in degradation over time. SLAF funding provides matching grants to help communities install effective and efficient pollution-control measures such as stream restorations, constructed wetlands and methods to filter rainwater before it washes pollution into waterways.”
Localities receiving funding include:
- Albemarle County Rio Hills Level I Wetland Retrofit, $82,000
- Alexandria
Strawberry Run Stream Restoration, $800,000 - Alexandria
Taylor Run Stream Restoration, $2,255,000 - Charlottesville
Meadow Creek Stream Restoration, $398,160 - Charlottesville
Tributary of Rivanna River Stream Restoration, $126,187 - Charlottesville
Tributary of Schenk’s Branch Stream Restoration, $267,800 - Chesterfield County Falling Creek Reservoir Restoration, $4,000,000
- Fairfax County Difficult Run Tributary at Brittenford Dr Stream Restoration, $2,198,605
- Fairfax County Turkey Run at Truro Stream Restoration, $1,801,395
- Hanover County Covenant Woods and Rose Hill Wet Pond I Retrofit, $413,080
- Harrisonburg
Mountain View Drive Stream Restoration, $654,172 - Henrico County Bretton Woods Stream Restoration, $370,980
- Henrico County Henrico Water Reclamation Facility Stream Restoration, $766,153
- Henrico County Old Nine Mile Road Landfill Stream Restoration, $512,003
- Henrico County Quarter Mill Apartments Stream Restoration, $515,725
- Henrico County Virginia Home for Boys and Girls Stream Restoration, $343,730
- Hopewell City Point Road Stream Restoration, $91,500
- Hopewell
Hopewell H.S. – Mathis Park Stream Restoration, $265,000 - Newport News Harwood’s Mill Reservoir Tributary, $263,402
- Prince George County Birchett Estates – Reach 1 Stream Restoration, $655,109
- Prince William County Powell’s Creek Stream Restoration (Phase 2), $1,800,000
- Roanoke County Wolf Creek at Goode Park Stream Restoration (Phase 1), $300,000
- Stafford County St. Clair Brooks Park Stream Restoration, $99,999
- Vienna Bear Branch South Side Park Stream Restoration, $1,020,000
For more information about DEQ’s stormwater program visit https://www.deq.virginia.gov/ Programs/Water/ StormwaterManagement.aspx