Bioswales

The New England Grassroots Environment Fund awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The GROW GRANTS program is actively accepting applications from grassroots groups across New England. These grants fund small, volunteer-driven groups in New England working on issues including food access, immigrant support, climate resilience, youth work, mutual aid, and more. This program is geared toward groups with experience organizing in their community and have at least THREE leaders who are actively involved in group decision-making. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP’s) Land and Water Resources Division requests proposals for the new CT DEEP Long Island Sound Ecosystems Grant, made possible by financial support provided by the Long Island Sound Partnership from the U.S. EPA. There are two primary goals of the program: 1) to promote large-scale habitat restoration and enhance restoration planning, while also helping coastal communities and ecosystems adapt to changing environmental conditions; and 2) to further promote the application of green stormwater infrastructure techniques to reduce nonpoint source pollution, improving water resource quality.

This workbook made by Groundwork Bridgeport provides a thorough but accessible introduction to green stormwater infrastructure. The workbook explains the issues that green infrastructure can help solve, introduces several green infrastructure methods, and then provides definitions, explains why each is uses, and details how to build them.

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program is a competitive program that provides funding to states, federally recognized Tribal governments, U.S. territories, and local governments. Since the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 was signed into law, funds are used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Suffolk County Water Quality Improvement Division works to protect and improve Suffolk County’s ground and surface waters. The WQPRP provides funding to protect and restore surface and groundwater resources throughout the County. Funding is available for both planning/ engineering and construction expenses.

The Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) supports projects across New York State that utilize unique EPA-designated green stormwater infrastructure design and create cutting-edge green technologies. Competitive grants are awarded annually to projects that improve water quality and mitigate the effects of climate change through the implementation of one or more of the following green practices: Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency and Environmental Innovation.

The NYS Department of State (NYSDOS) is soliciting applications from eligible villages, towns, cities located along New York’s coasts or designated inland waterways, counties, or regional planning councils to advance the preparation or implementation of strategies for community and waterfront revitalization through the following grant categories: Preparing or Updating a Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), including Updating an LWRP to be More Resilient to Climate Risks; Preparing an LWRP Component, including a Watershed Management Plan; Implementing an LWRP or a completed LWRP Component.

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) WQIP funds implementation projects to improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source.

The Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 Mapping Grant (NPG) is a competitive, reimbursement grant program that funds planning reports for nonpoint source water quality improvement projects and mapping of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). The program aims to prepare nonpoint source projects for implementation funding, and to encourage and support cooperation among regulated MS4s to complete mapping of their stormwater system.

The Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District (the District) is seeking to fund a limited number of mission-aligned projects during 2026. Eligible applicants include local governments in Nassau County and not-for-profit organizations. Applications are due by May 01, 2026, and awards are expected to be made in May 2026. Projects must be completed by May 31, 2027. While these dates and the below amounts are not expected to change, funding amounts and timelines are subject to the District’s own receipt of funding from the New York State Soil and Water Conservation Committee.

Projects must meet one or more of the following criteria in Nassau County:

1. 1. Conserve or improve soils
   2. Improve water quality of our groundwater and/or surface water
   3. Control and prevent soil erosion and/or prevent floodwater and sediment damages
   4. Conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water
   5. Preserve, increase, or improve natural resources including trees and plants
   6. Control or eliminate invasive plants or wildlife
   7. Control and abate NPS water pollution
   8. Preserve wildlife

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment.

Through the Clean Water Fund, CT DEEP is able to provide grants and low-interest loans for infrastructure projects to meet clean water needs such as addressing combined sewer overflows, nutrient pollution, wastewater collection infrastructure needs, and projects using green infrastructure and addressing resiliency. See the Priority List Memo and Project Request Form for updates.

NOAA’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program is an environmental education program that promotes place-based experiential learning for K–12 students and related professional development for teachers.This funding opportunity focuses on projects combining long-term, classroom-integrated “Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences” and capacity building for K-12 Environmental Literacy at the state and local level.

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals Grant Program provides funding for local projects in Connecticut that benefit the environment. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Any application meeting the grant guidelines that is not successful in one cycle may reapply during any following cycle. The applications will be judged based on the environmental benefits of each project, in comparison to others. “Environmental benefits” can vary widely and successful applications have ranged from property clean-ups to environmental education.

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund is an innovative program that provides fast, flexible funding and support for engaging your community on wide-ranging sustainability projects. Eligible projects receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds from Sustainable CT.

The NEP Coastal Watersheds Grant Program is a nationally competitive grants program designed to support projects that address urgent and challenging issues threatening the well-being of coastal and estuarine areas within determined estuaries of national significance.

The Flood Mitigation Assistance grant program is a competitive program that provides funding to states, federally recognized Tribal governments, U.S. territories, and local governments. Since the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 was signed into law, funds are used for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.

The Long Island Sound Futures Fund (LISFF) is seeking proposals to restore the health and living resources of Long Island Sound (Sound). The program is managed by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Long Island Sound Partnership (LIS Partnership). Major funding is from EPA through the LIS Partnership.

With support from the Nature Conservancy and Sustainable CT, East Haddam organized a Community Resilience Building process and workshop, the results of which were compiled into this summary. The team engaged with community members to determine the present hazards and vulnerabilities and identify resilient solutions.

Increased development and the historic construction of a dam on Sunken Meadow Creek in the 1950’s led to reduced tidal exchange, increased water levels in the creek, poor water quality, and the proliferation of invasive species. In 2008 a number of partners (NYS OPRHP, NOAA, NYSDEC, LISS, TNC, Save the Sound, USFWS, LI Botanical Society) came together to work to restore the degraded marsh habitat around Sunken Meadow Creek, increase tidal flow, improve aquatic organism passage, limit invasives, and improve water quality. A restoration feasibility study was completed in 2010. In 2012 Superstorm Sandy blew out the dam on Sunken Meadow Creek, naturally kick-starting restoration. Following Superstorm Sandy, the project partners were able to quickly capitalize on available funding and grants, due to their prior planning efforts. A bridge was built across the Creek where the dam blew out, salt marsh habitat was restored at three locations, green infrastructure was installed in one of the parking areas to capture and treat stormwater runoff, fish passage feasibility on the creek was investigated, and education and outreach was conducted to thousands of people. These projects were completed in 2019. Now, with funding through Long Island Sound Futures Fund, Audubon NY is leading a large-scale marsh restoration project at Sunken Meadow Creek to restore important high-marsh habitat for at risk species, like the Saltmarsh Sparrow, and to increase the resilience of the marsh in the face of rising sea levels. Audubon will be working to finalize the designs and secure permits over the next two years, with on-the-ground restoration expected in 2026.

The City of New Haven has installed 286 right-of-way bioswales throughout the city as part of a multifaceted approach to reducing flooding in the downtown area. Right-of-way bioswales are engineered planted areas that are located on sidewalks. They are designed to capture and infiltrate stormwater into the ground that would otherwise directly enter a storm drain. These bioswales were installed as the result of various partnerships and funding opportunities related to flood prevention, localized drainage solutions, combined sewer overflow mitigation, research, and traffic calming projects.

Project Lead

City of New Haven, Dept of Engineering

Project Partners

Urban Resources Initiative, EMERGE Inc., Save the Sound, Yale School of the Environment, and Quinnipiac University, among others.

In 2019, the City of Norwalk secured a LIS Future Fund grant to install green infrastructure in the Webster Street Parking to reduce the impacts of stormwater on the Norwalk River and Harbor and mitigate local flooding of surrounding businesses through the installation of four different types of infiltration and bio-retention structures:
1) Underground infiltration systems.
2) Retention basins and curb inlet planters in eight different areas.
3) Porous pavement with storage in two areas.
4) Infiltration gutters and tree filters in two other areas.

Friends of the Bay installed two raingardens at the Western Waterfront, which was done in October 2021 with the help of volunteers.

The Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee and Village of Sea Cliff completed subwatershed improvements at Scudders Pond to address stormwater drainage problems impacting the water quality of the pond and Hempstead Harbor, highlighted as a priority in the 1998 Hempstead Harbor Water Quality Improvement Plan. The improvements included dredging the pond, installing a hydrodynamic separator to intercept sediment, removing invasive Phragmites australis and replacing with native plants, realigning the stream to reduce erosion, redirecting the stormwater from residences to the bioswale, creation of a biofilter wetland area, replacement of the weir between the upper and lower ponds and weir at Shore Road.