Who May Apply?

Residents, non-profits, businesses, schools, and local goverment units (LGUs) may apply. The project area must be located on property owned by the applicant.

Maximum Grant Award

• Residents: Up to 75% of cost up to $5,000.
• Non-profits: Up to 75% of cost up to $20,000
• Businesses, schools, and LGUs: Up to 50% of cost up to $50,000

Location Requirements

Only projects located on shorelines of major lakes are eligible. The 13 major lakes within the watershed district are: Ann, Duck, Hyland, Lotus, Lucy, Mitchell, Red Rock, Rice Marsh, Riley, Round, Silver, Staring, and Susan.

If you are interested in installing of buffer of native vegetation along a waterbody (pond, wetland, or stream) that is not a major lakes, check out Waterbody Buffer Project.

Approved Uses of Funds

The purchase of services or bioengineering materials needed for lake shoreline restoration are allowable costs. This includes design fee, site preparation, bioengineering components (native plants, bio-log, etc.), erosion control materials, and planting labor. Landscaping edging may be eligible if it supports project maintenance needs, but eligible cost for edging will not exceed $2/per linear foot. Projects may also be offered additional funds to support the first three years of maintenance if it’s done by a professional; talk to the grant coordinator if this applies to you.

Aesthetic or recreational elements such as stepping stones, boulders, sand beach, and docks are not reimbursable. 

Maximum Allowable Costs

To maximize value per dollar but still allow flexibility for grantees in materials selection, maximum allowable cost has been set.

Eligibility for In-Kind Credit or Professional Maintenance Funds

This project type may be eligible for in-kind labors and/or three (3) years of professional maintenance support for residents and non-profits only. In-kind credit must be accounted for during the application process. The grant coordinator will determine if a project is eligible for professional maintenance support.

Some projects may not be awarded a Stewardship Grant unless the grantee commits to three years of professional maintenance. If a grantee enters into a grant agreement that include professional maintenance funds, they must commit to at least three years of maintenance performed by a qualified habitat restoration specialist.

Requirements

Minimum Size

The goal of a natural shoreline restoration is to stabilize shorelines through the use of native plants to provide water quality protection as well as in-shore and along-shore habitat. The shoreline restoration project area length must be along at least 25 feet of shoreline with an average width of 5 feet. The longer and wider the project, the higher the grant award percent will be.

Other Requirements

• You must provide a shoreline restoration plan (how project will be installed) and a maintenance plan (how project will be maintained) with your application. In most situations you’ll need to hire a professional for the restoration plan. Plan materials must include a map showing the location of the project on the property, a planting plan, an estimated timeline of project installation tasks, site photos, detailed cost estimate, and a long-term maintenance plan.
• The project design must show the ordinary high water line (OHWL) of the lake. An engineer or landscape architect will likely need to be involved in your design. If you are interested in installing of buffer of native vegetation along the lakeshore without going below the ordinary high water line (lake bank), check out Waterbody Buffer Project.
• Any shoreline work below the OHWL will require a permit from RPBCWD. Permit staff will assist you through this process.

Native Plants Only

To be eligible for a Shoreline Restoration Grant, a project must use non-cultivated varietes of native plants and provide habitat benefits. Requirements include:

1. Only native plants in their natural form. No cultivars allowed.
2. Native plants must be purchased from an approved vendor.
3. Plant selection must be appropriate for site conditions.
4. Plant selection must include at least 9 different species with 3 species that bloom in spring, 3 species that bloom in summer, and 3 species that bloom in fall. (Note: All plants types qualify as a "blooming plant" including wildflowers, grasses, sedges, shrubs, and trees, etc.)
5. Must practice ecologically friendly maintenance.

To apply, you will need to provide a detailed native plant list that includes scientific name, common name, bloom time, size of plant to be purchased, price for each, quantity of each, and total cost. See an example native plant list ⬈. Download a native plant list spreadsheet ⬈ that you can populate with your plant selections (open in Excel, Google Sheets, or other spreadsheet application). See application form for additional requirements.

Maximize Your Grant Award

Review the scoring sheet to see how you can maximize the cost share award for this project type: