The mission of these projects is to protect and restore District waterways for the health of our communities and future generations through watershed planning, innovative stormwater management projects, tree canopy expansion, and stream and habitat restoration.
DOEE manages both the District’s Chesapeake Bay & Nonpoint Source Management implementation grants from the EPA.
The primary functions are:
Stream & Habitat Restoration
This program works to protect and restore river, stream and wetland habitats in the District and the Chesapeake Bay so as to increase a watershed’s ecological diversity and protect the health, welfare, and safety of its inhabitants. Read More>>
Innovative Stormwater Management
This program actively reduces pollution to our local waterways through funding new and pioneering ways to reduce stormwater pollution and through administering DOEE’s RiverSmart programs that provide incentives to property owners to take action to reduce stormwater pollution on their properties.
- RiverSmart Homes: Offers financial incentives and technical assistance to residential property owners interested in reducing stormwater pollution from their properties by planting trees, installing a rain garden, Bayscaping, or removing impervious surface.
- RiverSmart Rooftops: Provides a rebate and technical assistance to property owners installing green roofs on their buildings.
- RiverSmart Communities: Offers financial and technical assistance to places of worship and charitable organizations to reduce stormwater pollution from their properties while providing environmental outreach to constituents.
- RiverSmart Rebates: Skip the waitlist and seek a rebate when you install a qualifying stormwater management practice, such as trees, rain barrels, rain gardens, and impervious surface removal.
- RiverSmart Schools: The RiverSmart Schools program offers schools both teacher training and assistance with installing outdoor classrooms that help reduce stormwater runoff.
Innovative Stormwater Retrofits
This program improves water quality in the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers for the benefit of District residents, visitors, wildlife and the environment, while providing high quality outdoor recreational space and facilities for children and adults to learn, play, and connect with nature. DOEE oversees the design and construction of low impact development (LID) stormwater retrofits at various locations around the District including: federal parkland, District parkland and in the public right of way.
Watershed Planning
This program works to develop and implement plans for restoring the water quality of our local waterways. These documents are the District’s guide to creating fishable and swimmable rivers. The plans are living documents that periodically revisited and updated.
