by Khosro Aminpour
Have you ever wondered what happens to the storm water runoff when it leaves your property? If you live in Charlottesville or Albemarle, the short answer is most probably it ends up in the Chesapeake Bay. But before reaching the bay, it first flows through a series of man-made and/or natural storm water conveyances such as a catch basin, ditch, pipe, stream, creek or lake and finally reaches the James River which joins the Chesapeake Bay near Norfolk. Through this long journey, runoff from other residential, commercial, and agricultural areas, as well as parking lots and road surfaces in the watershed are all combined.
On its journey, storm water picks up various pollutants left along its path by our daily activities. Such pollutants may include bacteria, viruses, trash, oil dripped from cars, sediment from bare soil, and excess herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers applied to landscaping. Some pollutants are re-deposited along the way, while the bulk of the pollution is discharged to the Chesapeake Bay. In either case the results are long-lasting impacts to the environment and health hazards to humans and animals that may come into contact with them. Â
The bad news is that it is impractical and cost prohibitive to build central plants for treating storm water runoff. This is due to the fact that vast quantities of water would need to be treated in a relatively short period of time, which demands extremely large and costly structures. The good news is that stopping pollution at the source is a simple and relatively inexpensive alternative solution, and it is the preferred method for maintaining and improving the quality of our water resources and environment. Structural or non-structural methods that are very effective at controlling pollution at the source are called Best Management Practices or BMPs for short. Non-structural BMPs often include changing a few habits in our daily activities such as picking up after pets, fixing a car leak, minimizing the use of chemicals in our yards, etc. Structural BMPs often involve some physical features that treat or infiltrate storm runoff such as planting trees, landscaping, rain gardens, rainwater harvesting, infiltration, impermeable pavements, etc. Structural BMPs are applicable to residential, commercial, and municipal land uses and require some investment and maintenance.
 To encourage homeowners to implement structural BMPs on their properties, the State of Virginia, County of Albemarle, and City of Charlottesville initiated programs in 2024 that partly or fully pay for such BMPs. Â
One such program is the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Riparian Forests for Landowners Program, which assists property owners with installing riparian buffers along waterways on or adjacent to their land.  A riparian buffer is a strip of land adjacent to a body of water such as a stream, creek, river, or lake. This strip of land, when planted with trees and/or other vegetation, can intercept runoff and prevent pollution from reaching the body of water. A property owner whose parcel of land is adjacent to, or contains a body of water can apply for funding through this program, which provides for free installation and one year of maintenance of trees along their riparian buffer zone. For more information on this program, visit the Virginia Department of Forestry/Riparian Forests for Landowners Program and the News Release issued by the DOF in May of 2024,  https://dof.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/nr_2024-05-15_New-VDOF-Program-Provides-Free-Riparian-Buffers.pdf.
According to DOF, this program is not currently enrolling landowners, but expects to be doing so again starting in July or August. The funding for 2024 has been exhausted, but additional funding is anticipated by the DOF, which expects the program to continue. Â Landowners can submit an inquiry through a survey on the DOF website:Â https://survey123.arcgis.com/
Another funding source for implementing structural BMPs is the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District’s (TJSWCD) Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP). The scope of this program is wider than the DOF’s program in that, a variety of BMPs may qualify for assistance for which, adjacency to a water body is not a necessity. A list of eligible BMPs is provided on TJSWCD’s website at: https://www.tjswcd.org/best-management-practices-homeowners/  This is a cost-share program in which the property owner is responsible for a portion of the total costs and there is a cost limit for each type of BMP. A contract will be signed by the property owner and TJSWCD for the maintenance of the project.  Â
In a phone conversation, TJSWCD informed us that if a contractor is hired to implement a BMP, TJSWCD may pay the contractor directly. The property owner will be responsible for his/her share. If the work is done directly by the property owner, TJSWCD will reimburse the property owner in installments based on expenditures to date and work progress.Â
More details on the VCAP process and eligibility requirements can be found at the following link: Â https://www.tjswcd.org/best-management-practices-homeowners/ . For any further questions on the VCAP program, email residential@tjswcd.org or call Meghan at 434-987-4153.
By taking advantage of these opportunities, you can participate in protecting the water quality in your watershed, and, sustain the beneficial uses that depend on it. Many of these projects may also benefit property owners and increase their property values.Â
Featured Photo courtesy of Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, which has served as a partner for the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Riparian Forests for Landowners Program.