SAV Restoration in Anacostia / Potomac River | W81EWF 20 SOI 0019

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - SAV Restoration in Anacostia / Potomac River (W81EWF 20 SOI 0019)

1) What is the SAV Restoration in Anacostia / Potomac River funding opportunity?

This opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 20 SOI 0019) is a U.S. Department of Defense grant action administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It supports a field-based ecological restoration and adaptive management effort focused on submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system.

2) Which federal agency is offering and administering this opportunity?

The opportunity is a Department of Defense grant action administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

3) What type of award is expected?

The agency planned to make one award through a cooperative agreement, meaning the Corps of Engineers is expected to be actively involved during planning, implementation, and reporting rather than maintaining a hands-off role.

4) How many awards were planned under this opportunity?

One award was planned.

5) What is the maximum funding amount (award ceiling)?

The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $165,000.

6) When was the opportunity released and when did it close?

It was released on May 8, 2020 and originally closed on June 29, 2020.

7) What is the CFDA program number and category associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development, under CFDA 12.630.

8) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others." Applicants are expected to check the solicitation's additional eligibility notes for the specific types of organizations or partners permitted.

9) What is the main purpose of the project?

The core goal is practical ecological restoration: establishing healthy, persistent beds of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system. A larger intent is that successful restoration plots will help SAV spread naturally into nearby areas.

10) Is this just a one-time planting project?

No. The work is set up as a field-based restoration and adaptive management project. It is not limited to a single planting event; it includes implementation, protective measures, monitoring at key times, and learning what methods lead to strong establishment.

11) What kinds of activities are expected from the project partner?

Based on the description provided, the partner is expected to:

• Choose appropriate restoration site(s) in the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system
• Install SAV plants
• Use protective measures such as exclosures (for example, cages or barriers intended to reduce grazing, disturbance, or other stressors)
• Monitor SAV performance and use results to evaluate and adjust methods
• Participate in documenting and sharing results in a form suitable for publication and use by other practitioners

12) What are exclosures and why are they used in this project?

Exclosures are typically cages or barriers designed to reduce grazing, disturbance, or other stressors that can prevent young SAV plants from establishing. The opportunity notes exclosures as a protective measure to improve establishment success.

13) What SAV monitoring is required?

The partner must measure plant performance by tracking SAV cover and density at the peak of the growing season. These measurements are used to judge whether the planting approach is effective and to support adaptive management decisions.

14) Does monitoring focus only on survival of planted vegetation?

No. Monitoring is intended to include more than survival of planted adult vegetation. It also includes assessing seeding success (recruitment), which helps determine whether the restoration is generating new plants and supporting longer-term persistence.

15) Why does the opportunity emphasize both adult plant performance and seeding success?

By comparing adult plant performance and recruitment from seed, the project can identify best practices, troubleshoot failures, and adjust methods if initial approaches are not producing strong establishment.

16) What is meant by "adaptive management" in the context of this project?

As described, adaptive management means using monitoring results (such as SAV cover, density, and seeding success) to evaluate whether methods are working, troubleshoot problems, and adjust restoration approaches when necessary to improve establishment and persistence.

17) Is fish community monitoring included in the project?

Yes. In addition to SAV monitoring, fish community monitoring is included to evaluate whether the presence or absence of SAV is associated with changes in fish species diversity.

18) Who will conduct the fish monitoring?

Contractor biologists will conduct fish monitoring as part of the effort.

19) What is the reason for including fish monitoring in a vegetation restoration project?

The opportunity links habitat restoration to broader ecological outcomes. SAV beds may affect habitat structure, feeding opportunities, refuge from predators, and nursery function for different fish species. Monitoring fish communities adds an applied research component that generates evidence about ecological responses relevant to river management.

20) What geographic area does the project focus on?

The project focuses on the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system.

21) Are applicants allowed to choose restoration sites?

Yes. The description indicates the partner is expected to choose appropriate restoration site(s) within the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system.

22) What deliverables or reporting expectations are described?

Results are expected to be shared beyond the immediate project. Findings must be documented in a way suitable for publication and for use by other practitioners, with an emphasis on producing clear, transferable methods and results to inform future SAV restoration work in similar settings.

23) How is a cooperative agreement different from a more hands-off grant in this opportunity?

Because this is a cooperative agreement, applicants should expect active involvement from the Corps of Engineers during project planning, implementation, and reporting, rather than a purely hands-off funding relationship.

24) What is the broader intended impact beyond the specific restoration plots?

The larger intent is that successful SAV plots will help SAV spread naturally into nearby areas, supporting broader habitat recovery within the river system.

25) Is the project purely restoration, or does it include research elements?

It includes a clear applied research component. The project is not only restoring vegetation; it is also generating evidence about what methods work (through adaptive monitoring of cover, density, and seeding success) and about ecological responses (through fish community monitoring and evaluation of fish species diversity in relation to SAV presence or absence).