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

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0019

The SAV Restoration in Anacostia / Potomac River opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 20 SOI 0019) is a Department of Defense grant action administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was released on May 8, 2020 and originally closed on June 29, 2020. The agency planned to make one award through a cooperative agreement, with an award ceiling of $165,000. The program is categorized under Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 12.630), and eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with the expectation that applicants check the solicitation's additional eligibility notes for the specific types of organizations or partners permitted.

The core goal is practical ecological restoration: establishing healthy, persistent beds of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Anacostia and/or Potomac River system, with the larger intent that successful plots will help SAV spread naturally into nearby areas. The work is not just a one-time planting effort. It is set up as a field-based restoration and adaptive management project where the partner is expected to choose appropriate restoration site(s), install SAV plants, and use protective measures such as exclosures (typically cages or barriers designed to reduce grazing, disturbance, or other stressors that can prevent young plants from establishing).

A major part of the project is monitoring and learning what works. The partner must measure plant performance by tracking SAV cover and density at the peak of the growing season, using those results to judge whether the planting approach is effective. Monitoring is intended to look at more than just survival of planted adult vegetation; it also includes assessing seeding success, which helps determine whether the restoration is generating new plants and creating conditions that support longer-term persistence. 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.

The opportunity also connects habitat restoration to broader ecological outcomes. 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. Contractor biologists will conduct fish monitoring as part of the effort, with the idea that SAV beds may alter habitat structure, feeding opportunities, refuge from predators, and nursery function for different species. This adds a clear applied research component: the project is not only restoring vegetation, but also generating evidence about ecological responses that matter to river management.

Finally, the results are expected to be shared beyond the immediate project. The findings must be documented in a way suitable for publication and for use by other practitioners, meaning the partner should anticipate producing clear, transferable methods and results that can inform future SAV restoration work in similar tidal freshwater or estuarine settings. Because this is a cooperative agreement, applicants should also expect active involvement from the Corps of Engineers during project planning, implementation, and reporting, rather than a hands-off grant relationship.

• The Department of Defense, Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "SAV Restoration in Anacostia / Potomac River" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 08, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 29, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $165,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for W81EWF 20 SOI 0019

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