The Town of Indian Head announced the town has received $3.685 million in funding from the Clean Water Commerce Act.
The awarded funds will go towards performing Shoreline restoration work along the Potomac River and Henderson Lane.
"This grant award is massive for the Town of Indian Head. It allows for the expansion of our living shoreline, adds resiliency, and encourages continued development in town,” Indian Head Mayor Brandon Paulin said. “Folks have truly enjoyed our Potomac River improvements, like the Boardwalk, in recent years. This grant helps us continue making improvements so everyone can enjoy the Potomac River's shoreline for decades to come. I want to thank all of our community partners that played a role in securing this grant."
The application for funding was spearheaded by the Resilience Authority of Charles County, and the project will create a living shoreline along a stretch subject to storm surge, sea-level rise, and erosion. A living shoreline will stabilize the land, significantly decrease erosion, and provide a wildlife habitat. It will also attract appropriate commercial development and provide greater climate resilience for the town.
"The Town of Indian Head’s recent grant award to create a living shoreline along Henderson Lane is a significant step forward in advancing the Commissioners’ resiliency and sustainability goals,” Deborah Hall, Acting County Administrator, said. “This project not only protects our shoreline from erosion and enhances flood mitigation but also strengthens our commitment to environmental stewardship, ensuring a healthier and more resilient future for our community."
The project was brought to the Resilience Authority by the Charles County Office of Economic Development in coordination with the Mayor and Town Manager of Indian Head and Southern Maryland RC&D in coordination with Ecotone, a private restoration firm.
Maryland Department of the Environment awarded the funding as an Environmental Justice project through the CWCA, which provides $4 million a year for purchasing environmental outcomes from projects that alleviate the environmental harms and risks borne by communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms and risks. The goal of the CWCA is to improve the health of Maryland’s waterways in a cost-effective manner.
