Stormwater remains one of the most difficult and expensive sources of Chesapeake Bay pollution to control. While a great deal of attention and resources have been committed to wide scale adoption of Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs), many counties and towns receive a large volume of stormwater from smaller scale residential and private properties. Actions on these smaller properties, such as the installation of rain barrels, rain gardens, green roofs, or changing of lawn fertilization practices on an individual property, when considered in aggregate, can show significant nutrient and sediment reductions.
Every Practice Counts!
The SMART tool tracks practices that property owners can implement on their properties.
These practices include:
Rain Barrels and Cisterns | Conversion to conservation landscaping | Downspout Disconnection |
Certified Baywise Landscaping | Tree Planting | Fertilizer Management |
Rain Gardens | Permeable Hardscapes |
Becoming SMART Certified
Step 1: Reporting your Stormwater Practice
Step 2: Certifying your Stormwater Practice