Upland erosion is compounded when a property has a steep slope or a high ratio of impervious area (hardscape surfaces), and these two situations act together to increase the amount and speed with which rainwater moves across a property. Solutions will vary with the unique topography and geology of a given property, but installation of rain gardens, residential stormwater best management practices (BMPs), or other bank stabilization projects such as Geowebbing, Flexamat, or retaining walls can help mitigate this erosion.

The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is an urban cost-share program that provides financial incentives and technical and educational assistance to property owners installing eligible Best Management Practices (BMPs) in Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed. For more information, please visit the VCAP website. If your property is within the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Overlay District, and adjacent to a tidal body of water, installation of such erosion control measures may also involve a CBPA Exception, Encroachment, or Buffer Restoration Plan in addition to necessary building and zoning permits. Please call the Planning division to discuss site specifics, and to learn which application you need to complete.