Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program (MACS)

The Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program provides farmers with grants to cover up to 100 percent of the cost to install conservation measures known as best management practices on their farms to prevent soil erosion, manage nutrients and safeguard water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

Grassed waterways planted to prevent gully erosion in farm fields, streamside buffers of grasses and trees planted to filter sediment and farm runoff, and animal manure management systems constructed to help farmers safely handle and store manure resources are among more than 40 best management practices currently eligible for cost-share grants.

Have You Heard?

Grants are now available to help small-scale equine and livestock operations—with at least 1,000 pounds of live animal weight—install conservation practices on farmland to protect local water quality.

Funding is provided by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. MACS has a proven track record of helping farmers protect the natural resources that support healthy farms. Whether you have one qualifying animal or several, this is your chance to secure cost-share funding for your conservation project!

Rein in your environmental impact

Does your pasture need a makeover?
Are mud and manure making life miserable for you and your animals?
MACS funds many types of conservation practices.
MACS grants can help you control soil erosion and runoff, improve pasture health, and protect the health of local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
You can apply for our grants through your local soil conservation district office where you’ll get free professional help and advice every step of the way

Cost-share solutions for your small farm

MACS cost-share reimbursement rates vary based on the conservation practice and its environmental benefit. Explore our menu of options below:

Pasture management (up to 87.5%)

Establishes forage species on converted cropland.
Controls erosion and improves soil and water quality.
Reduces toxic weeds.

Pasture fencing (up to 50%)

Interior fencing for rotational grazing systems.

Exclusion fencing (up to 100%) and crossings (up to 87.5%)

These practices help prevent livestock from damaging streambanks and vegetation.
They reduce the risk of water-borne diseases in livestock.
Additionally, they improve stream health and fish and wildlife habitat.

Roof runoff structure (up to 87.5%)

Gutters, downspouts, and outlets prevent rainwater runoff from mixing with manure.
Protects building foundations.
Allows water to be collected and reused

Waste storage structure (up to 87.5%)

Provides safe, dry storage for animal manure.
Protects water quality.
Allows for field application of manure.

Watering facility (up to 87.5%)

Provides a safe, clean, reliable water source away from streams.
Works well with exclusion fencing.

Heavy use area protection (up to 87.5%)

Artificial surfaces stabilize areas frequently used by livestock.
Reduces soil erosion and mud.
Helps prevent hoof problems.

Riparian forest buffer (up to 100%)

Planting trees next to waterways improves water quality, provides shade for animals, and creates wildlife habitat.
Trees store carbon, filter the air, and beautify the landscape.

How to apply for our grants

Local soil conservation districts are ready to answer your questions, provide free technical assistance, and help you apply for our conservation grants. Additional help for horse owners can be found here.

We can help you improve your farm

Are you worried about the amount of soil that leaves your farm every time it rains? Looking for a better way to water your cattle? Do you have an environmental compliance issue that needs attention? Or do you simply want to leave a conservation legacy that your children can be proud of?

Whatever your conservation goal, we can help you make it happen. With more than 40 best management practices eligible for cost-share funding, we have a conservation solution for you.

Our cost-share grants at a glance

Up to 100% cost-share is available for certain high priority conservation practices.
Choose the practice that works best for your farm.
Get free technical assistance to design and install your project.

Since 1984, we’ve helped thousands of farmers just like you protect natural resources on their farms, enhance the health of their livestock, and improve the appearance of their farms. Contact your local soil conservation district today to get your project started. A list of soil conservation district offices can be found on the back of this brochure.

Conservation cover is permanent vegetatio n that helps to curb erosion, improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat.
Contour farming/ contour orchards can reduce soil erosion by as much as 50 percent compared to up and down hill farming.
Cover crops are small grains and mixes that can be planted to reduce nutrient runoff, control erosion and improve soil health.
Critical area plantings protect severely eroding areas from soil erosion.
Diversions are long, earthen embankments that are built across slopes to catch and slow runoff.
Field borders can help prevent erosion at the edge of crop fields.
Grade stabilization structures can be used at the outlet of a grassed waterway to help prevent gully erosion.
Grassed waterways are among our most popular practices. They help reduce erosion by carrying water safely across fields and down steep slopes.
Lined waterways or outlets can help protect areas that cannot be stabilized by permanent vegetation.
Sediment control ponds/basins capture and trap eroded soil and sediment.
Stripcropping can be used on steep, long slopes to reduce erosion.
Terraces are earthen embankments that help control erosion by breaking long slopes into shorter ones.

Conservation drainage practices

These practices help reduce the movement of sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus into surface waters from agricultural land that is artificially drained. Agricultural practices and components commonly used in Maryland include subsurface denitrifying bioreactors, saturated buffers, created wetlands, water control structures, underground outlets, and subsurface drains. Conservation drainage practices are mainly used on the Eastern Shore. If you farm in a low-lying area, these practices can help you collect and treat water from your fields before it enters a stream or drainage ditch.

Subsurface denitrifying bioreactors are trenches filled with a carbon source— usually wood chips—and installed at the edge of a field to remove nitrate nitrogen from agricultural drainage water.
Saturated buffers divert drainage water to a vegetated area for treatment.
Wetland creation A wetland can be constructed at the edge of a field to treat and filter drainage water on a site that was not previously a wetland.

Our most popular stream protection practices

Filter strips of grass or other permanent vegetation can be planted to help protect water quality.
Hedgerows and windbreaks filter runoff, protect against wind erosion and act as a living fence and wildlife corridor.
Livestock stream exclusion fencing helps protect local streams from animal impacts.
Livestock watering facilities provide a safe, reliable drinking water supply for animals away from streams.
Pasture fencing supports rotational grazing systems to improve forage, distribute manure more evenly, and reduce soil erosion.
Pasture management establishes eligible forage species in new or renovated grazing systems.
Iparian forest buffers are trees, shrubs and grasses that are planted along waterways to improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat.
Riparian herbaceous cover can be planted next to streams to filter pollutants and improve water quality.
Spring developments can be installed in pastures to convert muddy springs or wet areas into a clean water supply for livestock.
Stream crossings protect waterways and provide livestock with safe access to pastures.
Tree and shrub establishment protects areas outside the stream corridor to improve water quality and sequester carbon.
Wetland restoration establishes or restores wetland habitat to improve water quality and reduce flooding impacts.

Our most popular manure and barnyard management practices

Heavy use area pads can be installed at poultry house entrances to protect against runoff during cleanouts.
Heavy use areas help livestock farmers stabilize areas that are disturbed due to frequent use by animals or farm equipment.
Manure injection uses special equipment to inject liquid manure below the soil surface to prevent runoff and reduce odors.
Manure transport grants help farmers with low soil phosphorus levels switch to manure.
Poultry mortality composting facilities provide a clean and efficient way to dispose of dead birds safely.
Roof runoff structures are gutters, downspouts and outlets that can be installed on farm buildings to prevent rainwater runoff from mixing with manure.
Roofs and covers can be installed over an existing or planned heavy use area to help divert clean water away from barnyards and feedlots.
Silvopastures introduce trees into active livestock pastures to filter runoff, provide shade and shelter for livestock and sequester carbon.
Waste storage structures help protect poultry manure from runoff. Satellite structures are also eligible for funding.
Waste storage structures for dairy, beef and livestock operations safely contain liquid or dry manure.