Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program (MACS)
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About MACS
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?
The Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program provides farmers with grants to cover up to 87.5% of the cost to install best management practices on their farms to prevent soil erosion, manage nutrients and safeguard water quality in streams, rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
Since 1984, we’ve helped thousands of farmers protect natural resources on their farms, enhance the health of their livestock, and improve the appearance of their farms.
Get Free Help
Your soil conservation district can provide free technical assistance to design and plan your project. In many instances, our cost-share grants can be combined with federal conservation grants to make the installation of these practices very affordable. To get your project started, contact your soil conservation district office to arrange for someone to come to your farm.
Erosion and Soil Health Practices
- Permanent vegetation that helps to curb erosion, improve water quality and provide wildlife habitat. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Can reduce soil erosion by as much as 50 percent compared to up and down hill farming. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Small grains and mixes that can be planted to reduce nutrient runoff, control erosion and improve soil health. Funding is available through the Cover Crop Program, Cover Crop Plus, and Small Farm Cover Crop Program.
- Protect severely eroding areas from soil erosion. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Test
Stream Protection Practices
- Grass or other permanent vegetation planted to help protect water quality. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- These plantings filter runoff, protect against wind erosion and act as a living fence and wildlife corridor. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Helps protect local streams from animal impacts. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Provide a safe, reliable drinking water supply for animals away from streams. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
Manure and Barnyard Management Practices
- Can be installed at poultry house entrances to protect against runoff during cleanouts. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Help livestock farmers stabilize areas that are disturbed due to frequent use by animals or farm equipment. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Provide a clean and efficient way to dispose of dead birds safely. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Gutters, downspouts and outlets that can be installed on farm buildings to prevent rainwater runoff from mixing with manure. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
Conservation Drainage Practices
Conservation drainage practices are mainly used on the Eastern Shore to help reduce the movement of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus into surface waters from artificially drained agricultural land. Supporting practices include water control structures, subsurface drains, and underground outlets.
- 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. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- Divert drainage water to a vegetated area for treatment. Up to 87.5% cost-share.
- 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. Up to 87.5% cost-share.