Delaware Community Conservation Assistance Program (DeCAP) (DeCAP)

DeCAP is a cost-share program that provides financial incentives, technical and educational assistance to property owners installing Best Management Practices in Delaware's Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The initiative addresses nonpoint source pollution — stormwater runoff carrying sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus into waterways — by encouraging installation of practices that filter runoff and restore vegetated areas.

Property owners whose land falls within Delaware's Chesapeake Bay Basin may qualify; applicants can use the Delaware watersheds map tool to verify their property location and watershed.

The program covers eight eligible Best Management Practices: rain gardens; stormwater facility enhancements (vegetated channels, infiltration basins, bioretention basins); rainwater harvesting; constructed wetlands; conservation landscaping; urban nutrient management (livable lawns); tree plantings; and urban forest buffers. Property owners must maintain the installed practice for at least five years with annual inspections.

Contact DNREC or your local conservation district office. Staff will visit the property, recommend suitable practices, develop a design plan for committee approval, oversee installation, and verify completion.