In 2012, the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of Maryland was selected by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide technical assistance on Oxford’s stormwater management. Over the course of the one-year project, the EFC and project partners provided educational outreach and analytical assistance to address recurring stormwater and tidal driven flooding.

The study found that stormwater infrastructure and shoreline management are inseparable and must be part of a unified solution – stormwater infrastructure to store and convey rainfall or tidewaters, and shoreline management to address the reality of sea level rise. While some preliminary engineering solutions were evaluated, the chief recommendation from the study is for Oxford to adopt a local stormwater and shoreline protection fee that will raise the revenue necessary to invest in water management infrastructure such as constructed wetlands and stormwater pumps. Chesapeake Bay health and flood-related pollution runoff are also addressed in the study.

Please see the stormwater financing case study below, or visit EFC's website for more information, including access to the final project report.