Virginia Conservation Assistance Program
The Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) is a program that helps HOAs, individual homeowners, schools, places of worship, and other communities with urban soil erosion and water runoff.​
VCAP Update 1-15-2026
VCAP has been a very successful program over the past few years. Unfortunately, VCAP is not in the governor's budget and therefore is at serious risk of not being funded next program year (which starts July 1, 2026)!​ To help keep VCAP going, we need your help! Please visit Support VCAP to learn more about the financial sitatuion, and to let your local legislators why it's important to keep VCAP funded and the benefits it provides to our environment.
If you want to share your stories and photos of VCAP projects on your property, please send them to Alex Murphy and Nicole Slazinski.
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Please continue to submit site visit request forms as we will still be conducting site visits and submitting applications, at this time.
Thank you!
Application Process
Please note that our VCAP is available to Prince William County, City of Manassas, and now Manassas Park residents!
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How to apply:
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Determine if you have an erosion or water quality problem on your property
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Look at the options available at https://vaswcd.org/vcap/.
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Fill out and submit this electronic form: Site Visit Request Form. The more details you can provide, the better!
Photos are a requirement After submitting the form, please send us photos, videos, and/or project designs (if applicable). Copying and attaching photos in a .doc or .pdf is acceptable. Keep in mind once we download your photos/documents to our computers, we will delete the e-mail as they take up a lot of space in our e-mail box.
These can be e-mailed to alexmurphy@pwswcd.org and/ or nicoleethier@pwswcd.org. You can also snail mail them or drop them off at our office:
Prince William SWCD, Attn: VCAP, 8850 Rixlew Lane, Manassas, VA 20109.
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When submitting a Site Visit Request Form, here are some things we look for:
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A significant water quality/erosion problem that needs to be addressed
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Properties that are adjacent to a waterbody/waterway
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Visibility to the public (can someone casually driving by see it?)
If you are unsure about your project, remember that it never hurts to apply! Do your best and fill out what you can.
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What happens after you submit a Site Visit Request Form
See the VCAP application process for the next steps. As we want to see your project succeed, we will work with you every step of the way!
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If you have any questions, please contact the District at 571-379-7514, or e-mail alexmurphy@pwswcd.org or nicoleethier@pwswcd.org.
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Important Notes:
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If you start/finish a VCAP practice before your application is approved, you may not be eligible for VCAP for that particular practice.
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You will be responsible for finding a contractor or doing the work yourself; scroll down to see lists of potential contractors as well as many resources to help you out.
Calculators
Use these calculators to help determine sizes/amount of materials, depending on the particular practice. Please note that clicking on a link will open an Excel file.
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Plant Density Calculator - use for practices that require a 75% plant density, like conservation landscaping. As plant classifications can be subjective, this calculator is simply meant as a guide.
Resources
(PY = Program year, which runs from July 1-June 30)
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Documents needed for application (don't worry about this until after a site visit has been conducted)
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Getting started
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VCAP website (for landowners) <- Good place to start!
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Guide from the District - includes information on seeds, plugs, nurseries, etc. <- Useful information!
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StreamStats (Watershed Delineation)
For assistance on how to use StreamStats, please contact Nicole Slazinski at 571-379-7514, nicoleethier@pwswcd.org -
* NRCS Virginia Plant Establishment Guide excellent guide in selecting the right native plants for your project
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* Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora use this to verify that the plants you want are native to your area
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PercTest - RiverSmart Homes PercTest Worksheet (use for Infiltration Test)
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Watershed Stewards Academy Rainscaping Manual
Excellent resource for designing conservation landscaping, rain gardens, permeable pavement, infiltration practices, rainwater harvesting, and green roofs!​
​Conservation Landscaping
Rain Gardens
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Rain Garden Intro YouTube Video from Native Plant Symposium 2023
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Rain Garden Design from Iowa
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Rain Garden Manual for Homeowners from the Geauga Soil and
Water Conservation District
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Contractors
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For a list of contractors, please e-mail alexmurphy@pwswcd.org or nicoleethier@pwswcd.org. Please keep in mind that the District cannot recommend specific contractors.
Sample Application Forms
Does the application process look too intimidating? Then check out these applications other people have submitted for their VCAP projects! Huge thanks to the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (VASWCD) and other soil and water conservation districts throughout Virginia for these excellent examples!
Personal information for these sample applications have been omitted. We will still help you with your application before submitting it to our Technical Review Committee; see Step 3 above.
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