Innovative Water Projects and Communications awards showcase cutting edge strategies for our members.

2026 NAFSMA Awards

NAFSMA 2026 Awards for Excellence in Communications and Innovative Water Projects Awards can be submitted beginning September 1, 2025.

To be eligible for consideration, applications need to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2026. Reach out to Jennifer with questions.

2024 and 2025 Winners are showcased below.

Innovative Water Projects
The Innovative Water Project Awards Program recognizes community flood risk and/or stormwater and water quality management projects that accomplish multiple benefits.

Examples of features and benefits that can be highlighted in project submissions include, but are not limited to, local community benefits, economic, water conservation, recreation, enhanced human health and well-being, endangered or protected species habitat creation, use of natural features and green infrastructure, and community enhancement.

Excellence in Communications Awards Excellence in Communications awards program includes two categories — “Public Awareness of Flooding and/or Flood Prevention and/or Emergency Preparedness” and “Improving Water Quality.”

The Excellence in Communications awards program highlights award winning communication and outreach programs and provides examples of successful initiatives highlighting flood awareness, pollution prevention and environmental protection that are being carried out throughout the country.

Congratulations to our 2025 Winners

Innovations Awards

  • Winner: McLoud Run; City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

  • Special Recognition (2 projects):

  • City of Houston Stormwater Master Plan; City of Houston

  • Louisiana Watershed Initiative; Louisiana DOTD

  • Communication Awards

    • 1st Place: That Dam Game!; Yuba Water Agency/GEI Consultants, Inc./USACE

    • 2nd Place: Valley Water; Public Awareness of Flooding: Be Flood Safe

Awards Recap:

The McLoud Run Project in Cedar Rapids, IA managed floodwaters, enhanced recreation along a trail system, and restored an ecologically rich streambed for aquatic life while working with local business and transportation authority.

The City of Houston Stormwater Master Plan is a comprehensive modeling analysis of all types of stormwater infrastructure throughout the city limits of Houston.  The plan will allows for solutions to be implemented that target the areas of the city under the most flood risk, while also tailoring solutions within neighborhoods to reduce the most profound impacts of urban flooding on homes and businesses  and will allow the city to save lives and properties.

The Louisiana Watershed Initiative is a comprehensive, state-led effort aimed at reducing flood risk and enhancing resilience, while addressing both immediate and long-term needs. The initiative focuses on sustainable development and nature based solutions.

Yuba Water Agency pioneered an innovative approach to address the challenges of climate change on water management through a board game called "That Dam Game!". This game has been taken to industry conferences to educate about collaboration, negotiation and creativity while managing limited capital budget and considering non-structural solutions and use of forecasting tools.The game induced fun and laughter improving mood and trust which increases receptiveness to new concepts. 

Valley Water recognizes that extreme weather is our new normal,  their Be Flood Safe awareness campaign educates and engages residents with cutting edge technology and multilingual ads.  They have sought to educate residents about flood risk and provide resources for preparedness when extreme weather strikes. 

NAFSMA will be hearing more from these outstanding projects in the future, as we invite those project leaders to share their successes with our NAFSMA community.  Next year's awards will be presented at the 2026 NAFSMA Annual Meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, July 13-16, 2026.  NAFSMA will begin accepting applications on August 15, 2025 

Congratulations to our 2024 Excellence in Communications

and Innovative Water Projects Awards Programs

NAFSMA’s Excellence in Communications Awards Program includes two categories — “Public Awareness of Flooding and/or Flood Prevention and/or Emergency Preparedness” and “Improving Water Quality.” This program recognizes outstanding communication and outreach programs that provide examples of successful flood awareness, pollution prevention and/or environmental protection that are being carried out throughout the country.

This year’s communications winners for flooding and/or flood prevention and emergency preparedness include:

  • First Place – King County Flood Control District, Seattle, WA – Lower Green River Corridor Flood Hazard Management Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

  • Second Place – Henrico County, VA – Floodplain Map Change Communication Campaign

Winners for water quality communications campaigns include:

  • First Place – City of Kirkland, WA – Interactive Creek Health Dashboards

  • Second Place – City of Phoenix – Stormwater Awareness

NAFSMA’s innovative water projects category was established in 2022 to recognize the importance of multi-benefit water projects. This awards program recognizes community flood risk and/or stormwater and water quality management projects that accomplish multiple benefits.

This year’s innovative water projects winners including the following:

  • First Place - King County  Flood Control District, Kent, WA – Lower Russell Levee Setback Project

  • Second Place (Tie) – Texas Water Development Board, Austin, TX – Texas Regional Flood Plans

  • Second Place (Tie) – Los Angeles County Public Works, La Alhambra, CA – Los Angeles  County Water Plan

Smaller population innovative project winner:

  • First Place - City of Kirkland, WA – 132nd Square Park Stormwater Retrofit

  • Innovative Projects

    NAFSMA launched a new awards program in 2022 to recognize innovative multi-benefit water projects. This new awards category for NAFSMA’s 2022 Awards Program will recognize innovative community flood risk and/or stormwater and water quality management projects that accomplish multiple benefits.

  • Excellence in Communications

    The Excellence in Communications awards program highlights award winning communication and outreach programs and provides examples of successful initiatives about flood awareness, pollution prevention and environmental protection that are taking place across the United States.