Website: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326703
Funding: Total funding: $1,500,000. Maximum awards: $500K-$1.5M, depending on project size.
Dates: Application Submission Deadline: Aug 05, 2020
Summary:
Through WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with states, tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. WaterSMART provides support for the Department’s priorities, including creating a legacy of conservation stewardship, sustainably developing our energy and natural resources, modernizing our infrastructure through public-private partnerships, striking a regulatory balance, and restoring trust with local communities by improving relationships and communication with states, tribes, local governments, communities, landowners and water users. WaterSMART also supports Reclamation’s priorities, including increasing water supplies, leveraging science and technology to improve water supply reliability, addressing ongoing drought, and improving water supplies for tribal and rural communities. The WaterSMART Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought by providing financial assistance to water managers to develop and update comprehensive drought plans (Drought Contingency Planning) and implement projects that will build long-term resilience to drought (Drought Resiliency Projects).
The objective of this FOA is to invite states, tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on Drought Resiliency Projects that will increase the reliability of water supplies; improve water management; and provide benefits for fish, wildlife, and the environment to mitigate impacts caused by drought.
Project Topic Areas:
Drought resiliency can be defined as the capacity of a community to cope with and respond to drought. Applicants that demonstrate that the proposed project meets a need or project identified in an existing drought plan will be prioritized.
Tasks A-C, below, describe project categories eligible for funding under this FOA. Applications may include any one, or a combination, of the types of projects described in Tasks A-C.
Task A—Increasing the Reliability of Water Supplies through Infrastructure Improvements
Task A projects include, but are not limited to the following:
- System modifications or improvements.
- Storing water and/or recharging groundwater supplies.
- Developing alternative sources of water supply including water treatment.
Task B—Projects to Improve Water Management through Decision Support Tools, Modeling, and Measurement
Task B Projects include, but are not limited to the following:
- Developing water management and modeling tools to help communities evaluate options and implement strategies to address drought.
- Installing water measurement equipment and monitoring instrumentation devices to accurately track water supply conditions (e.g., water service meters, stream flow measurement structures, flow meters, well level instruments, reservoir level monitors).
- Developing a water marketing tool or program that would provide a mechanism for willing participants to buy, sell, lease, or exchange water to avoid or reduce water conflicts.
Task C—Projects that Provide Protection for Fish, Wildlife, and the Environment
Task C Projects include, but are not limited to the following:
- Installing and/or modifying fish screens, ladders, bypasses, and modifications to water intakes (e.g., selective or lowered intakes).
- Improving fish hatcheries (e.g., coolers, holding pens, transport, disease control, or prevention).
- Improving habitat, including restoring habitat to pre-drought conditions.
Cost Sharing:
Multiple applications for funding may be submitted for consideration (for example, an applicant may submit a proposal for funding under Funding Group I and a separate proposal under Funding Group II). However, no more than $1.5 million will be awarded in any fiscal year to any one applicant under this FOA (i.e., an applicant could receive a maximum of $1.5 million in FY 2021 appropriations and a maximum of $1.5 million in FY 2022 appropriations).
Applicants are invited to submit proposals under the following funding groups:
Funding Group I
Up to $500,000 in Federal funds provided through this FOA will be available for projects that generally should be completed in two years.
Funding Group II
Up to $1,500,000 in Federal funds provided through this FOA will be available for larger projects that may take up to three years to complete. Projects in this group will be funded on an annual basis. Funding for the second and third years of the project is contingent upon future appropriations.
Topic Area Requirements:
Environmental and Cultural Resources Compliance
All projects selected for funding under this FOA will be required to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other Federal environmental and cultural resource laws and other regulations.
Eligible Applicants:
An eligible applicant is a state, tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority.
Applicants must also be located in one of the following states or territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.