DOI announces $40M for WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I
Eligible applicants: states, tribes, special districts, local authorities, interstate organizations, nonprofits, and institutes of higher education. Applications are due December 5, 2023
Opportunity: WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I
Announcement Type: Notice of Funding Opportunity (the program is now open to applications)
Overview and Eligible Uses: The objective of this NOFO is to invite eligible applicants to submit proposals for Phase I activities to develop a watershed group, complete watershed restoration planning activities, and design watershed management projects. Applicants have the opportunity to seek funding for activities in any of the three designated Task Areas (The application's point allocation isn't influenced by the number of Task Areas covered):
Task A: Watershed Group Development: This encompasses mission, vision, and goal formulation, crafting articles of incorporation and bylaws, conducting outreach, gathering information on water-related issues, and pre-planning activities.
Task B: Watershed Restoration Planning: This entails completing or updating restoration plans, project concept development, monitoring activities, technical analyses, and collaboration with stakeholders.
Task C: Watershed Management Project Design: This includes site analysis, project design and engineering, developing project schedules and milestones, and researching environmental compliance requirements.
These activities cater to different project phases, facilitating focused and comprehensive watershed initiatives.
Amount: Up to $ 40M in total, up to $300,000 per applicant
Award Type: Cooperative Agreement grant
Eligible Applicants: states, Indian Tribes, local and special districts (such as irrigation, water conservation, and water districts), local governments, interstate organizations, non-profit organizations, and institutes of higher education sponsoring a watershed group.
*To qualify, applicants must satisfy these prerequisites: (1) sponsoring the development of a New Watershed Group, (2) having a substantial impact on or being affected by water quality or quantity within a watershed, and (3) possessing the capacity to encourage sustainable water resource utilization.
**Applicants eligible for Existing Watershed Group awards comprise the same entities and must meet criteria laid out in Section A.3 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity Objectives. This includes being legally incorporated as a nonprofit entity, participating in an Existing Watershed Group, or serving as a fiscal sponsor for such a group.
Key Dates: Applications submitted up to December 5, 2023, will be considered during the first submission period, while those received between December 5, 2023, and September 3, 2024, will be reviewed during the second submission period.
Key Links:
For a full list of currently available grant programs under the Infrastructure Law and other helpful tools, take a look at our Helpful Resources page.
This tracker will continue to send updates when new funding opportunities are announced.