2022 WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects in the US

Deadline: 09-Dec-21

The Department of the Interior and Bureau of Reclamation is pleased to announce the 2022 WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects (EWRP) to increase water supply sustainability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts.

WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects is a new category of funding to support projects focused on environmental benefits and that have been developed as part of a collaborative process to help carry out an established strategy to increase the reliability of water resources.

The objective of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is to invite eligible applicants to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on Environmental Water Resources Projects, including water conservation and efficiency projects that result in quantifiable and sustained water savings and benefit ecological values; water management or infrastructure improvements to mitigate drought-related impacts to ecological values; and watershed management or restoration projects benefitting ecological values that have a nexus to water resources or water resources management.

Funding Information

Up to $2,000,000 in Federal funds may be awarded over the period of performance. Multiple applications for funding may be submitted for consideration. However, no more than $2,000,000 may be awarded to any one applicant under this NOFO.
Reclamation will determine the final amount of funding available for award under this NOFO once final FY 2022 appropriations are made. Approximately 15-20 awards are anticipated.

Eligibility Criteria

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, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.
Applicants eligible to receive an award under this NOFO include:
- Category A applicants:
  - States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts;
  - State, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and
  - Other organizations with water or power delivery authority.
- Category B applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations, including watershed groups as defined in the Cooperative Watershed Management Act, that are acting in partnership with and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. Category B applicants must include with their application a letter from the Category A partner stating that the Category A partner:
  - is acting in partnership with the applicant;
  - agrees to the submittal and content of the application; and
  - intends to participate in the project in some way, for example, by providing input, feedback, or other support for the project.
- Category C applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations submitting an application for a project to improve the condition of a natural feature such as wetlands on Federal land without a Category A partner must demonstrate that entities described in Category A from the applicable service area have been notified and do not object to the project.