Deadline: 31-Jan-25
The Shuswap Watershed Council is seeking applications for its Water Quality Grant Program to provide financial support for projects and new management practices that improve nutrient retention on the land and in the soil so that less phosphorus flows into Shuswap and Mara Lakes.
Funding Information
- Up to $45,000 is available in 2025, subject to SWC approval, through this granting program. The number of grants awarded and the amount of each grant awarded will be dependent on the merit of the applications received. The SWC will fund a maximum of 50% of applicants’ project costs, the remainder must come from other sources which can be cash and/or in-kind contributions.
Eligible Projects
- Eligible projects must:
- Be located in the Shuswap Watershed:
- Priority may be given to projects located in the incremental flow sub-watersheds (i.e., settled valley bottoms)
- Demonstrate improvements to:
- environmental water quality by reducing or mitigating the flow of P-rich run-off or effluent from land to surface waters in the Shuswap watershed, or
- to agricultural soil health, thereby improving soil capacity to store and cycle water and nutrients.
- Ideally be completed within one year of grant award (March 31st, 2026), but no longer than 18 months from the time of the award (September 30th, 2026).
- Be located in the Shuswap Watershed:
Eligible Activities
- Eligible activities include (but aren’t limited to):
- Wetland restoration or creation
- Riparian area improvements, including planting, bank stabilization and fencing
- Agricultural practices that build soil health and mitigate nutrient loss from soil to water. This includes transitioning to regenerative agricultural practices such as cover cropping, relay cropping, no-till, rotational grazing, etc.
- Controlling run-off or seepage of nutrient-rich effluent
- Off-stream waterers for livestock
- Other innovative projects proposed by an applicant that meet the objective of the program.
Ineligible Activities
- Ineligible activities include:
- Water quality monitoring or research as a stand-alone project
- Planning as a stand-alone project
- Education and outreach
- Building bridges, culverts, or road crossing structures
- Any activities contrary to relevant legislation and regulations
- Any activities that are ordered by compliance and enforcement action.
Eligible Expenses
- Eligible expenses include:
- Labor (hired or contract)
- Materials and supplies
- Capital purchases (some restrictions may apply)
- Equipment rental
- Professional fees such as an Agrologist, Environmental Farm Plan Advisor, or Biologist.
Ineligible Expenses
- Ineligible expenses include:
- Applicant’s labor, equipment, and/or supplies
- Hospitality costs including food and beverage
- Travel
- Training and professional development.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants include the following:
- Farms
- Hobby and small-lot farms
- Agri-businesses
- Golf courses
- Wineries/Cideries
- Tree farms/nurseries
- Landowners
- First Nations governments
- Indigenous organizations
- Non-profit organizations.
Ineligibility Criteria
- Ineligible applicants include the following:
- Local governments
- Provincial and federal government agencies
- Consultants and non-farm corporations.
For more information, visit Shuswap Watershed Council.