Deadline: 11-Mar-2025
The United States Department of the Interior’s (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of the Department’s priorities.
Through WaterSMART, 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.
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) supports projects to develop hydrologic information and water management tools and improve modeling and forecasting capabilities to increase water supply reliability as well as improving decision making for nature-based solutions. Nature-based solutions are sustainable environmental management and practices that weave natural features or processes into the built environment to promote adaptation and resilience.
Purpose and Objectives
- The objective of this NOFO is to invite eligible non-Federal entities to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on applied science projects (Project) to improve access to and use of hydrologic data, develop and improve water management tools, improve modeling and forecasting capabilities.
- Results from these projects will be used by water managers to increase water supply reliability, provide flexibility in water operations, improve water management, and support nature-based solutions.
- Project results must be readily applicable by managers—resulting in tools and information that can be used to support: water supply reliability, water delivery management, water marketing activities, drought management activities, conjunctive use of ground and surface water, water rights administration, ability to meet endangered species requirements, watershed health, conservation and efficiency, support for nature-based solutions and other water management objectives.
Funding Information
- Up to $400,000 in Federal funds per agreement provided through this NOFO.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible Applicants:
- Applicants eligible to receive an award under this NOFO include:
- Category A:
- States, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts;
- State, regional, or local authorities, which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority as members; and
- Other organizations with water or power delivery authority.
- All Category A applicants must be located in one of the following United 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, or Puerto Rico.
- Category B:
- Universities, nonprofit research institutions, federally funded research and development centers, and non-profit entities (including 501[c][3] organizations) that are acting in partnership with and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A.
- Category B applicants should 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 A:
- Applicants eligible to receive an award under this NOFO include:
Ineligibility Criteria
- Those not eligible include the following entities:
- Federal Governmental Entities
- Individuals
- Commercial/industrial organizations
- Private entities
- 501(c)(6) Organizations
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
