Funding opportunity for watershed groups

Watershed groups that are grassroots, non-regulatory entities are eligible for the Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Phase II Grants. These grants provide up to $100,000 for 2-year programs ($50,000/year) to address critical water supply needs, water quality, and ecological resilience. The purpose of this program is to support established watershed groups in implementing on-the-ground watershed management projects. Funding will support the following types of primary projects:

• Improving stream channel structure and complexity: activities that improve channel structure and complexity to improve or maintain habitat and restore conditions supporting a healthy river channel, protect and stabilize stream or river banks, decrease sediment, and improve water quality and temperature
• Restoring or enhancing floodplains: activities that reconnect floodplains to the current channel to provide floodplain habitat, reduce flood risk downstream, and improve water quality and temperature
• Restoring or enhancing vegetation: activities that restore vegetation to improve the health of water sources and riparian ecosystems, reduce erosion, reduce flood risk, increase drought resilience, improve water quality and temperature, and restore habitat
• Controlling invasive species: activities to prevent or mitigate the impacts of invasive species likely to negatively impact the river, stream, or riparian ecosystem
• Improving ecological resilience through water conservation activities: activities that conserve water through small-scale water delivery system improvements to improve ecological resilience
• Improving ecological resilience through water management activities: water management activities that benefit aquatic and riparian ecosystems within the watershed
• Addressing water quality through mitigation: activities that prevent or remediate downstream contamination from agriculture, forestry operations, wildfires, and mining

Applicants must provide 50% of the project costs via non-federal cash or in-kind contributions. The deadline for the application is February 15.