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The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program provides financial assistance for the efficient use of water in the Western United States. Each year, Reclamation (USBR) allocates millions of dollars in grant funding through the WaterSMART Program to support Western States, Tribes, and local water providers as they plan and implement actions to advance their water efficiency and supply reliability priorities. Recently, increased funding for WaterSMART programs has been made available thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
WaterNow is dedicated to helping our members and small or under-resourced communities identify avenues of additional financial support which is necessary in advancing sustainable water priorities and projects. In an effort to complement USBR’s program, we provide pro-bono support through our WaterSMART Grant Application Support and Help Desk to assist Colorado communities in navigating the WaterSMART grant application process and access these valuable funds.
Our support services include, but are not limited to:
- 1-on-1 calls to discuss grant opportunities and strategize next steps
- Targeted research tasks related to your application
- Guidance on the USBR grant submission process
- Application templates that follow the Notice of Funding Opportunity
- Detailed review of your application (Please note that WaterNow is not able to write/draft WaterSMART applications)
- And more! We’ll work with you to determine what kind of support would be most useful to your organization
If you’re in Colorado, interested in applying to a WaterSMART funding opportunity, and would like WaterNow’s assistance, fill out this short form and we’ll be in touch.
Check out these available WaterSMART Grants that we can assist you with right now!
Drought Resiliency Projects (DRP):
This funding opportunity is available for projects that will increase the reliability of water supplies, improve water management, and build long-term resiliency to drought.
- Applicants may request up to $5 million for projects that can be completed within 3 years.
- Applications are due October 31, 2023 (for FY24 funding).
- Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete NOFO (also searchable using the opportunity number R24AS00007).
- Learn more about DRP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our DRP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!
Planning and Project Design Grants - Drought Contingency Planning (DCP):
This funding opportunity supports the development and update of drought contingency plans. Through this funding opportunity, Reclamation provides funding for planning that, when implemented, will increase water reliability and improve water management through the use of expanded technologies and improved modeling capabilities.
- Applicants may request up to $400,000 for projects that can be completed within 3 years.
- Applications are due October 17, 2023 (for FY23 funding) and April 2, 2024 (for FY24 funding, contingent on appropriations).
- Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00109).
- Learn more about DCP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our DCP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!
Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP):
This funding opportunity provides funding to grassroots, local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. Activities supported under CWMP Phase 1 include development of watershed groups, watershed restoration planning activities, and designing watershed management projects.
- Applicants may request up to $300,000 in funding over a 3-years and there is no requirement for a non-Federal cost share.
- Applications are due December 5, 2023 (for FY23 funding) and September 3, 2024 (for FY24 funding).
- Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete NOFO (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00362).
- Learn more about CWMP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our CWMP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!
Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Program (AERP):
This funding opportunity is available for projects focused on the study, design, and construction of aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that are collaboratively developed, have widespread regional benefits, and are for the purpose of improving the health of fisheries, wildlife, and aquatic habitat through restoration and improved fish passage.
- Applicants may request up to $2 million for Study and Design projects and up to $20 million for Construction projects.
- Applications are due January 24, 2024 (for FY24 funding).
- Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete NOFO (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00106).
- Learn more about AERP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our AERP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!
We need your input! Please complete our WaterSMART Grant Application Support & Help Desk Survey
At WaterNow, we are committed to providing the best possible support to Colorado water providers in their efforts to tackle regional water challenges, especially to organizations and agencies in small and under-resourced areas. As part of our ongoing commitment to excellence, we are seeking your valuable feedback to understand how effective our WaterSMART Grant Application Support & Help Desk program has been in assisting your organization in applying for U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grants.
The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. You can access the survey here.
WaterNow Alliance is an independent, non-profit that receives philanthropic funding to support Colorado water providers to apply for WaterSMART funding. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation implements the WaterSMART program, and makes all final grant decisions. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in any way.