What are WaterSMART Grants?
The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Program offers financial support for sustainable water management across the Western United States. Annually, Reclamation (USBR) distributes millions of dollars in grants through this program to assist Western States, Tribes, and local water agencies in planning and executing projects that enhance water efficiency and supply reliability.
WaterNow’s Application Assistance
As Colorado experiences record-low snowpack and drought conditions, we know communities may not have the time and capacity to apply for grants that can help alleviate water scarcity concerns now and in the future. WaterNow helps bridge that gap by answering your questions and providing the resources you need to start and submit your application.
As part of WaterNow’s Colorado-based work, we provide no-cost, hands-on support to Colorado communities applying for the USBR WaterSMART grants. We are committed to helping our members and communities with capacity or resource constraints access these important federal funding opportunities to help implement their sustainable water priorities and projects.
Our WaterSMART Grant Application Support and Help Desk support includes, but is not limited to:
- 1-on-1 strategy calls to identify the best-fit funding opportunity
- Research tasks related to your application
- Fillable application templates and checklists
- Detailed editing and review of application materials
- Letters of Support
- And more! We’ll work with you to determine what kind of support would be most useful to your organization
What does WaterSMART Fund?
Through its 10 programs, WaterSMART provides funding for a wide range of projects, including planning and design, water-efficient infrastructure upgrades, watershed management, comprehensive drought planning, and implementation actions to proactively address water shortages.
What does this look like in practice? Below are some projects WaterNow has supported in securing funding:
- City of Alamosa ($500,000 in WEEG funding): Upgraded a golf course irrigation system with weather-related sensors and individual head controls, saving 14 acre-feet of water annually.
- City of Greeley ($2,000,000 in WEEG funding): Converted 11,000 outdated meters to an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, saving an estimated 1,146 acre-feet per year through better accuracy and leak detection.
- City of Aspen ($75,000 in SWEP funding): Added a residential irrigation efficiency rebate to its water-efficiency programming, funding smart controllers and turf replacement to improve Roaring Fork Valley water supply reliability.
- Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation and San Luis Valley Irrigation District ($1,274,625 in EWRP funding): Upgraded aging diversion infrastructure to improve water delivery while restoring fish access to over 1.4 miles of river habitat.
- Mesa Soil Conservation District and Grand Valley Water Committee ($300,000 in CWMP funding): Developed a Watershed Management Matrix to identify and prioritize projects across existing local plans and initiatives, and completed design work on priority watershed projects.
Ready to Apply?
As of this spring, there are two available grants that we provide application support for:
- Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects (Deadline June 2, 2026)
- SWEP supports small, on-the-ground water efficiency projects that conserve water and improve water supply reliability.
- Funding: Up to $125,000 for projects costing $250,000 or less and completed within two years
- More information: Visit the WaterSMART SWEP webpage or apply on Grants.gov (NOFO No. R25AS00279)
- Drought Response Program (Deadline July 28, 2026)
- The DRP supports projects that strengthen drought resilience through improved water management strategies and drought contingency planning.
- Funding:
- Funding Group I: Up to $500,000
- Funding Group II: Up to $1,500,000
- More information: Visit the WaterSMART DRP webpage and apply on Grants.gov (NOFO No. R26AS00016)
WaterNow closely monitors open WaterSMART opportunities and will notify you when new grants are announced. Become a WaterNow member and join our mailing list to receive updates.
Make Your Project a Reality with the WaterSMART Help Desk
Don't let confusing application steps stand in the way of your community's water supply reliability! Whether you have a specific question about eligibility or need a full review of your application, our team is ready to support. Fill out this short form to request assistance today.
WaterNow 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.