Tap into Federal Funding: WaterSMART EWRP Grants

Deep dive into USBR's NEW Environmental Water Resources Projects grant
October 21, 20219:30 am PST
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Location:

Virtual: Zoom

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Join WaterNow Alliance and Bureau of Reclamation staff for a deep dive into the newly created Environmental Water Resources Projects (EWRP) grants for fiscal year 2022.

WaterSMART EWRP funding will provide up to $2,000,000 per agreement to support projects focused on environmental benefits that have been developed as part of a collaborative process to help carry out an established strategy to increase the reliability of water resources.

An exciting update with this new grant is the ability of nonprofit conservation organizations to apply with the approval of, or in partnership with states, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, local authorities with one or more members that have water or power delivery authority, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority.

Applicants must be able to commit to a minimum of 25% cost-share for total project costs (for water or power delivery entities), and a 50% cost-share of total project cost for nonprofit conservation organization applicants. 

Eligible projects include, but are not limited to:
Water conservation and efficiency projects that result in quantifiable and sustained water savings and benefits to ecological values. 

    • Irrigation flow measurements;
    • Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Automation; and,
    • Municipal and industrial water use efficiency improvements that benefit ecological values. 

Water management or infrastructure improvements to mitigate drought-related impacts to ecological values.

    • Water management challenges or infrastructure improvements that will improve water supply reliability and habitat during drought conditions (e.g., develop tools to evaluate water supplies and stream conditions in real time for improved timing of releases, upgrading a headgate to improve water supply reliability, new diversion location downstream of critical temperature control points, treating return flows during low flow events to improve water quality, water storage for subsequent release to improve streamflow); and,
    • Salinity or temperature control projects to benefit ecological values (e.g., salinity barriers, temperature curtains, dam temperature shutters, or powerplant bypass structures), and to aerate ecologically sensitive areas where dissolved oxygen levels are low.

Watershed management or restoration projects benefiting ecological values that have a nexus to water resources or water resources management.

    • Improving stream channel structure and complexity; 
    • Improving channel/floodplain connectivity; 
    • Protecting and stabilization stream and riverbanks and reducing erosion;
    • Removing invasive species and restoring vegetation; 
    • Stream restoration to improve groundwater recharge and riparian habitat; and,
    • Restoring natural wetlands, construction or improving wetlands for treatment of irrigation water or stormwater flows, or improving other natural features to reduce water supply and demand imbalances or the risk of drought or flood.

This event will be virtual and take place at 10:30 MDT/9:30 PDT.

Our speakers include:

  • Avra Morgan, US Bureau of Reclamation
  • Joshua German, US Bureau of Reclamation
  • Georgia Beesemyer, WaterNow Alliance Projects Manager
  • Victoria Arling, WaterNow Alliance, Colorado Basin Program Manager

Register here now!