WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow)

The objective of the WaterSMART Grants program is to leverage money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation for water management improvement projects, including: 1) water and energy efficiency grants that result in quantifiable water savings,

WaterSMART Grants provide cost-shared financial assistance on a competitive basis to carry out projects focused on water conservation, hydropower, and small-scale water efficiency improvements.

Applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories specifically: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming (the "17 Western States"), Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico. Category C Applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations submitting an application for a project to improve the condition of a natural feature without a category A partner must demonstrate that entities described in Category A in the applicable service area have been notified of the project and do not object. Category A and B applicants are eligible under all funding opportunities under WaterSMART Grants. Category C applicants are only eligible under the Environmental Water Resources Projects funding opportunity. Applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories specifically: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming (the "17 Western States"), Alaska, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.

General public, entities with water or power delivery authority, state, county, and local governmental entities, Tribes, watershed groups, nonprofit conservation organizations and other entities located in eligible states and territories previously described in applicant eligibility.

Under WaterSMART Grants, Reclamation provides cost-shared financial assistance through a set of competitive funding opportunities including: the Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects, Planning and Project Design grants, and Environmental Water Resources Projects. Reclamation may also provide financial assistance for these types of water conservation projects under this Assistance Listing using this statutory authority, either competitively or non-competitively, for other projects when another Reclamation Assistance Listing is not available. For further information please contact the regional office.

Each Notice of Funding Opportunity offered through WaterSMART Grants for Water and Energy Efficiency Grants and Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects includes specific information about ineligible activities.

In general, projects should be completed within 2 to 3 years of award, depending on the amount of funding requested. Applications for projects requiring more time will be considered for funding only under limited circumstances.

None. Preapplication coordination is not required but is highly encouraged. Potential applicants can contact Reclamation program staff to discuss their project. Contact information can be found at https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart. Projects funded under this program are subject to environmental and cultural resource compliance. The level of compliance projects funded under this program will vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project being funded. Environmental and cultural resource compliance is required before the commencement of project activities. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Headquarters (see contact information below).

Criteria are specified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. For more information, see https://www.usbr.gov./watersmart.

Proposals received in response to the funding opportunity are reviewed through a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the merit review criteria and on the objectives of the funding opportunity. The review of applications will follow the requirements of E.O. 14332, such as ensuring policy review by senior appointees, and that selections demonstrably advance the President's policy priorities consistent with applicable law.

See Reclamation's WaterSMART website https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/ for schedule information.