Lewis and Clark Rural Water System
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.520
- Agency
-
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 5 $340,036,058 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Lewis and Clark Project
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 14-0680-0-1-301
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation funds design, construction, and planning of the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System under CFDA 15.520, with the most recent grant award dated August 1, 2022.
This program delivers safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies to 15 communities and 5 rural water systems across 12 counties in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa. The funded Lewis and Clark Rural Water System serves more than 300,000 residents across the region. Beyond core water supply infrastructure, the program supports wetland mitigation and water conservation initiatives. Grantees must update work plans and submit annual budgets; the Bureau of Reclamation's Missouri Basin Region finalizes amendments once parties agree on scopes of work and budgets.
The program has generated five awards over roughly two decades, with an award cadence of approximately one per year in recent periods (2001, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2022). Combined federal dollars obligated total $340 million. The assistance type mix is 60 percent Project Grants and 40 percent Cooperative Agreements. The Bureau of Reclamation is the sole funder under this program.
Recent awards illustrate the funding scale and scope. A Project Grant awarded August 1, 2022 for design and construction of the overall system obligated $133 million with an ultimate completion date of October 31, 2026. A prior Project Grant from March 2, 2020 for planning and construction obligated $92.3 million with completion expected August 1, 2028. An August 2019 award obligated $25 thousand for electronic water-order and operations software providing system optimization review.
The program operates under a federal appropriation ceiling of $443 million as of September 30, 2019, with a projected total cost ceiling from all funding sources of $549 million. Funding remains available until appropriated funds are expended or construction is declared complete; additional appropriations require Congressional action. The source contains no recently posted grant opportunities for this program.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies, mitigation of wetland areas and water conservation for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System member entities located in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota,
- Description
Provide a safe and adequate municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies, mitigation of wetland areas and water conservation for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System member entities located in the southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
The Lewis and Clark Rural Water Supply System, Inc., and its member entities (rural water systems and municipalities the meet the requirements for membership in the Lewis and Clark Rural Water Supply System, Inc.).
- Beneficiary eligibility
Fifteen communities and 5 rural water systems in Lake, McCook, Minnehaha, Turner, Lincoln, Clay, and Union Counties, in southeastern South Dakota; Rock and Nobles Counties, in Southwestern Minnesota; and Lyon, Sioux, Osceola, O'Brien Dickinson, and Clay Counties, in northwestern Iowa.
- Uses of assistance
This project is for the planning and construction of a bulk water supply system to provide municipal, rural, and industrial water supplies, mitigation of wetland areas and water conservation for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System member entities located in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota member entities located in southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa. Mitigation of wetlands areas have been incorporated into the project. Congress has specifically authorized the Secretary of the Interior to administer this project in southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. At the present time, no new project awards are being made under this authority. Funding is only available for continuation of existing agreements.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Funding will be available until all appropriated funds have been expended for this program, or at such time the Grants Officer declares construction of the project complete. Additional funding for the program is at the discretion of Congress. Any request for a time extension must be in writing in accordance with the provisions stated in the agreement. As of September 30, 2019, the federal appropriation ceiling as prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation was $443 million and the projected cost ceiling from all funding sources was $549 million. The amount and timing of disbursement of assistance is based on progress and need. Payments will be made using the Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP).
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The scope of work must address and be responsive to the authorizing legislation, the final engineering report and the appropriation ceiling. Reclamation will allocate funds based on the recently implemented funding criteria.
- Award procedure
Once the parties agree with their respective annual scopes of work and budgets, the Bureau of Reclamation's Missouri Basin Region finalizes the amendments.
- Renewals
Grantees are required to update their work plan and submit a current year budget annually.
Grant awards
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis & Clark Regional Water System | $340,011,058 | 100% |
| 2 | North Unit Irrigation District | $25,000 | <1% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $21,000,000 |
| FY2024 | $92,071,752 |
| FY2023 | $83,206,890 |
| FY2022 | $42,688,900 |
| FY2021 | $17,419,730 |
| FY2020 | $17,800,000 |
| FY2019 | $15,300,942 |
| FY2018 | $15,255,840 |
| FY2017 | $9,035,000 |
| FY2016 | $9,332,000 |
| FY2015 | $8,775,000 |
| FY2014 | $8,150,000 |
Show all 12
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.520?
Assistance Listing 15.520 is Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Lewis and Clark Rural Water System?
Its CFDA number is 15.520: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.520 awarded?
5 grant awards under 15.520 have obligated $340,036,058 in federal funds to 2 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 15.520?
The recipients obligated the most under Lewis and Clark Rural Water System are Lewis & Clark Regional Water System ($340,011,058) and North Unit Irrigation District ($25,000).
How much did 15.520 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.520 obligated $21,000,000 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
- Ask GovTribe AI about this program