Cooperative Watershed Management

Reclamation's WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management program (CWMP) provides funding for the establishment or enlargement of grassroots, local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to address their

Reclamation's WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management program (CWMP) provides funding for the development of grassroots, local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to address their water management needs. A watershed group is a self-sustaining, non-regulatory group that is composed of a diverse array of stakeholders, which may include, but is not limited to, private property owners, non-profit organizations, Federal, State, or local agencies, and Tribes. Funding is provided on a competitive basis for the development of new and existing watershed groups, watershed restoration planning, and watershed management project design.

Existing watershed groups and entities sponsoring the establishment of a watershed group. The watershed group must be located in one of the following states or territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Existing watershed groups must meet the definition of a watershed group under Section 6002 of the Cooperative Watershed Management Act: the watershed group must be a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the watershed and capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources. The watershed group must make decisions on a consensus basis as identified in the by-laws of the watershed group and represent a diverse group of stakeholders, such as hydroelectric producers, livestock grazing, timber production, land development, recreation or tourism, irrigated agriculture, the environment, municipal water supplies, private property owners, Federal, state and local governments, and Tribes. Entities eligible to sponsor a new watershed group include States, Tribes, local or special districts (e.g., irrigation, water district, water conservation district), local governmental entities, interstate organizations, non-profit organizations, and institutes of higher education located in a state or territory identified above. The watershed group sponsor must also be able to significantly affect or be affected by the quality or quantity of water in the watershed and capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources. A watershed group member or fiscal agent may apply on behalf of the watershed group if they are a state, Tribe, local or special district (e.g., irrigation, water district, water conservation district), local governmental entity, interstate organization, or a non-profit organization.

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program benefits a diverse array of stakeholders, which may include but is not limited to, private property owners, Federal, State, or local agencies, and Indian Tribes that are located in the states and territories previously described in applicant eligibility.

Funding may be used to establish or enlarge a watershed group, perform stakeholder outreach, gather information and collect data regarding watershed conditions, develop bylaws, a mission statement, watershed management project concepts, a watershed restoration plan; and complete watershed management project design work. Funds may also be used to pay the salary of up to 1 full-time employee of the watershed group and any legal fees arising from the establishment of the watershed group as a legal entity.

The costs of administration and coordination under this program cannot exceed 20% of the total federal funding awarded. Stakeholder education/outreach and staff training are eligible activities if they are specifically linked to the proposed watershed group development, watershed restoration planning, or project design activities. Attending external conferences is limited to watershed group specific outreach and the cost . The cost of eligible conferences cannot exceed $5,000 per year. Monitoring, measurement, and fieldwork (e.g., water quality monitoring, vegetation surveys) to collect baseline information regarding the current conditions and needs of the watershed are eligible activities under this funding opportunity if they will inform a broader planning or design effort being completed as part of the same grant project and the costs do not exceed 50 percent of the total project cost. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity offered under the Cooperative Watershed Management Program includes specific information about ineligible activities.

Up to $300,000 in funding for activities to be performed within a 3-year period.

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 that include monitoring, measurement, or other fieldwork (e.g. water quality monitoring, vegetation surveys, cultural resource surveys, geotechnical investigations) or the collection of baseline information, will require compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act before these activities may begin.

Specific evaluation criteria will be included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity posted on www.grants.gov. All applications will be evaluated using criteria that give priority based on the diversity and scope of the watershed group, need for project and project benefits, prior planning that supports the project, the applicant's ability and readiness to implement the project, and Presidential and Department of the Interior priorities.

Proposals received in response to the funding opportunity announcement are reviewed through a competitive, merit-based review process, and are rated in accordance with the evaluation criteria stated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity. Reclamation will make awards to the highest rated proposals based on the amount of funding available each year.

Application Deadlines are identified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and vary from year to year. Contact the headquarters for application deadlines.

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

Upon request, Reclamation will provide applicants with information as to why their proposals were not selected.