Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement
Active
- Assistance listing
- 15.563
- Agency
-
Bureau of Reclamation
Department of the Interior
- Grant awards
- 3 $13,731,793 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- SMPA
- Assistance type
-
- 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 awards Cooperative Agreements under the Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement (CFDA 15.563) to execute and implement a cost-sharing partnership protecting and managing California's Suisun Marsh, a 116,000-acre brackish wetland ecosystem critical to endangered Delta smelt and salmonid recovery; the most recent award was disbursed on March 5, 2024.
Three cooperative agreements totaling $13.7 million in federal dollars obligated have been awarded since 2018 — one each in 2018, 2021, and 2024 — indicating a sporadic but active funding cadence. The Bureau of Reclamation is the sole funding agency under this program. Award timing is irregular and appears tied to legislative reauthorization and agreement amendments rather than annual solicitation cycles; the most recent opportunity posted in September 2019 was non-competitive and directed to the California Department of Water Resources. No current grant opportunity is open.
Funded activities are concrete water and habitat management operations: operation and maintenance of five water control facilities (Roaring River Distribution System, Morrow Island Distribution System, Goodyear Slough Outfall, Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates, and Montezuma Day Use Area); water quality and biological resource monitoring through 14 monitoring stations; planning, permitting, and technical analyses to meet California State Water Resources Control Board salinity requirements in the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta; wetland preservation and management on private marsh lands; and compliance and reporting under the 2015 Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement.
Applicants are strictly limited to the State of California and, as a subrecipient category, individual landowners within Suisun Marsh represented by the Suisun Resource Conservation District. The most recent award to California Department of Water Resources (March 2024) obligated $6 million through December 2026; an earlier award (July 2021) obligated $3.1 million; the initial award (July 2018) obligated $4.6 million. The program operates under Public Law 99-546 and is non-competitive. Award durations are negotiated between parties rather than standardized. Funding continues only until appropriated funds are expended; additional funding requires Congressional action.
Objective and description
- Objective
Execute and implement the agreement between the Department of the Interior, the State of California, and the Suisun Resource Conservation District to ensure a dependable water supply of adequate quantity and quality for the protection and preservatio
- Description
The purpose of this agreement is to carry out Public Law 99-546 and the Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement with California Department of Water Resources, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Suisun Resource Conservation District. Suisun Marsh is the largest contiguous brackish water marsh in the western United States, covering about 116,000 acres. The ecosystem there is dependent on a balance of saltwater from the San Francisco Bay and freshwater from the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River. It is a mix of private and public lands that support recreational activities and agriculture for the regional community.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Per P.L. 99-546 and the SMPA limits the applicant to the State of California.
- Beneficiary eligibility
State of California and individual landowners within the Suisun Marsh as represented by Suisun Resource Conservation District.
- Uses of assistance
Reclamation's mandated share of the associated cost of SMPA activities, including operation and maintenance of State facilities (including Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates, Roaring River Distribution System, Morrow Island Distribution System, and Goodyear Outfall) to meet channel water salinity standards; implementation of water manager, portable pumps, individual ownership adaptive habitat management plans, and drought response programs; water and biological monitoring programs to meet established objectives and fulfill regulatory requirements; and provision of wetlands mitigation in accordance with applicable regulatory permits and biological opinions required for activities in the Marsh, as further detailed in the SMPA.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
The time periods will be determined during the application and negotiation process.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Other - Non-competitive
- Criteria for selecting proposals
The scopes of work must be compatible with the authorizing legislation and SMPA.
- Award procedure
Bureau of Reclamation personnel will review (1) the application package to ensure that all required documents are complete, accurate, and satisfy all provisions of applicable law, (2) the project budgets and description to ensure the appropriation language project requirements are met, and (3) the project descriptions for technical issues and consistency with applicable policies, and budgets for appropriateness of cost estimates. After the application package is acceptable to both parties, a cooperative agreement is drafted, reviewed and signed by both parties.
- Renewals
Funding is available until all currently appropriated funds have been expended for this program. 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.
Grant opportunities
| Opportunity | Status | Posted | Applications due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement | Closed |
Grant awards
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Of California Department Of Water Resources | $13,731,793 | 100% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2025 | $3,000,000 |
| FY2024 | $3,000,000 |
| FY2023 | $1,900,000 |
| FY2022 | $2,318,793 |
| FY2020 | $1,200,000 |
| FY2019 | $2,313,000 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 15.563?
Assistance Listing 15.563 is Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement, a federal grant program run by Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior).
What is the CFDA number for Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement?
Its CFDA number is 15.563: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 15.563 awarded?
3 grant awards under 15.563 have obligated $13,731,793 in federal funds to 1 recipient.
Who receives the most funding from 15.563?
The recipients obligated the most under Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement are State Of California Department Of Water Resources ($13,731,793).
How much did 15.563 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 15.563 obligated $3,000,000 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 15.563?
No opportunity listed under 15.563 is open now. The latest, Suisun Marsh Preservation Agreement, was posted on September 3, 2019.
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