The Bureau of Reclamation announces the availability of approximately $5 million in Federal funds for Reclamation's CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grants Program to implement urban and agricultural water use efficiency projects.  Proposals are now being accepted from entities wishing to receive financial assistance. 

Reclamation is an implementing agency in the CALFED Bay-Delta Program.  As described in the CALFED Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (July 21, 2000) and the Record of Decision (August 28, 2000), the Bay-Delta Program includes strategies to address CALFED's four objectives of ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability, water quality, and levee system integrity.  For more information about CALFED, visit http://www.calwater.ca.gov.

Reclamation recognized the importance of water use efficiency, and proposals may include any type of implementable water use efficiency projects that have measurable benefits to the CALFED objectives.  Projects will be selected through a competitive process and priority consideration will be given to those projects that achieve the objectives of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program on a state-wide basis.  Reclamation can fund up to 50 percent of an approved project, not to exceed $1 million.

The Request for Funding Opportunity Application for Reclamation's CALFED Water Use Efficiency Grant Program is available online at www.grants.gov (keyword search:  CALFED Water Use Efficiency, opportunity number search: 09SF200042).  The deadline for submitting proposals is 3 p.m. (Pacific Daylight Time) on June 8, 2009.  For more information, please contact Ms. Maria Castaneda at 916-978-5148, or email mcastaneda@mp.usbr.gov.