WaterSMART

Cooperative Watershed Management Program

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) contributes to the WaterSMART strategy by providing funding to watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. Funding is provided on a competitive basis for:

Watershed Group Development and Watershed Restoration Planning: In 2012, Reclamation began providing funding for watershed group development, watershed restoration planning, and watershed management project design (Phase I). A watershed group is a self-sustaining, non-regulatory, consensus-based 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. As part of Phase I activities, applicants may use funding to develop bylaws, a mission statement, complete stakeholder outreach, develop a watershed restoration plan, and watershed management project design. For Phase I projects, Reclamation will award a successful applicant up to $100,000 per year for a period of up to three years with no non-Federal cost-share required.

Implementation of Watershed Management Projects: In 2017, Reclamation started to provide cost-shared financial assistance to watershed groups to implement watershed management projects. These on-the-ground projects, collaboratively developed by members of a watershed group, address critical water supply needs and water quality concerns, helping water users meet competing demands and avoid conflicts over water. Reclamation currently provides funding to watershed groups for the implementation of watershed management projects through the Environmental Water Resources Projects funding opportunity.

Documents

• Cooperative Watershed Management Program Fact Sheet
• FY23 CWMP Phase I Funding Opportunity FAQ

Announcements

• Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I Funding Opportunity Webinar

  The Bureau of Reclamation hosted a webinar on July 2, 2024 to discuss the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase I funding opportunity. On August 7, 2023, the Bureau of Reclamation published a funding opportunity for Phase I of the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program. The funding opportunity provides funding for collaborative, grassroots watershed groups to complete group development activities, watershed restoration planning, and watershed management project design. Reclamation will provide up to $300,000 in Federal funds to an applicant over a three-year period, with no more than $100,000 to be available per year.

  Download Slideshow