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 $50,000 per year for a period of up to two 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 (Phase II). 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 will award up to $100,000 per project over a two-year period. For Phase II projects, applicants must contribute at least 50% of the total project costs.

Announcements

• WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Webinar

  

  The Bureau of Reclamation hosted a webinar to provide information about the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). View the presentation.

• Reclamation announces grant funding available to develop local water management solutions

  

  The Bureau of Reclamation released a grant funding opportunity for communities to establish a new watershed group, expand an existing group and complete restoration planning efforts. The Cooperative Watershed Management Program encourages diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. Read More →

  Funding Opportunity

• Reclamation funds local watershed projects in Montana, Oklahoma and Idaho

  The Bureau of Reclamation will provide a total of $331,792 to three groups who will undertake collaborative, on-the-ground watershed management projects. The funding will help address critical water supply needs, water quality concerns, restoration needs, meet competing demands and avoid conflicts over water. The Reclamation funding will be leveraged to support $1.2 million in watershed management improvements. Read More  →

• Bureau of Reclamation provides 27 projects $2.6 million in WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program Grants

  Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman announced that 27 entities were selected to receive a total of $2.6 million to establish or further develop watershed groups in order to address water quantity or quality through Cooperative Watershed Management Program Grants. Of the 27 entities selected, 19 are existing watershed groups, including one from the Virgin Islands, and 8 are establishing a new watershed group. Read More →

  Selected Projects