WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects
The summary for the WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects grant is detailed below.
This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants.
Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact.
If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Bureau of Reclamation, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.
WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects: The objective of the WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects funding opportunity is to invite eligible entities to apply for funding to implement projects per the authorizing language referenced above that benefit water resource management for multiple uses, including water conservation and efficiency projects, water infrastructure improvements, and river and watershed restoration. Projects that balance numerous community interests (agriculture, recreation, fisheries, power, etc.), were developed collaboratively, and provide significant watershed benefits will be prioritized under this funding opportunity. This program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332).
| Federal Grant Title: | WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects |
| Federal Agency Name: | Bureau of Reclamation (DOI-BOR) |
| Grant Categories: | Natural Resources |
| Type of Opportunity: | Discretionary |
| Funding Opportunity Number: | R26AS00017 |
| Type of Funding: | Cooperative Agreement |
| CFDA Numbers: | 15.507 |
| CFDA Descriptions: | Information not provided |
| Current Application Deadline: | September 8th, 2027 |
| Original Application Deadline: | September 8th, 2027 |
| Posted Date: | May 14th, 2026 |
| Creation Date: | May 14th, 2026 |
| Archive Date: | December 7th, 2027 |
| Total Program Funding: | $60,000,000 |
| Maximum Federal Grant Award: | $3,000,000 |
| Minimum Federal Grant Award: | $50,000 |
| Expected Number of Awards: | 30 |
| Cost Sharing or Matching: | Yes |
| Last Updated: | May 14th, 2026 |
- Applicants Eligible for this Grant
- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification.)
- Additional Information on Eligibility
- Applicants eligible to receive an award under this funding opportunity are described below.Category A Applicants States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts;State, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; andOther organizations with water or power delivery authority.Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended and supplemented; specifically: 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 U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Category B Applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership with, and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. All Category B applicants must be located in the United States, or the specific Territories identified above under Category A Applicants. Applicants applying under this category should include a letter of support or other documentation demonstrating that they are acting in partnership with and with the agreement of the Category A entity. Reclamation may request additional information to verify that the applicant meets this requirement. Category C Applicants:Watershed groups as defined in the Cooperative Watershed Management Act, Section 6001(6). All Category C applicants must be located in the United States, or the specific Territories identified above under Category A Applicants. To be eligible, the watershed group must: Be a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the relevant watershed;Capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources in the watershed;Make decisions on a consensus basis; andRepresent a diverse group of stakeholders representing different water use sectors, including 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; Tribes; and disadvantaged communities.Applications submitted by watershed groups will be ranked separately from all other applications.A watershed group is eligible to apply for 50-percent cost-shared funding without a Category A partner but must have a Category A partner to be eligible for 75-percent Federal funding. Watershed groups requesting 75-percent Federal funding should include a letter of support or other documentation demonstrating that they are acting in partnership with and with the agreement of the Category A entity. Reclamation may request additional information regarding whether an applicant meets the definition of a watershed group during the application review process. Ineligible ApplicantsThose not eligible to apply to include, but are not limited to, the following:Federal Governmental entitiesIndividuals Institutes of higher education
- Grant Announcement Contact
- Alisha James
[email protected]
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