WaterSMART

Environmental Water Resources Projects

WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects is a category of funding to support projects focused on environmental benefits and that have been developed as part of a collaborative process to help carry out an established strategy to increase the reliability of water resources.

Applicants are invited to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation on Environmental Water Resources Projects, including water conservation and efficiency projects that result in quantifiable and sustained water savings and benefit ecological values or watershed health; water management or infrastructure improvements to benefit ecological values or watershed health; and watershed restoration projects benefitting ecological values or watershed health that have a nexus to water resources or water resources management.

New for FY 2023: Section 40907 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes additional authority for Reclamation to provide funding for multi-benefit projects that improve watershed health. Additional details will be contained in the FY23 funding opportunity.

Documents

• Environmental Water Resources Projects Fact Sheet

Contacts

For additional information on WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects, please contact Ms. Avra Morgan at 303-445-2906 or aomorgan@usbr.gov; or contact Ms. Robin Graber at 303-445-2764 or rgraber@usbr.gov.

You may complete this form to receive WaterSMART program notification from the Bureau of Reclamation.

Announcements

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• Webinar for WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects

  On Thursday, April 25th at 2pm MDT Reclamation's WaterSMART program will host a webinar to discuss the Environmental Water Resources Projects funding opportunity, which was posted to grants.gov on April 18th, 2024. The funding opportunity supports collaboratively developed projects that provide significant ecological benefits, including water conservation and efficiency projects, water management and infrastructure improvements, river and watershed restoration, and nature-based solutions implementation. Applications are due by June 18th, 2024 . The webinar will include information regarding eligibility, program requirements, and the selection process, and feature a question and answer session. The webinar will be recorded and available for those who are unable to join live.

  Interested individuals can join the webinar live here.

• Secretary Haaland Announces Up To $95 Million through the President’s Investing in America Agenda for Water Resources and Ecosystem Health

  During remarks at the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration in Albuquerque today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the availability of up to $95 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for projects to bolster water resources, advance ecosystem health and support resilience in communities facing drought and other climate change impacts. Read More →

• Biden-Harris Administration Announces $51 Million from Investing in America Agenda for Water Resources and Ecosystem Health

  The Department of the Interior today announced $51 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for 30 new Environmental Water Resource Projects in 11 states through the Bureau of Reclamation. The collaborative projects focus on water conservation, water management and restoration efforts that will result in significant benefits to ecosystem or watershed health.Read More →

  Project Descriptions

• FY23 Environmental Water Resources Projects Webinar

  On January 24, 2023, the Bureau of Reclamation published a funding opportunity for the WaterSMART Environmental Water Resources Projects (EWRP). The funding opportunity supports water conservation, water management, and restoration projects that result in significant benefit to the ecosystem or watershed health. The projects must also be part of a collaborative process to increase water resource reliability. 

  The Bureau of Reclamation hosted a webinar on February 6, 2023 to discuss eligible applicants and project types, program requirements, and the evaluation criteria for the Environmental Water Resources Projects funding opportunity and the new Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Program. If you have questions regarding applicant and project eligibility, program requirements, or the evaluation criteria for the Environmental Water Resources Projects, click here and select Environmental Water Resource Projects Inquiry to schedule a time to talk with the program coordinators.

  Download Powerpoint Slides

• Biden-Harris Administration makes $80 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds available for projects that conserve water and improve watershed health

  The Bureau of Reclamation is making approximately $80 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law available for water conservation, water management and restoration projects that will result in significant benefits to ecosystem or watershed health. Read More →