WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects

Key facts

Copied from the official Grants.gov record. Last verified October 29, 2026.

Program name

WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects

Issuing agency

Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior)

Opportunity number

R26AS00017

Funding type

Cooperative Agreement, Grant

Funding purpose

Natural Resources

Status

Open (posted)

Application deadline

Closes September 8, 2027Agency note: This funding opportunity will have two application deadlines. The first application period will close Wednesday, September 9th, 2026, and the second application period will close Wednesday, September 8th, 2027.Wednesday, September 9th, 2026, 4:00pm MDTAnd Wednesday, September 8th, 2027, 4:00pm MDT

Published award range

$50,000 – $3,000,000

Estimated total program funding

$60,000,000

Expected number of awards

30

Cost sharing or match required

Yes

Eligible applicants (official categories)

• Others (see Additional Information on Eligibility)

Relevant to

NonprofitsHow we determined this: Listed as 'Others'; the agency's eligibility text mentions nonprofits (flagged for review).

Geographic restrictions

None stated in structured data (federal opportunities are often nationwide). Check the eligibility details and full announcement for any limits.

Assistance Listing (CFDA)

15.507

Official source

View on Grants.gov ↗

Application URL

www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/362394 ↗Apply through Grants.gov (Workspace) using the application package on the official listing, unless the full announcement names a different submission system.

Source identifier

Grants.gov opportunity ID 362394 · Funding opportunity number R26AS00017

Posted

May 14, 2026 · Source last updated July 6, 2026

Last verified

October 29, 2026 (against Grants.gov)

Data completeness

100% of key fields published by the source

Record confidence

loweligibility described only in free text (in review).

Eligibility details (from the agency)

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

Description (from the official listing)

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).

Agency contact

Alisha James bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov
bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov