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WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects

Bureau of Reclamation

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Posted
May 14, 2026
Amount
$50,000 to $3 million in federal funding
First application deadline
Sep 9, 2026 (in 27 days)

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Classification and identifiers

Solicitation number
R26AS00017
Assistance listing (CFDA)
15.507

FundingLandscape analysis

WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects

Submit through Grants.gov under R26AS00017 by the current application-period deadline shown on this page. The first cutoff is September 9, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Mountain. If that cutoff has passed, the next scheduled deadline is September 8, 2027 at 4:00 p.m. Mountain. Reclamation offers consultation calls for project-fit questions. The official package says applicant profile problems, upload problems, and incomplete SAM.gov registration do not qualify as Grants.gov system failures, so finish registrations and workspace access before the submission day.

Primary sources verified 2026-08-11.

Why it matters

Reclamation expects to allocate up to $60 million across approximately 30 awards. That is total program funding, not one award. Applicants may request $50,000 to $3 million in federal funding, while total project cost should not exceed $6 million.

The program supports collaboratively developed, on-the-ground water projects that benefit multiple users and watershed health. Eligible lanes include water conservation tied to instream benefit, infrastructure and strategic water management, river and watershed restoration, fish passage, invasive-species treatment, and forest work with a clear water-resource nexus.

Project maturity matters. The notice says projects at roughly 60% final design or beyond are prioritized. Conceptual projects are directed toward WaterSMART planning or Cooperative Watershed Management routes instead.

Eligibility is narrower than a generic water grant. Institutions of higher education, individuals, and federal entities are expressly ineligible. A conservation nonprofit needs an eligible Category A partner, while a watershed group must satisfy the statutory governance and stakeholder definition.

Program pool versus individual award

Estimated total program funding
Up to $60 million
Expected number of awards
Approximately 30
Federal request range
$50,000 to $3 million
Suggested maximum total project cost
$6 million including federal and nonfederal shares
Ordinary nonfederal cost share
At least 25% of total project cost
Project period
Up to three years

Who can actually apply

  • Category A includes states, Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, qualifying state, regional, or local authorities whose members include a water- or power-delivery organization, and other organizations with water- or power-delivery authority. Category A applicants must be located in the Western states and territories listed in the NOFO.
  • Category B includes nonprofit conservation organizations acting in partnership with and with the agreement of an eligible Category A entity. The application should include a support letter or other evidence of that partnership.
  • Category C includes watershed groups that are grassroots, non-regulatory, address water availability and quality, promote sustainable use, make decisions by consensus, and represent diverse water-use stakeholders. They are ranked separately.
  • Federal entities, individuals, and institutions of higher education are ineligible. A university role as a technical partner or contractor does not make the institution an eligible prime applicant.
  • The ordinary federal share is up to 75%, which means at least 25% nonfederal cost share. A qualifying watershed group may request 50% federal funding without a Category A partner, or up to 75% with the required Category A partnership evidence.
  • All project components should be geographically linked within the same watershed. Loosely related projects should be submitted separately, and Category A applicants are limited to $3 million in federal funding per application period under this NOFO.

Deadline, forms, and submission sequence

  1. Confirm the applicant category, location, partner structure, project geography, and proposed activity against the eligibility and ineligible-activity sections before drafting. Use Reclamation consultation if project fit is uncertain.
  2. Maintain active SAM.gov registration, financial-assistance representations and certifications, Grants.gov registration, an Authorized Organization Representative, and a working Grants.gov Workspace. The notice advises allowing 30 days for Grants.gov setup.
  3. Prepare SF-424, SF-424A, the Project Abstract Summary, the Project Narrative, and the Budget Narrative. SF-424A is required for both construction and non-construction projects and must show both federal and nonfederal costs.
  4. Keep the Project Narrative, including merit-criteria responses, within 30 consecutively numbered pages. Keep the entire application within 100 pages. Only the pages inside those limits are reviewed.
  5. Identify the applicant category, Category A partner when applicable, project location, collaborators, benefits, planning basis, and objective in the executive summary. Use one consistent scope across the narrative, schedule, maps, budget, and benefits.
  6. Document the technical project description, performance measures, monitoring, permits, cultural and environmental compliance, access or landowner consent, schedule, and budget. Streamflow or aquatic-habitat projects requesting at least $500,000 need a five-year post-completion monitoring plan.
  7. Obtain letters for Category A partnerships, third-party cost share, and private land or facilities when applicable. Cost-share letters should state amount, availability, time limits, and contingencies.
  8. Include the conflict-of-interest material and the overlap or duplication statement required by the notice. Identify overlapping activities, costs, key-person time, other proposals, and decision timing where overlap exists.
  9. Submit the unencrypted, unzipped package through Grants.gov and retain the tracking number, timestamp, validation messages, and AOR email. Check the package and program page for amendments before submission.

How the official 100-point review is weighted

  • Project Benefits carries 35 points. Reviewers examine benefits to multiple users and interests, water supply reliability or water quality and hydrologic function, fish and wildlife benefits, and project performance and monitoring.
  • Project Planning and Support carries 15 points. The strongest record ties the project to a relevant collaboratively developed plan and documents broad stakeholder support.
  • Readiness to Proceed carries 15 points. Design, environmental and cultural compliance, permits, schedule, budget, site access, and implementation planning are part of this review.
  • Presidential and Department of the Interior Priorities carries 20 points. Applicants should address only priorities that genuinely apply and support the connection with evidence; listing more priorities does not automatically earn more points.
  • Construction Priority carries 10 points. Hard-infrastructure construction that can be completed within the allowed project duration receives priority under this criterion.
  • Cost Share Priority carries 5 points. A nonfederal share at least five percentage points above the minimum can earn points, subject to later verification that the contribution is eligible.

Readiness checklist

  • Name the eligible Category A, B, or C applicant and document every required partner.
  • Verify that the applicant and project location meet the Western-state, territory, or watershed-group rules.
  • Confirm that every component is geographically linked and benefits multiple users and watershed health.
  • Separate an eligible improvement from ordinary operation, maintenance, replacement, on-farm efficiency, new conveyance for new supply, land or water purchase, pilot testing, or building construction.
  • Bring design and engineering toward the roughly 60% level the notice prioritizes.
  • Document instream benefit where a water-conservation activity requires it.
  • Reconcile a federal request of no more than $3 million with total project cost of no more than $6 million and an eligible nonfederal share.
  • Complete permits, compliance, site control, landowner consent, schedule, monitoring, and measurable-benefit records.
  • Keep the narrative to 30 pages and the complete package to 100 pages.
  • Verify active registrations, AOR access, current attachments, and the 4:00 p.m. Mountain deadline.

Related opportunities and the next search

Analysis change log
  • 2026-08-11: Initial analysis verified against the Reclamation program page, complete R26AS00017 notice, and Grants.gov record. It separates the $60 million program amount, $3 million federal ceiling, $6 million total-project guidance, cost share, applicant categories, ineligible applicants, two deadlines, documents, and 100-point review.

Amount

$50,000 to $3 million in federal funding

Who can apply

States and TribesWater-delivery authoritiesPartnered conservation…Qualifying watershed…

Eligible applicants are specified Western states, Tribes, water-delivery authorities, qualifying conservation nonprofits with an eligible partner, and qualifying watershed groups. Institutions of higher education and individuals are ineligible.

About this opportunity

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...

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