Opportunity Information: Apply for R15AS00030
Apply for R15AS00030
- The Bureau of Reclamation in the agriculture sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency Grants Fostering District/Farmer Partnerships" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.507 WaterSMART (Sustaining and Manage Americas Resources for Tomorrow).
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 9, 2015 and posted on Jan 9, 2015.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 24, 2015. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $8,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $750,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Special district governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency Grants: Fostering District/Farmer Partnerships opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number R15AS00030) is a discretionary grant program offered by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Mid Pacific Region, under the WaterSMART initiative (CFDA 15.507). It is built on federal authorities focused on improving water supply reliability and water management in California, including provisions of the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act and the Secure Water section of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The basic purpose is to help eligible California water delivery organizations partner with farmers and ranchers to implement practical projects that conserve water and make agricultural water use more efficient, while also supporting broader public benefits like energy savings and improved outcomes for endangered species.
The program is aimed at organizations that have water or power delivery authority in California, with eligibility specifically including Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and similar entities (listed as special district governments in the opportunity data). A key feature is that it is not a fully federally funded program: cost sharing or matching is required, meaning applicants are expected to bring their own funding and resources to the table and leverage BOR dollars rather than relying on them alone. Successful applicants ultimately enter into a financial assistance agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation, which sets the terms, reporting expectations, and performance requirements for the project.
In terms of what gets funded, the FOA emphasizes projects that save water, improve water management, and increase agricultural irrigation reliability, including projects that can create new or more usable water supplies for irrigation. It also encourages improvements that increase energy efficiency, which can include reducing pumping demands or optimizing delivery operations, and it explicitly recognizes ecological outcomes, including benefits for endangered species. A particularly high priority is given to projects that increase the capability or success rate of on-farm water conservation and efficiency improvements that farmers and ranchers can actually implement. The FOA notes that this on-farm emphasis received increased weighting in 2015, signaling that proposals built around measurable farm-level improvements and adoption are likely to be more competitive.
A defining element of this opportunity is the intentional partnership between water suppliers (such as districts) and their client farmers and ranchers. BOR and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) promote these partnerships as a way to identify needs and opportunities at the district, watershed, or regional scale and then translate them into real changes on the ground. Selection is coordinated with NRCS, and the program is designed so that, in certain cases, NRCS can provide accelerated technical and financial assistance to producers in the project area through the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). That NRCS support is tied to specific conditions: the BOR-funded project needs to include activities that facilitate on-farm improvement, there should be a reasonable expectation that multiple farmers will participate, and individual EQIP applicants and projects must meet EQIP eligibility rules. In practice, this structure is meant to align district-led planning and infrastructure or programmatic improvements with producer-level implementation support, increasing participation and the likelihood of measurable water savings.
Funding details indicate an estimated total of about $8,000,000 available, with an expected 10 awards. The award ceiling is listed as $750,000 per award, and the award floor is $0, which typically means there is no stated minimum grant size (although practical minimums may still be influenced by competitiveness and administrative considerations). The period of performance is two years from the date of issuance, so projects are expected to be planned and implemented on a relatively fast timeline with results and reporting delivered within that two-year window.
The application process was handled through Grants.gov only, with no paper copies distributed. The opportunity was posted on or about January 9 (the listing shows a posted date of January 9, 2015, and references an earlier posting), with an update issued February 9, 2015. The final deadline for receipt of proposals was March 24, 2015, by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time. Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement electronically were directed to contact the BOR grants management specialist listed in the notice (Leanne Henderson at lhenderson@usbr.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Agricultural Water Conservation and Efficiency Grants: Fostering District/Farmer Partnerships opportunity?
It is a discretionary grant program offered by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Mid Pacific Region, under the WaterSMART initiative (CFDA 15.507). The program supports practical projects in California that conserve water and improve agricultural water-use efficiency through partnerships between eligible water delivery organizations and farmers/ranchers, while also advancing broader public benefits such as energy savings and improved outcomes for endangered species.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is R15AS00030.
Who is the federal agency offering this grant?
The grant is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Mid Pacific Region, as part of the WaterSMART initiative.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is listed under CFDA 15.507.
What is the main purpose of this grant program?
The basic purpose is to help eligible California water delivery organizations partner with farmers and ranchers to implement projects that conserve water and make agricultural water use more efficient. The FOA also highlights public benefits such as energy efficiency improvements and ecological outcomes, including benefits for endangered species.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
The program targets organizations in California that have water or power delivery authority. Eligibility specifically includes Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and similar entities (listed in the opportunity data as special district governments).
Is this program limited to projects in a specific state or region?
Yes. The opportunity is focused on improving water supply reliability and water management in California, and it is aimed at eligible California water delivery organizations.
Does this grant require cost sharing or matching funds?
Yes. The program is not fully federally funded. Cost sharing or matching is required, meaning applicants are expected to contribute their own funding and resources and use BOR funds as leverage rather than relying on federal funding alone.
What kinds of projects does the FOA emphasize funding?
The FOA emphasizes projects that save water, improve water management, and increase agricultural irrigation reliability. It also supports projects that can create new or more usable water supplies for irrigation, encourages energy-efficiency improvements (such as reduced pumping demand or optimized delivery operations), and recognizes ecological outcomes, including benefits for endangered species.
Are on-farm water conservation and efficiency improvements a priority?
Yes. A particularly high priority is given to projects that increase the capability or success rate of on-farm water conservation and efficiency improvements that farmers and ranchers can implement. The FOA notes that the on-farm emphasis received increased weighting in 2015, indicating that measurable farm-level improvements and adoption are likely to be more competitive.
What does “District/Farmer Partnerships” mean in practice for this program?
A defining element is an intentional partnership between water suppliers (such as irrigation or water districts) and the farmers and ranchers they serve. BOR and USDA NRCS promote these partnerships to identify needs at the district, watershed, or regional scale and translate them into on-the-ground improvements and measurable water savings.
How is the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) involved?
Selection is coordinated with NRCS. In certain cases, NRCS may provide accelerated technical and financial assistance to producers in the project area through the USDA Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), when specific conditions are met.
Under what conditions can EQIP support be accelerated for producers in the project area?
The FOA describes that NRCS EQIP support may be accelerated when: (1) the BOR-funded project includes activities that facilitate on-farm improvement, (2) there is a reasonable expectation that multiple farmers will participate, and (3) individual EQIP applicants and projects meet EQIP eligibility rules.
Does receiving this BOR grant automatically qualify a producer for EQIP?
No. The FOA indicates that individual EQIP applicants and projects must meet EQIP eligibility rules, even when the BOR-funded project is structured to facilitate on-farm participation and support.
What happens if an application is selected for funding?
Successful applicants enter into a financial assistance agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. This agreement sets the terms for the award, including reporting expectations and performance requirements for the project.
How much total funding was expected to be available?
The FOA indicates an estimated total of about $8,000,000 available.
How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The FOA indicates an expected 10 awards.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is listed as $750,000 per award.
Is there a minimum grant amount (award floor)?
The award floor is listed as $0, which typically means there is no stated minimum grant size in the opportunity listing.
What is the period of performance for funded projects?
The period of performance is two years from the date of issuance. Projects are expected to be planned and implemented on a relatively fast timeline, with results and reporting delivered within that two-year window.
How were applications submitted?
Applications were handled through Grants.gov only, and no paper copies were distributed.
When was the opportunity posted and updated?
The listing shows a posted date of January 9, 2015, and an update issued February 9, 2015.
What was the application deadline?
The final deadline for receipt of proposals was March 24, 2015, by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time.
Who could applicants contact for help accessing the full announcement electronically?
Applicants needing help accessing the full announcement electronically were directed to contact the BOR grants management specialist listed in the notice: Leanne Henderson at lhenderson@usbr.gov.
What broader public benefits does the program aim to support beyond water savings?
In addition to conserving water and improving agricultural water-use efficiency, the FOA highlights energy savings (including energy-efficiency improvements such as reduced pumping or optimized operations) and ecological outcomes, explicitly including improved outcomes for endangered species.
What legal or policy authorities does the program reference?
The program is described as being built on federal authorities focused on improving water supply reliability and water management in California, including provisions of the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act and the Secure Water section of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.
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