Opportunity Information: Apply for P15AS00008
Apply for P15AS00008
- The National Park Service in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "IDENTIFICATION OF OUTSTANDING RESOURCE AND IMPAIRED WATERS IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.945 Cooperative Research and Training Programs Resources of the National Park System.
- This funding opportunity was created on Nov 25, 2014 and posted on Nov 25, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Notification of intent to award. No applications will be accepted.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $179,280.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $179,280.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, titled IDENTIFICATION OF OUTSTANDING RESOURCE AND IMPAIRED WATERS IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM (Funding Opportunity Number P15AS00008), is a National Park Service (NPS) effort to make water quality information across the National Park System easier to find, understand, and use. The underlying issue it addresses is a practical one: under the Clean Water Act, water quality management and reporting are handled in a decentralized way, with states and territories maintaining their own standards, classifications, and reporting systems. That fragmentation makes it difficult for parks, researchers, partner agencies, and the public to consistently track where waters are impaired, where they are protected as high-quality resources, and what kinds of problems are occurring across different jurisdictions. The project is designed to reduce that confusion by consolidating and standardizing information from all states and territories that have waters within national park boundaries.
The work continues an existing collaboration between Colorado State University (CSU) and the NPS Water Resources Division (WRD). CSU faculty, staff, research associates, and students are expected to work directly with NPS WRD to identify two key categories of Clean Water Act-related designations affecting park waters: (1) waters listed as impaired by states under Section 303(d) (the well-known impaired waters lists used to identify waters not meeting standards and often needing Total Maximum Daily Loads, or TMDLs), and (2) waters designated by states as Outstanding National Resource Waters or Outstanding State Resource Waters (high-protection classifications created through state water quality regulations). In addition to flagging which parks and waterbodies fall into these categories, the project also aims to characterize the types of impairments present, so users can see patterns such as nutrients, sediment, metals, pathogens, temperature, habitat alterations, or other common impairment causes as reported by states.
A major deliverable is the production of updated and expanded data products that are both map-based and report-based. The opportunity calls for GIS coverages that spatially represent the relevant water features and their associated designations within park units. Alongside the GIS layers, the project will maintain or enhance a public-facing website that provides park-specific reports with clear graphical and tabular summaries. Those summaries are expected to cover at least three things: which park waterbodies are currently on state 303(d) impaired lists, which parks contain waters designated as outstanding resource waters under state programs, and which parks contain particular impairment types. The goal is not just to gather data, but to reformat it in a consistent, park-centered way so it can be quickly used by park managers and interpreted by non-specialists.
To build these products, the project emphasizes pulling information from existing authoritative systems rather than generating new monitoring data. It specifically notes that, to the greatest extent feasible, the team will extract and reformat data from individual state water quality standards systems and from several major federal databases maintained or under development by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Examples mentioned include the National Hydrography Dataset (for standardized hydrography and waterbody geometry), STORET (EPA water quality monitoring data), and the 305(b) and 303(d) assessment and listing databases used for reporting water quality condition and impairment status. In practice, this means the work is heavily data-management and integration focused: locating the right datasets, reconciling differences in terminology and formats across jurisdictions, linking assessments to the correct water features inside park boundaries, documenting sources, and presenting results in a consistent national framework.
The intended use of the final syntheses is both operational and strategic. The consolidated information is meant to support internal NPS reporting and planning efforts such as Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures, the NPS Vital Signs monitoring framework, State of the Parks assessments, and Scorecard-style reporting that helps leadership and the public understand resource conditions and trends. At the same time, the project explicitly aims to empower the public and partner organizations by making credible, park-relevant water quality information readily accessible, encouraging broader stewardship and more informed participation in water quality management discussions affecting national parks.
Administratively, this opportunity is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which signals substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during project performance rather than a simple pass-through grant. It falls under a natural resources activity category and is associated with CFDA 15.945 (Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System). The estimated total funding is $179,280, with an award ceiling of $179,280 and effectively a single expected award. There is no cost share or matching requirement. Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the CSU-NPS collaboration described. Importantly, this posting functioned as a notice of intent to award rather than a competitive call: the announcement states that no applications will be accepted, and the closing language reiterates that it is a notification of intent to award. The posted date and creation date are Nov 25, 2014, and the archive date is Dec 7, 2014. A point of contact is provided for access issues: John Bechtold at the National Park Service (303-969-2492, JohnBechtold@nps.gov).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title and Funding Opportunity Number (FON) for this grant?
The opportunity is titled IDENTIFICATION OF OUTSTANDING RESOURCE AND IMPAIRED WATERS IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM. The Funding Opportunity Number is P15AS00008.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This is an effort of the National Park Service (NPS), specifically involving the NPS Water Resources Division (WRD).
What problem is the project trying to solve?
The project addresses a practical challenge under the Clean Water Act: water quality management and reporting are decentralized, with each state or territory using its own standards, classifications, and reporting systems. That fragmentation makes it hard to consistently determine (across different jurisdictions) which waters inside national park boundaries are impaired, which are designated as high-quality protected waters, and what types of water quality problems are occurring.
What is the main goal of the project?
The goal is to make water quality information across the National Park System easier to find, understand, and use by consolidating and standardizing relevant state and territory water quality designations that apply to waters within national park boundaries.
What Clean Water Act-related designations will be identified for park waters?
The project focuses on two key designation categories:
- Impaired waters listed by states under Clean Water Act Section 303(d) (waters not meeting standards and often associated with the need for TMDLs).
- Outstanding resource waters designated by states, described as Outstanding National Resource Waters or Outstanding State Resource Waters (high-protection classifications established through state water quality regulations).
Will the project also describe what kinds of impairments are present?
Yes. In addition to identifying which park waters fall into the two designation categories, the project aims to characterize the types of impairments reported by states so users can see patterns such as nutrients, sediment, metals, pathogens, temperature, habitat alterations, and other commonly reported causes.
Is this work focused on collecting new field monitoring data?
No. The opportunity emphasizes using existing authoritative systems rather than generating new monitoring data. The work is primarily data extraction, reformatting, integration, and presentation.
What kinds of data sources are expected to be used?
To the greatest extent feasible, the project will extract and reformat information from state water quality standards systems and major federal databases maintained or under development by the EPA and USGS. Examples specifically mentioned include:
- National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) for standardized hydrography and waterbody geometry
- STORET (EPA water quality monitoring data)
- 305(b) and 303(d) assessment and listing databases used for reporting water quality condition and impairment status
What are the major expected deliverables?
A major deliverable is updated and expanded data products that are both map-based and report-based, including:
- GIS coverages that spatially represent relevant water features and their associated designations within park units
- A maintained or enhanced public-facing website that provides park-specific reports with clear graphical and tabular summaries
What information must the park-specific report summaries include?
The summaries are expected to cover at least:
- Which park waterbodies are currently on state 303(d) impaired waters lists
- Which parks contain waters designated as outstanding resource waters under state programs
- Which parks contain particular impairment types
How will the project make the information easier to use?
The project is designed to reformat and present the information in a consistent, park-centered way, linking assessments to the correct water features within park boundaries, documenting sources, and producing outputs that can be quickly used by park managers and understood by non-specialists.
What kind of work is emphasized (data integration vs. research)?
The description highlights a strong emphasis on data management and integration: locating relevant datasets, reconciling differences in terminology and formats across jurisdictions, linking assessments to the correct mapped water features inside park boundaries, and presenting results in a consistent national framework.
Who is expected to perform the work?
The work continues an existing collaboration between Colorado State University (CSU) and the NPS Water Resources Division (WRD). The project expects participation by CSU faculty, staff, research associates, and students working directly with NPS WRD.
What are the intended uses of the final synthesized information within NPS?
The consolidated information is intended to support internal NPS reporting and planning efforts, including:
- Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) measures
- The NPS Vital Signs monitoring framework
- State of the Parks assessments
- Scorecard-style reporting on resource conditions and trends
How is the public expected to benefit from this project?
The project explicitly aims to make credible, park-relevant water quality information readily accessible to the public and partner organizations, supporting broader stewardship and more informed participation in water quality management discussions affecting national parks.
What type of federal award is this?
This is a discretionary award using a cooperative agreement, which indicates substantial involvement or collaboration with the federal agency during project performance.
What is the CFDA number and program name associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.945: Cooperative Research and Training Programs - Resources of the National Park System.
What is the funding amount for this opportunity?
The estimated total funding is $179,280. The award ceiling is also $179,280, and the opportunity anticipates a single expected award.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The posting states there is no cost share or matching requirement.
Who is eligible to receive this award?
Eligibility is limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, consistent with the CSU-NPS collaboration described.
Is this a competitive funding opportunity? Will applications be accepted?
No. This posting functioned as a notice of intent to award. It explicitly states that no applications will be accepted, and it reiterates that the announcement is a notification of intent to award.
What are the posted, creation, and archive dates for the announcement?
The posted date and creation date are Nov 25, 2014. The archive date is Dec 7, 2014.
Who can be contacted for access issues or questions related to this posting?
The point of contact listed for access issues is John Bechtold at the National Park Service. Phone: 303-969-2492. Email: JohnBechtold@nps.gov.
What kinds of outputs are mentioned (maps, GIS layers, website reports)?
The opportunity calls for GIS layers/coverages representing water features and their associated Clean Water Act-related designations within park units, as well as a public-facing website that provides park-specific reports with graphical and tabular summaries.
What geographic scope does the project cover?
The scope is waters within national park boundaries across the National Park System, and it involves consolidating information from all states and territories that have waters within those boundaries.
Why does the project focus on standardization across states and territories?
Because states and territories maintain different water quality standards, classifications, and reporting systems, comparing conditions across park units and jurisdictions can be confusing. Standardizing the information helps users consistently track impairment and outstanding resource designations affecting park waters.
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