Opportunity Information: Apply for 09FC811507
Apply for 09FC811507
- The Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Significance of Groundwater Divide in Water Accounting Return Flow Calculation for Lower" 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 Sep 22, 2009 and posted on Sep 22, 2009.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 30, 2009. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $274,385.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $274,385.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Notice of Intent to Award Application Instructions NOTE This is not a competitive opportunity. This is an announcement of Reclamation s intent to award without competition. Do not submit applications in response to this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
This grant opportunity, titled "Significance of Groundwater Divide in Water Accounting Return Flow Calculation for Lower," comes from the Bureau of Reclamation (Denver Office) under the WaterSMART program (CFDA 15.507). It supports work tied to a formal rule that Reclamation was developing at the time, which would require the agency to identify where pumping from Colorado River aquifers is occurring and quantify how much water is being pumped. The practical reason for that rule is contract administration and water accounting: Reclamation needs defensible, technically sound estimates of how groundwater pumping and related return flows connect back to the Colorado River system so that water use can be tracked and managed accurately.
A central issue the project is trying to resolve is how groundwater divides behave in irrigated areas where some lands are drained by drainage ditches. A groundwater divide is essentially the subsurface "boundary line" that separates groundwater moving toward one discharge area from groundwater moving toward another. In this setting, the divide location affects whether infiltrated irrigation water or pumped groundwater ultimately returns to the river, is intercepted by drains, or moves elsewhere. If the divide is mislocated or assumed to be fixed when it actually shifts, return-flow calculations and broader water budgets can be biased, which then affects accounting of Colorado River water use.
The opportunity lays out three main technical objectives. First, it aims to delineate the likely locations of groundwater divides and evaluate how those divides might move over time, rather than treating them as static features. Second, it seeks to estimate the amount of groundwater return flow that makes its way back to the river, which is a key component in water accounting because return flows can offset some diversions or pumping impacts depending on the accounting framework. Third, it calls for uncertainty and sensitivity analyses focused on groundwater divide location and the way divide uncertainty propagates through the overall water budget. The idea is not only to produce a best estimate, but also to identify which inputs or parameters most strongly control uncertainty, so that future field data collection can be targeted where it will reduce uncertainty the most and improve accounting confidence.
Methodologically, the work is described as a modeling effort that could range from relatively simple analytical approaches, such as Dupuit-type solutions, to more general numerical groundwater flow models. The final modeling approach would be chosen based on data availability and the conceptual understanding of the system, including governing equations that describe groundwater flow and river-aquifer interaction. The project specifically notes that the Desert Research Institute (DRI) would estimate how groundwater divides evolve in response to operational and land-use drivers like changes in river stage, variations in river diversions, and crop rotation patterns. With sufficient information on river stage and irrigation application, the selected model would be used to forecast how the divide location shifts and, as a result, how the magnitude and timing of return flows to the river change.
From an administrative and funding standpoint, this was an earmark-style cooperative agreement with a single expected award. The total estimated funding was $274,385, with the award ceiling and floor both listed as $274,385, and there was no cost-sharing requirement. The posting and creation dates were September 22, 2009, with a closing date of September 30, 2009, and an archive date of September 21, 2010. Importantly, the notice states it was not a competitive opportunity; it was an announcement of intent to award without competition, and it explicitly instructs parties not to submit applications in response. A contact person was provided for access issues: Randale Jackson, Contract Specialist/Grants Officer, Bureau of Reclamation (phone 303-445-2432).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the title of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Significance of Groundwater Divide in Water Accounting Return Flow Calculation for Lower."
Which agency and office offered this opportunity?
This opportunity was issued by the Bureau of Reclamation (Denver Office) under the WaterSMART program.
What program and CFDA number is associated with this grant?
It is associated with the WaterSMART program and lists CFDA 15.507.
What was the main purpose of the project described in the opportunity?
The project supported work tied to a formal rule Reclamation was developing. The rule would require Reclamation to identify where pumping from Colorado River aquifers is occurring and quantify how much water is being pumped. The practical purpose was to improve contract administration and water accounting by producing defensible, technically sound estimates of how groundwater pumping and related return flows connect back to the Colorado River system.
Why does groundwater pumping matter for Colorado River water accounting?
Reclamation needs to track and manage water use accurately. If groundwater pumping and the resulting return flows are not quantified in a technically sound way, water accounting and broader water budgets can be biased, which affects how Colorado River water use is tracked and managed.
What is a groundwater divide in the context of this opportunity?
A groundwater divide is a subsurface boundary that separates groundwater flowing toward one discharge area from groundwater flowing toward another. In irrigated areas, where drainage ditches may intercept groundwater, the divide location influences whether water returns to the river, is intercepted by drains, or moves elsewhere.
Why is the location of the groundwater divide considered a central issue?
The divide location affects where infiltrated irrigation water or pumped groundwater ultimately goes. If the divide is assumed to be fixed when it actually shifts, or if it is mislocated, return-flow calculations and overall water budgets can be biased.
How can drainage ditches affect groundwater divides and return flows?
In irrigated areas that include drainage ditches, drains can intercept groundwater that might otherwise move toward the river (or away from it). This can influence the effective boundary between flow directions (the groundwater divide) and change the amount and timing of groundwater return flow reaching the river.
What were the three main technical objectives described?
The opportunity described three main technical objectives:
- Delineate likely groundwater divide locations and evaluate how the divides might move over time (not treating them as static).
- Estimate how much groundwater return flow makes its way back to the river for use in water accounting.
- Conduct uncertainty and sensitivity analyses focused on groundwater divide location and how divide uncertainty propagates through the overall water budget.
What does it mean to evaluate groundwater divides as shifting rather than static?
It means assessing how the divide location may change over time in response to operational and land-use drivers, rather than assuming the divide remains in one fixed position. Shifts in divide location can change where groundwater discharges and therefore affect return-flow estimates.
What is meant by "groundwater return flow" in this opportunity?
Groundwater return flow refers to groundwater that makes its way back to the river system. It is a key part of water accounting because return flows can influence the net effect of diversions or pumping impacts, depending on the accounting framework being applied.
Why did the opportunity emphasize uncertainty and sensitivity analyses?
The goal was not only to produce a best estimate, but also to quantify uncertainty and determine which inputs or parameters most strongly control that uncertainty. This would help target future field data collection to areas where additional information would reduce uncertainty the most and improve confidence in water accounting.
What kinds of modeling approaches were contemplated for this work?
The opportunity described the work as a modeling effort that could range from relatively simple analytical approaches (including Dupuit-type solutions) to more general numerical groundwater flow models. The final approach would depend on data availability and conceptual understanding of the system.
What factors would influence the choice of model?
The opportunity states that the selected modeling approach would be chosen based on data availability and the conceptual understanding of the system, including the governing equations needed to describe groundwater flow and river-aquifer interaction.
Who was identified as performing key technical work, and what were they expected to estimate?
The opportunity notes that the Desert Research Institute (DRI) would estimate how groundwater divides evolve in response to operational and land-use drivers, such as changes in river stage, variations in river diversions, and crop rotation patterns.
Which drivers were specifically mentioned as affecting groundwater divide evolution?
The opportunity specifically mentions changes in river stage, variations in river diversions, and crop rotation patterns as drivers that could cause groundwater divides to evolve over time.
What data or information was highlighted as important for forecasting divide shifts and return flows?
The opportunity indicates that, with sufficient information on river stage and irrigation application, the selected model would be used to forecast how divide location shifts and how the magnitude and timing of return flows to the river change.
How does this work connect to contract administration?
The notice explains that the underlying rule and the associated technical work were motivated by contract administration needs. Reclamation required defensible estimates of pumping and return-flow connections to support accurate tracking and management of Colorado River water use.
Was this a competitive funding opportunity?
No. The notice states it was not a competitive opportunity and describes it as an announcement of intent to award without competition.
Should interested parties have submitted an application?
No. The notice explicitly instructed parties not to submit applications in response to the announcement.
What type of award was planned?
The opportunity was described as an earmark-style cooperative agreement with a single expected award.
How many awards were expected?
A single award was expected.
What was the total estimated funding amount?
The total estimated funding was $274,385.
What were the award ceiling and award floor?
Both the award ceiling and the award floor were listed as $274,385.
Was cost sharing required?
No cost-sharing requirement was stated for this opportunity.
What were the key dates for the opportunity?
The posting and creation dates were September 22, 2009. The closing date was September 30, 2009. The archive date was September 21, 2010.
Who was listed as the contact person for access issues?
The contact person listed for access issues was Randale Jackson, Contract Specialist/Grants Officer, Bureau of Reclamation.
What contact phone number was provided?
The phone number provided was 303-445-2432.
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