Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP N024
Apply for BOR MP N024
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Upper Klamath Basin measurement and monitoring project" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 02, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 16, 2016. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $174,915.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Upper Klamath Basin Measurement and Monitoring Project is a Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) discretionary grant opportunity focused on improving how water is measured, verified, and forecast in the Upper Klamath Basin along the Oregon-California border. The basin includes high desert areas but also receives significant precipitation in the Cascade Range and nearby uplands, which feeds streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater systems that support agriculture, wildlife refuges, and aquatic ecosystems. Because the Klamath River system historically supported anadromous fish runs and because the region includes sensitive habitats, basin water management is tightly linked to both irrigation needs and environmental flow and lake level requirements.
A central driver behind the grant is the basin's heavy dependence on irrigation and the increasing strain from drought. More than 500,000 acres are irrigated in the Upper Klamath Basin, including about 190,000 acres within the federally operated Klamath Project. The project relies primarily on Upper Klamath Lake as its main water source. In recent years, Endangered Species Act biological opinions have required Reclamation to maintain certain lake levels in Upper Klamath Lake to protect endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker habitat, while also maintaining specified downstream flows in the Klamath River to support listed salmon. Those requirements, combined with drought and limited supplies, have intensified the need for better data and better forecasting so that water deliveries and environmental obligations can be managed more effectively and transparently.
The grant uses drought-relief funding to support three main work areas. First, it funds the creation of an Upper Klamath Water Measurement Coordination Group. This group is intended to bring together key technical and local stakeholders such as the U.S. Geological Survey, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), the Bureau of Reclamation (including the Technical Service Center), and other interested parties like irrigation districts, Oregon Institute of Technology, and the Klamath Water Users Association. The purpose is practical: share knowledge, coordinate measurement techniques, improve the Klamath Project's water measurement methodology, and identify or develop a set of accurate, standardized, cost-effective, and low-maintenance field-level measurement options for water deliveries. A major deliverable embedded in this is a workable, cost-effective process to verify water measurement devices used by Klamath Project landowners, so measurements are credible and consistent across the system.
Second, the grant supports rebuilding and monitoring a stream gage: the Sevenmile gage station that was damaged during high flows in a 2015 storm. Restoring this gage is positioned as a key step in strengthening the basin's monitoring network, since reliable gage data underpins both day-to-day operations and longer-term planning, especially during drought years when small errors in measurement can have outsized consequences.
Third, the grant targets improved basin-wide water accounting and forecasting, specifically "call water" quantification and stream inflow forecast improvements. In plain terms, this component is about sharpening the ability to estimate how much water is coming into the system and how much is being used or owed under various management and legal conditions. Better inflow forecasts help water managers anticipate shortages earlier, plan allocations, and respond to drought conditions with fewer surprises.
The opportunity is structured as a single expected award with a ceiling of $174,915, posted under Funding Opportunity Number BOR MP N024 (CFDA 15.517). Eligible applicants are limited to state governments, and the award was justified as a single-source action because OWRD already conducts streamflow and groundwater measurement work in the basin, maintains local staffing and a basin office, and is positioned to deliver the project within the short performance period (approximately 15 months). In other words, the government argued that OWRD has unique, immediately available qualifications that reduce ramp-up time and increase the likelihood of producing useful results quickly.
Reclamation's role is described as minimal in terms of day-to-day execution. The agency does not anticipate "substantial involvement" beyond normal federal stewardship, such as monitoring performance and providing technical assistance if requested. This suggests the recipient would lead the coordination, installation, monitoring, and methodological improvements, with Reclamation overseeing compliance and progress rather than co-managing the work.
Finally, the statutory authority cited is Public Law 106-498, the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000. That law authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with affected state, local, and tribal interests and the public, to undertake feasibility and hydrologic studies aimed at meeting growing water needs, improving water quality, reducing conflict among upper and lower basin uses, and supporting resolution of water rights claims, including tribal claims. The law also emphasizes using existing data where possible, continuing USGS hydrologic surveys, and clarifies limits related to water rights: it does not create new water rights, override state water law or compacts, or confer federal water rights to non-federal entities. In that context, this grant opportunity is framed as a practical, measurement-focused piece of broader basin water management efforts, intended to improve the quality of information used for drought response, project operations, and balancing agricultural deliveries with legally required environmental protections.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Upper Klamath Basin Measurement and Monitoring Project?
The Upper Klamath Basin Measurement and Monitoring Project is a Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) discretionary grant opportunity aimed at improving how water is measured, verified, and forecast in the Upper Klamath Basin along the Oregon-California border. The project is framed as a practical, measurement-focused effort that supports drought response, day-to-day project operations, and more transparent balancing of irrigation deliveries with environmental requirements.
Which federal agency is offering this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Bureau of Reclamation, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Where is the project located?
The project is focused on the Upper Klamath Basin along the Oregon-California border. The basin includes high desert areas and also receives significant precipitation from the Cascade Range and nearby uplands, feeding streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater systems.
Why is improved water measurement and forecasting a priority in this basin?
The basin is heavily dependent on irrigation and has faced increasing strain from drought. More than 500,000 acres are irrigated in the Upper Klamath Basin, including about 190,000 acres within the federally operated Klamath Project. With limited supplies during drought, small measurement errors can have outsized impacts on water deliveries and environmental obligations, increasing the need for better data and better forecasting.
How do environmental requirements affect water management in the Upper Klamath Basin?
Recent Endangered Species Act biological opinions have required Reclamation to maintain certain lake levels in Upper Klamath Lake to protect endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker habitat, while also maintaining specified downstream flows in the Klamath River to support listed salmon. These requirements, combined with drought and limited supplies, heighten the need for credible measurements and improved forecasting.
What are the main work areas funded by this grant?
The grant uses drought-relief funding to support three main work areas: (1) creation of an Upper Klamath Water Measurement Coordination Group, (2) rebuilding and monitoring the Sevenmile stream gage station damaged in 2015, and (3) improving basin-wide water accounting and forecasting, including call water quantification and stream inflow forecast improvements.
What is the Upper Klamath Water Measurement Coordination Group?
It is a coordination group intended to bring together key technical and local stakeholders to share knowledge, coordinate measurement techniques, improve the Klamath Project's water measurement methodology, and identify or develop accurate, standardized, cost-effective, and low-maintenance field-level measurement options for water deliveries.
Who are the stakeholders expected to participate in the Coordination Group?
The description identifies potential stakeholders such as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), the Bureau of Reclamation (including the Technical Service Center), and other interested parties like irrigation districts, Oregon Institute of Technology, and the Klamath Water Users Association.
What is the major deliverable related to verifying measurement devices?
A major deliverable is a workable, cost-effective process to verify water measurement devices used by Klamath Project landowners, so that measurements are credible and consistent across the system.
What is the Sevenmile gage station, and why is it included?
The Sevenmile gage station is a stream gage that was damaged during high flows in a 2015 storm. The grant supports rebuilding and monitoring this gage as a key step in strengthening the basin's monitoring network, since reliable gage data supports both day-to-day operations and longer-term planning, especially during drought years.
What does "basin-wide water accounting and forecasting" mean in this opportunity?
In this context, it refers to improved quantification and forecasting of water conditions across the basin, specifically including call water quantification and stream inflow forecast improvements. The aim is to sharpen the ability to estimate how much water is coming into the system and how much is being used or owed under various management and legal conditions.
What is "call water" quantification as described here?
Based on the opportunity description, call water quantification is part of improved basin-wide water accounting focused on estimating and tracking water amounts under certain management and legal conditions, including how much water may be used or owed.
How do better inflow forecasts help water managers?
Better stream inflow forecasts help managers anticipate shortages earlier, plan allocations, and respond to drought conditions with fewer surprises.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number and CFDA number for this grant?
The Funding Opportunity Number is BOR MP N024, and the CFDA number listed is 15.517.
What is the expected award amount (ceiling) for this opportunity?
The opportunity is structured as a single expected award with a ceiling of $174,915.
How many awards are expected?
The opportunity is described as a single expected award.
Who is eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligible applicants are limited to state governments.
Why was this described as a single-source action?
The award was justified as a single-source action because OWRD already conducts streamflow and groundwater measurement work in the basin, maintains local staffing and a basin office, and is positioned to deliver the project within the short performance period. The stated rationale is that OWRD has unique, immediately available qualifications that reduce ramp-up time and increase the likelihood of producing useful results quickly.
What is the approximate performance period for the project?
The performance period is described as approximately 15 months.
What is the Bureau of Reclamation's role during the project?
Reclamation's role is described as minimal in terms of day-to-day execution. The agency does not anticipate substantial involvement beyond normal federal stewardship, such as monitoring performance and providing technical assistance if requested.
Does Reclamation expect to co-manage the work with the recipient?
No. The description suggests the recipient would lead the coordination, installation, monitoring, and methodological improvements, while Reclamation focuses on oversight, compliance, and progress monitoring rather than co-management.
What statutory authority supports this grant opportunity?
The statutory authority cited is Public Law 106-498, the Klamath Basin Water Supply Enhancement Act of 2000.
What does Public Law 106-498 authorize in relation to this project?
The law authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with affected state, local, and tribal interests and the public, to undertake feasibility and hydrologic studies aimed at meeting growing water needs, improving water quality, reducing conflict among upper and lower basin uses, and supporting resolution of water rights claims, including tribal claims. It also emphasizes using existing data where possible and continuing USGS hydrologic surveys.
Does this law create new water rights or override state water law?
No. The description clarifies limits related to water rights: it does not create new water rights, override state water law or compacts, or confer federal water rights to non-federal entities.
How does this project relate to the Klamath Project's water supply?
The Klamath Project relies primarily on Upper Klamath Lake as its main water source. This opportunity is intended to improve measurement and forecasting so that water deliveries and environmental obligations tied to lake levels and downstream flows can be managed more effectively and transparently, particularly under drought and limited supply conditions.
What kinds of measurement improvements are being targeted at the field level?
The opportunity calls for identifying or developing a set of accurate, standardized, cost-effective, and low-maintenance field-level measurement options for water deliveries, along with a process to verify measurement devices used by Klamath Project landowners.
Why is restoring a single stream gage considered important?
The Sevenmile gage is positioned as a key component of the basin's monitoring network. Reliable gage data supports operational decision-making and longer-term planning, and is especially critical during drought years when accurate measurements can meaningfully affect allocations and compliance with requirements.
What broader basin interests are connected to this work?
The basin's streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater systems support agriculture, wildlife refuges, and aquatic ecosystems. Because the Klamath River system historically supported anadromous fish runs and the region includes sensitive habitats, water management is closely tied to irrigation needs and environmental flow and lake level requirements.
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