Opportunity Information: Apply for 09SF811471
Apply for 09SF811471
- The Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Water for America Expand, Protect, and Conserve Our Nations Water Resources System Optimization Reviews" 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 Nov 26, 2008 and posted on Oct 31, 2008.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 28, 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 $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible applicants include irrigation and/or water districts, water authorities of Federally recognized Tribes, and entities created under State or Territorial law with water management authority (which may include water user associations water conservancy districts canal, ditch, and reservoir companies and municipal water authorities). State or Territorial agencies include those with water management authority (e.g., State departments of water resources State Engineer s offices and other State or Territory agencies, departments, and boards with water management authority). Applicants must also be located in the Western United States or the United States Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended and supplemented specifically, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. Ineligible applicants include State governmental entities without water management authority, Federal governmental entities, universities, individuals, and other entities without water delivery authority.
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Opportunity Summary:
Water for America: Expand, Protect, and Conserve Our Nation's Water Resources - System Optimization Reviews (SORs) is a Bureau of Reclamation funding opportunity that supports practical, basin- and district-level reviews aimed at improving how water is managed and delivered across the Western United States and certain U.S. territories. The program sits under the broader Water for America Initiative, which was created to respond to modern water pressures such as shrinking supplies linked to climate change, increasing demands from population growth, and the long-term need to secure reliable water resources for future generations. Within that Initiative, Reclamation focuses on planning for the nation's water future and on expanding, protecting, and conserving water resources, while the U.S. Geological Survey leads the knowledge-building strategy. This particular announcement funds the "System Optimization Review" component, one of the initiative's challenge-grant style tools designed to stretch limited federal dollars by leveraging local participation and cost sharing.
The purpose of an SOR is not to build a project right away, but to diagnose opportunities for better performance in a specific water basin, district, delivery system, or a portion of a system. Reclamation partners with willing local entities that have real water delivery authority to assess where meaningful water management gains can be achieved. The output is a plan of action that includes specific recommendations and performance measures, so the review results in an actionable roadmap rather than a generic study. Recommended improvements can range from physical modernization, such as upgrades to canals, control structures, measurement systems, or other delivery infrastructure, to operational changes that increase efficiency, reduce losses, improve scheduling and accounting, or make it easier to carry out water transfers, water marketing, or other reallocation mechanisms where legally and operationally feasible. In short, the grant supports a structured evaluation that identifies high-impact changes and defines how success will be measured.
The award is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency expects to be substantially involved in the work rather than simply issuing a check and stepping away. The total estimated funding for the competition is about $3,000,000, with an anticipated 15 awards and a maximum award size (ceiling) of $300,000. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, reinforcing the program's "challenge grant" concept and its emphasis on shared investment and leveraging federal funds with non-federal resources.
Eligibility is focused tightly on entities that actually manage and deliver water. Eligible applicants include irrigation and water districts, water authorities of federally recognized Tribes, and other entities formed under state or territorial law that have water management authority, which can include water user associations, water conservancy districts, canal, ditch, and reservoir companies, and municipal water authorities. State or territorial agencies can also apply when they have water management authority, such as state departments of water resources, state engineer offices, and similar boards or departments. Applicants must be located in the Western states and territories identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, as well as American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands. Ineligible applicants include federal agencies, universities, individuals, state governmental entities that lack water management authority, and other groups without water delivery authority.
Key administrative details from the notice include the Funding Opportunity Number 09SF811471, CFDA number 15.507 (WaterSMART, Sustaining and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow), and an original and current closing date of January 28, 2009 (posted October 31, 2008). The administering office is the Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office, and the listed point of contact is Randale Jackson, Grant Specialist, at 303-445-2432.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the Water for America: System Optimization Reviews (SORs) funding opportunity?
System Optimization Reviews (SORs) is a Bureau of Reclamation funding opportunity under the broader Water for America Initiative. It supports practical, basin- and district-level reviews that look for ways to improve how water is managed and delivered across the Western United States and certain U.S. territories.
2. What is the broader Water for America Initiative trying to address?
The Water for America Initiative was created to respond to modern water pressures, including shrinking supplies linked to climate change, increasing demands from population growth, and the long-term need to secure reliable water resources for future generations.
3. What does Reclamation focus on within the Water for America Initiative?
Within the Initiative, the Bureau of Reclamation focuses on planning for the nation's water future and on expanding, protecting, and conserving water resources.
4. What role does the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) play in the Water for America Initiative?
The U.S. Geological Survey leads the Initiative's knowledge-building strategy, while Reclamation focuses on planning and water resource expansion, protection, and conservation.
5. What is the main purpose of a System Optimization Review (SOR)?
The purpose of an SOR is to diagnose opportunities for better performance in a specific water basin, district, delivery system, or portion of a system. The goal is to identify meaningful water management gains and produce an actionable plan of action with recommendations and performance measures.
6. Does an SOR fund construction or immediate project implementation?
No. An SOR is not intended to build a project right away. It supports a structured evaluation that results in a roadmap (plan of action) describing improvements and how success will be measured.
7. What kinds of improvements can an SOR recommend?
Recommended improvements can include physical modernization (such as upgrades to canals, control structures, measurement systems, or other delivery infrastructure) as well as operational changes that increase efficiency, reduce losses, improve scheduling and accounting, or make it easier to carry out water transfers, water marketing, or other reallocation mechanisms where legally and operationally feasible.
8. What is the expected deliverable or outcome from an SOR?
The expected outcome is a plan of action that includes specific recommendations and performance measures, so the review produces an actionable roadmap rather than a generic study.
9. Who does Reclamation partner with for an SOR?
Reclamation partners with willing local entities that have real water delivery authority, focusing on organizations that manage and deliver water.
10. What type of award is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement.
11. What does it mean that the award is a cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement means the federal agency expects to be substantially involved in the work, rather than issuing funding with minimal ongoing participation.
12. How much total funding is estimated for this competition?
The total estimated funding for the competition is about $3,000,000.
13. How many awards are anticipated?
Approximately 15 awards are anticipated.
14. What is the maximum award amount (ceiling) per award?
The maximum award size (ceiling) is $300,000.
15. Is cost sharing or matching required?
Yes. A cost-sharing or matching requirement applies, consistent with the program's challenge-grant approach and its emphasis on leveraging federal dollars with non-federal resources.
16. Why does the program require cost sharing?
The notice describes this as a challenge-grant style tool intended to stretch limited federal dollars by leveraging local participation and shared investment.
17. Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is focused on entities that actually manage and deliver water. Eligible applicants include irrigation and water districts, water authorities of federally recognized Tribes, and other entities formed under state or territorial law that have water management authority. This can include water user associations, water conservancy districts, canal, ditch, and reservoir companies, and municipal water authorities.
18. Are state or territorial agencies eligible to apply?
Yes, state or territorial agencies can apply when they have water management authority, such as state departments of water resources, state engineer offices, and similar boards or departments.
19. Which applicants are ineligible?
Ineligible applicants include federal agencies, universities, individuals, state governmental entities that lack water management authority, and other groups without water delivery authority.
20. What geographic areas are eligible under this opportunity?
Applicants must be located in the Western states and territories identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended. Eligible states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Eligible territories include American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
21. What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is 09SF811471.
22. What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number is 15.507, identified as WaterSMART, Sustaining and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow.
23. When was this opportunity posted?
The notice was posted on October 31, 2008.
24. What is the application closing date?
The original and current closing date listed in the notice is January 28, 2009.
25. Which Bureau of Reclamation office administers this opportunity?
The administering office is the Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office.
26. Who is the point of contact for this opportunity?
The listed point of contact is Randale Jackson, Grant Specialist.
27. How can applicants contact the point of contact?
Randale Jackson can be reached by phone at 303-445-2432.
28. How does this opportunity fit within WaterSMART?
The notice lists CFDA 15.507 (WaterSMART, Sustaining and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow), and describes SORs as one of the Initiative's challenge-grant style tools intended to leverage local participation and cost sharing.
29. What scale or scope of systems can an SOR cover?
An SOR can focus on a specific water basin, district, delivery system, or a portion of a system.
30. Does the program emphasize measurable results?
Yes. The review is expected to result in recommendations paired with performance measures, so improvements and outcomes can be tracked against defined measures of success.
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