Aquatics Resources Management (15.244)
Aquatics Resources Management (Assistance Listing 15.244) is run by the Bureau of Land Management, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $75.4 million in 158 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $477,024 per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $176,569. Half of the 158 awards fell between $72,894 and $443,499, and they ranged from $6,996 to $9.9 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$75.4 million
- Grant awards158
- Typical award$176,569
- Awarded in FY 2025$7.1 million
- Size rank889 of 1824
- Type of assistanceCooperative agreements (discretionary grants)
Key findings
- Annual funding fell from $7.8 million in fiscal 2021 to $7.1 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 889th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 83% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 21 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Bureau of Land Management’s Aquatic Resources Program conserves and restores riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources (hereafter referred to as aquatic resources) to provide resource values and ecosystem services necessary to achieve the BLM’s multiple use mandate. The agencies aquatic resources and issues are diverse and include watersheds; riparian-wetland systems; springs, streams, rivers, and groundwater; ponds and lakes; fisheries; water quality; water rights and uses; and aquatic invasive species. These systems also support myriad species of plants, fish, and wildlife; provide ecosystem services such as drinking water, pollination, and nutrient cycling; attenuate wildfires, floods, and drought; and are key to the vitality of local economies and communities. The Program also works to support the thoughtful implementation of other aspects of BLM’s mission (e.g., locatable minerals, fluid minerals, range, forestry recreation, renewable energy), which could either impact aquatic resources or require restoration of such resources to achieve multiple-use and sustained yield management objectives.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
What the money can and cannot pay for
Projects are primarily conducted on lands administered by the BLM in the Western United States and Alaska, but may also be conducted on other public or private lands. Regardless of location, all projects must contribute to the attainment of BLM management objectives and have significant BLM involvement in the project. Assistance can be used to help protect or restore aquatic resources and to provide related public outreach and education opportunities.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Past partnership projects have ranged from $10,000 to $1,000,000. Average amounts approximately $68,300 or less.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: 1) Work to prevent, control, and eradicate aquatic invasive species; 2) Implementation of the BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Program for streams and wetlands; 3) Monitoring of sensitive aquatic species populations; and 4) active restoration to improve riparian, stream, and wetland systems and aquatic habitats.Fiscal Year2026: Program has not yet selected projects for funding. Program anticipates funding projects that assist the BLM with: 1) The collection, analysis, and use of monitoring data to inform and streamline permitting decisions, resource improvements, adaptive management, and other management actions; 2) Efforts to prevent, detect, control, and eradicate aquatic invasive species; and 3) improving riparian and wetland areas, aquatic habitats, and water resources.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Aquatics Resources Management (15.244) awarded$75.4 million across 158 grant awards, an average of $477,024 per award.
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 57% of the money, colleges and universities 31% and state and local governments 8.1%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 77 | $43.1 million | 57% |
| Colleges and universities | 43 | $23.2 million | 31% |
| State and local governments | 25 | $6.1 million | 8.1% |
| Other | 12 | $2.1 million | 2.9% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 1 | $799,696 | 1.1% |
By state
9 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 19 | $29.7 million |
| Colorado | 22 | $10.9 million |
| Montana | 16 | $8.2 million |
| Utah | 9 | $7.1 million |
| Oregon | 27 | $6.6 million |
| Alaska | 16 | $3.3 million |
| Nevada | 7 | $2.5 million |
| New Mexico | 5 | $1.6 million |
| South Dakota | 4 | $1.1 million |
| Arizona | 5 | $963,436 |
| California | 3 | $691,348 |
| Washington | 3 | $679,531 |
| Idaho | 3 | $562,281 |
| New York | 5 | $425,051 |
| Florida | 3 | $369,183 |
| Minnesota | 3 | $333,441 |
| Wyoming | 3 | $203,831 |
| Maryland | 2 | $170,000 |
| Maine | 1 | $54,269 |
| North Dakota | 1 | $45,000 |
| Texas | 1 | $40,000 |