# Cooperative Watershed Management  (15.554)

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/programs/15-554-cooperative-watershed-management/  
Publisher: Well Told Grants. Data: USAspending.gov and Grants.gov, updated November 7, 2026.

Cooperative Watershed Management  is run by Department of the Interior. From fiscal 2021 to 2025 it awarded $22.7 million in 113 grants, about $201,055 per award.

## Objectives

Reclamation’s WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management program (CWMP) provides funding for the establishment or enlargement of grassroots, local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to address their water management needs. A watershed group is a self-sustaining, non-regulatory group that is composed of a diverse array of stakeholders, which may include, but is not limited to, private property owners, non-profit organizations, Federal, state, or local agencies, and tribes. Funding is provided on a competitive basis for the development of watershed groups, watershed restoration planning, and watershed management project planning and design. CWMP provides funding to local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to develop collaborative solutions to address their water management needs. Watershed groups bring together varied groups of stakeholders, some of which might otherwise be at odds, to provide a platform for collaborative, locally-led, and community-based water resource management. Stakeholders may initially unite around one issue that affects multiple stakeholder groups, for example food control or wildfire mitigation. However, these groups often evolve to have a more holistic approach: aiming to address multiple issues within the watershed and benefit a wide range of stakeholders.

## Funding by fiscal year

| Year | Amount | Awards |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $4,958 | 4 |
| 2022 | $4.1 million | 38 |
| 2023 | $3.5 million | 19 |
| 2024 | $8.1 million | 25 |
| 2025 | $7.1 million | 28 |

## Largest recipients

| Recipient | State | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trout Unlimited, Inc. | Virginia | $2.2 million |
| Nfria-Wserc Conservation Center, Inc. | Colorado | $1.6 million |
| Deschutes River Conservancy | Oregon | $499,474 |
| County of, Chelan | Washington | $494,564 |
| Big Hole Watershed Committee | Montana | $400,622 |
| National Audubon Society, Inc | New York | $397,978 |
| Upper Merced River Watershed Council | California | $395,350 |
| Aravaipa Watershed Conservation Alliance | Arizona | $375,507 |
| Council for Watershed Health | California | $300,000 |
| Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc. | Colorado | $300,000 |
| National Forest Foundation | Montana | $300,000 |
| The Blackfoot Challenge Inc | Montana | $300,000 |
| Mesa Soil Conservation District | Colorado | $300,000 |
| City of Pocatello | Idaho | $300,000 |
| Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council | Hawaii | $300,000 |
| The Great Springs Project, Inc. | Texas | $300,000 |
| Napa County Resource Conservation District | California | $300,000 |
| Lake Thunderbird Watershed Alliance Inc | Oklahoma | $300,000 |
| Jefferson River Watershed Council | Montana | $300,000 |
| Watershed Restoration Coalition of the Upper Clark Fork Inc | Montana | $300,000 |

## Open opportunities

- [WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program](https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/r26as00349-watersmart-cooperative-watershed-management-program/), closes February 15, 2028