Cooperative Watershed Management (15.554)
Cooperative Watershed Management (Assistance Listing 15.554) is run by the Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $22.7 million in 113 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $201,055 per award on average. 1 funding opportunity is open or forecast now.
The typical award was $198,477. Half of the 113 awards fell between $99,926 and $299,196, and they ranged from $1,000 to $1.6 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$22.7 million
- Grant awards113
- Typical award$198,477
- Awarded in FY 2025$7.1 million
- Size rank1269 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants (cooperative agreements)
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $4,958 in fiscal 2021 to $7.1 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1269th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 20 largest recipients received 44% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 20 states and territories.
What the program funds
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.
Open opportunities
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Existing watershed groups and entities sponsoring the establishment of a watershed group. The watershed group must be located in one of the following states or territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Existing watershed groups must meet the definition of a watershed group under Section 6002 of the Cooperative Watershed Management Act: the watershed group must be a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the watershed and capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources. The watershed group must make decisions on a consensus basis as identified in the by-laws of the watershed group and represent a diverse group of stakeholders, such as hydroelectric producers, livestock grazing, timber production, land development, recreation or tourism, irrigated agriculture, the environment, municipal water supplies, private property owners, Federal, state and local governments, and Tribes.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Funding may be used to establish or enlarge a watershed group, perform stakeholder outreach, gather information and collect data regarding watershed conditions, develop bylaws, a mission statement, watershed management project concepts, a watershed restoration plan; and complete watershed management project design work. Funds may also be used to pay the salary of up to 1 full-time employee of the watershed group and any legal fees arising from the establishment of the watershed group as a legal entity. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity offered through the Drought Response Program includes specific information about ineligible activities.;
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.
Deadlines
Application Deadlines are identified in the Notice of Funding Opportunity and vary from year to year. Contact the headquarters for application deadlines.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range: $50,000 - $300,000 Average: $275,000
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Reclamation provided funding to an existing watershed group to digitize and consolidate existing water data, analyze and map potential watershed restoration projects by type and anticipated benefits, and engage with stakeholders to prioritize projects and update their watershed restoration plan. Reclamation also provided funding to a county to establish a new watershed group and conduct preplanning activities, including developing an organizational structure, stakeholder outreach and engagement, collecting data and consolidating data and consolidating existing information in the watershed, and identifying critical data gaps.Fiscal Year2026: Reclamation provided funding to a watershed group that will work with stakeholders to design agricultural infrastructure upgrades and associated wetland restoration projects. Reclamation also provided funding to a nonprofit organization to establish a new watershed group and begin developing a watershed restoration plan. Activities include creating a steering committee, stakeholder outreach and engagement, and stakeholder workshops.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Cooperative Watershed Management (15.554) awarded$22.7 million across 113 grant awards, an average of $201,055 per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trout Unlimited, Inc. | Virginia | 10 | $2.2 million |
| Nfria-Wserc Conservation Center, Inc. | Colorado | 1 | $1.6 million |
| Deschutes River Conservancy | Oregon | 2 | $499,474 |
| County of, Chelan | Washington | 2 | $494,564 |
| Big Hole Watershed Committee | Montana | 3 | $400,622 |
| National Audubon Society, Inc | New York | 2 | $397,978 |
| Upper Merced River Watershed Council | California | 2 | $395,350 |
| Aravaipa Watershed Conservation Alliance | Arizona | 2 | $375,507 |
| Council for Watershed Health | California | 1 | $300,000 |
| Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc. | Colorado | 1 | $300,000 |
| City of Pocatello | Idaho | 1 | $300,000 |
| Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council | Hawaii | 1 | $300,000 |
| Mesa Soil Conservation District | Colorado | 1 | $300,000 |
| National Forest Foundation | Montana | 1 | $300,000 |
| The Blackfoot Challenge Inc | Montana | 1 | $300,000 |
| North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council | California | 1 | $300,000 |
| Jefferson River Watershed Council | Montana | 1 | $300,000 |
| Lake Thunderbird Watershed Alliance Inc | Oklahoma | 1 | $300,000 |
| Treepeople, Inc. | California | 1 | $300,000 |
| Watershed Restoration Coalition of the Upper Clark Fork Inc | Montana | 1 | $300,000 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 76% of the money, state and local governments 19% and tribes 2.9%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 77 | $17.4 million | 76% |
| State and local governments | 25 | $4.3 million | 19% |
| Tribal governments and organizations | 4 | $647,575 | 2.9% |
| Colleges and universities | 1 | $204,575 | 0.9% |
| Other | 6 | $166,917 | 0.7% |
By state
6 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California | 20 | $4.1 million |
| Colorado | 15 | $4.0 million |
| Montana | 16 | $3.7 million |
| Virginia | 10 | $2.2 million |
| Arizona | 7 | $1.3 million |
| Alaska | 8 | $1.0 million |
| Washington | 5 | $979,917 |
| New Mexico | 6 | $880,576 |
| Idaho | 4 | $775,457 |
| Oregon | 5 | $756,337 |
| Hawaii | 3 | $587,542 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | $582,368 |
| Nevada | 2 | $499,916 |
| Texas | 2 | $399,800 |
| New York | 2 | $397,978 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 1 | $190,289 |
| Utah | 1 | $134,011 |
| Louisiana | 1 | $100,000 |
| Kansas | 1 | $89,260 |
| Wyoming | 1 | $1,119 |