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Meramec Funding Sources

Cooperative Watershed Management Program

Oct. 27, 2020
By Bureau of Reclamation

Story summary:

  • The Cooperative Watershed Management Program provides funding to watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs.

Quick Facts

Benefits of CWMP 
Funds planning in Phase I grants
No non-federal cost-share
Funds implementation projects in Phase II grants

Drawbacks of CWMP
Must have self-sustaining watershed group
Implementation grants have 50% cost-share

About

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) contributes to the WaterSMART strategies through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  WaterSMART works cooperatively with states, tribes and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply through investments to modernize existing infrastructure. 

The CWMP is two-tiered.  Watershed groups can apply for a Development and Watershed Restoration Planning grant that provides the group with funds to complete stakeholder outreach, develop a watershed restoration plan and watershed management project design.  This Phase I grant has no non-federal cost-share requirements and will fund up to $50,000/year for up to two years.

The Implementation grants are the Phase II funding programs that provides cost-shared financial assistance to watershed groups to implement their watershed management plans/projects.  Phase II funding will award up to $100,000/project over a two year period.  These grants require a 50% match.

 Project Examples

Tishomingo, OK

Watershed Planning for the Blue River received a Phase I grant, totaling $99,536, to create a watershed plan that includes staffing, stakeholder and public outreach and education, identification of priority areas and tailored conservation plans.  The watershed group consists of tribal nations, universities, municipalities, state and federal agencies, mining industry, nonprofit organizations, and landowners.

Divide, MT

The Planning and Stakeholder Engagement for Water Quantity in the Lower Big Hole Watershed received a Phase I grant, totaling $115,000, to address water scarcity issues in the lower section of the watershed.  The watershed group used previous planning efforts to create project design stages along with a stakeholder engagement strategy.

Driggs, ID

The Friends of the Teton River used a Phase I grant to create a watershed management plan.  Following its completion, the Friends of the Teton River received funding through a Phase II Implementation grant to implement designed water management activities to improve ecological resilience in the Teton Watershed.

Contact Info

Find your region’s contact at the Reclamation Offices website.

Consult your community’s attorney and financial advisors prior to moving forward with any of these funding options. Any reference in this website to any person, or organization, or activities, products, or services related to such person or organization, or any linkages from this website to the website of another party, do not constitute or imply the endorsement, recommendation, or favoring of companies or organizations.
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