Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program in California

The California Department of Water Resources is pleased to announce its Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program.

Donor Name: California Department of Water Resources

State: California

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 11/30/2022

Size of the Grant: $200 million

Details:

Mission

The mission of the SGM Grant Program is to provide funding to Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) and other responsible entities under SGMA to promote healthy and sustainable groundwater basins, to reduce and eliminate undesirable effects, and to promote projects that provide multiple benefits while also improving groundwater supply and quality.

Vision

The vision of the SGM Grant Program is to achieve sustainable water balance in California, where GSAs and other responsible entities work cooperatively and innovatively to manage surface and groundwater together in a holistic and integrated manner.

They conduct the following activities to achieve the mission and vision of the SGM Grant Program:

fund the development and implementation of a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) or an approved Alternative to a GSP
fund projects that promote the sustainable use of groundwater
educate the public on groundwater sources and uses, and ways to sustainably manage and protect it
provide technical assistance for Underrepresented Communities to identify their risks and needs with respect to SGMA compliance
research and disseminate information on sustainable groundwater best management practices
partner with other State agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other interested parties to ensure that public funds are expended on activities and tasks that best suits the groundwater needs in California.

Funding Information

Round 2 will provide over $200 million from the General Fund and Proposition 68.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants for Round 1 are GSAs; member agencies of GSAs; an entity that represents a GSA(s) which can include public agencies, non-profit organizations, public utilities, Federally recognized Indian Tribes, State Indian Tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission’s
Tribal Consultation list, or mutual water companies; and agencies with an Alternative to a GSP that are located within eligible COD basins only.
Eligible applicants for future funding rounds are GSAs; member agencies of GSAs; an entity that represents a GSA(s) which can include public agencies, non-profit organizations, public utilities,
Federally recognized Indian Tribes, State Indian Tribes listed on the Native American Heritage Commission’s Tribal Consultation list, or mutual water companies; and agencies with an Alternative to a GSP that are located within eligible medium and high priority basins (including COD basins).

Eligible Project Types

Eligible project types for the SGMA Implementation grants must include one or more of the activities listed below. All projects must be consistent with the goals of the GSP or Alternative to a GSP. This includes projects that fill in known data gaps and comments received from DWR after review of a submitted GSP or Alternative to a GSP, if received.
2021 Budget Act: SGMA Implementation
The 2021 Budget Act provides $171 million in General Funds for projects and planning activities related to the implementation of SGMA, which can include:
- Revisions, updates, and/or modifications of a GSPs;
- Revisions, updates, and/or modifications of an Alternative to a GSP; and/or
- Capital improvement activities as listed within a GSP or Alternative to a GSP.
In addition, $57 million of the available funding for one or more of the following purposes:
- Geophysical investigations of groundwater basins to identify recharge potential (Aerial Electromagnetic (AEM) surveys); Early implementation of existing regional flood management plans that incorporate groundwater recharge (e.g., recharge basins incorporating flood or stormwater); or
- Projects that would complement efforts of a local GSP, that provide for floodplain expansion to benefit groundwater recharge or habitat (e.g., a recharge basin adjacent to a waterbody using peak flows for groundwater recharge).