The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Basin Region is requesting applications for salinity control projects that reduce salinity contributions to the Colorado River system.
Donor Name: Bureau of Reclamation
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/27/2023
Size of the Grant: $30-40 million
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program (Salinity Control Program) was designed to meet the objectives of the Colorado River Basin (Basin) Water Quality Standards. These standards include a Plan of Implementation to limit further degradation of water quality in the Colorado River that provides water to Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. The objective of the Salinity Control Program has been to minimize salt loading in the Colorado River system by seeking cost-effective regional solutions to the problem. The Bureau of Reclamation solicits, ranks, and selects new Salinity Control Projects based on a competitive process open to the public. Cooperative agreements are awarded with selected applicants. Projects have typically involved converting unlined canals and ditches to pipelines located in the Upper Basin States of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming to reduce seepage that picks up salt and carries it into the Colorado River system.
Projects have typically involved converting unlined canals and ditches to pipelines located in the Upper Basin States of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming to reduce seepage that picks up salt and carries it into the Colorado River system.
Objectives
- Applications may consist of projects to reduce salinity contributions originating from saline springs, leaking wells, irrigation sources, municipal and industrial sources, erosion of public and private land, or other sources.
- Only those irrigation-related projects where salt load reduction values have been supplied by Reclamation, and which reduce salt loading from delivery systems, will be considered, e.g., canals, ditches, or laterals. However, delivery system projects that enable future, on-farm salinity reduction projects will be given a higher rating as detailed in the evaluation criteria. Such on farm projects should be referred to the USDA-NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Funding Information
- Reclamation may award up to about $30-40 million in the Basinwide Program.
- Reclamation may also award up to about $5-10 million in the BSP.
- Project period: It is recommended and to Applicant’s advantage that the projects be completed with-in 2 to 4 years from the start date. If needed a No Cost Time Extension can be requested.
Eligibility Criteria
- State (includes District of Columbia, public institutions of higher education and hospitals), Local (includes State-designated lndian Tribes, excludes institutions of higher education and hospitals, Public nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Federally Recognized lndian Tribal Governments, U.S. Territories and possessions (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Individual/Family, Profit organization, Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals).
- Colorado River Basinwide Salinity Control Program (Basinwide Program)
- Submitted by a legal entity that is the owner or operator of the features to be replaced and/or to be constructed and capable of contracting with Reclamation.
- Basin States Program (BSP)
- Submitted by a legal entity that is the owner or operator of the features to be replaced and/or to be constructed and capable of contracting with Reclamation.
- Applications must:
- Propose projects that are located in the Colorado River Basin above Hoover Dam.
- Be responsive to the NOFO requirements.
- Only use proven technology.
- Not be of a nature that creates undue financial risk for Reclamation.
- Be in an area where salt load can be provided.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
