The Yampa River Fund Endowment is a collaborative community-based organization dedicated to identifying and funding activities that protect the water supply, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities provided to us by the Yampa River.
Donor Name: Yampa Valley Community Foundation
State: Colorado
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/01/2024
Size of the Grant: Not Available
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Yampa River Fund will invest in conservation and restoration activities that positively impact Yampa River flows to support the livelihoods of recreation outfitters and ranchers throughout the valley, and to ensure that a healthy, flowing Yampa River remains the thriving center of communities for generations to come.
The goal of the Yampa River Fund is to establish a sustainable, voluntary funding source for the Yampa River in order to:
- Enhance water security for communities, agriculture, the economy, and the natural environment in the Yampa Valley
- Support a healthy, flowing river and enhance critical low flows through water leases from reservoirs, and
- Maintain or improve river function through a holistic approach to restoration of riparian and/or in-channel habitat.
Eligible Project Types
Proposed projects must satisfy these YRF Priorities:
- Support science-based projects classified in one of the project pools listed below.
- Provide project budget, timeline, evaluation and monitoring plan, and letter(s) of support from affected project area landowners and/or water users.
Project Funding Pools
- Pool A – Flow Enhancement Reservoir Releases
- Voluntary, market-based water leases and releases from reservoirs that will enhance river flows based on best available science. Projects should benefit a critical river reach as defined by YRF Conservation Objectives, address aquatic habitat need, recreational activities, or ameliorate water quality standard exceedances.
- Pool B – Identified Restoration Actions
- Restoration actions (on private and public land) that will improve riparian, in-channel, streambank, and aquatic habitat, with emphasis on those that address critical water quality issues. There must be a detailed evaluation and monitoring plan to describe long term sustainability of the project in section 2B5 of the application.
- Pool C – Infrastructure Improvements
- Infrastructure improvements that will generate combined consumptive use and environmental/recreational benefits. Project proponent’s approach to long term sustainability must be described in the evaluation and monitoring plan.
Eligibility Criteria
The following categories are derived from the Yampa White Green Basin Roundtable eligibility criteria.
- Public (Government)
- municipalities, enterprises, counties, and State of Colorado agencies. Federal agencies are eligible entities, but the agency would need to demonstrate why a local non-federal partner should not be the grant recipient. Federal agencies are encouraged to with local entities.
- Public (Districts)
- Authorities, Title 32 special districts, (conservancy, conservation, and irrigation districts), and water activity enterprises.
- Private Incorporated
- this is limited to mutual ditch companies, homeowners’ associations, and nonprofit corporations.
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs
- typically nonprofit organizations.
For more information, visit YVCF.