The WaterSMART Drought Response Program invites eligible applicants to submit proposals for projects designed to improve drought resilience by developing effective water management strategies and drought contingency plans.
Donor Name: Bureau of Reclamation
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/28/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Through WaterSMART, Reclamation leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in infrastructure and attention to local water needs.
This NOFO provides funding under two task:
- Task A: Infrastructure Projects
- Investments in infrastructure improve drought resiliency by increasing water management flexibility and providing alternative sources of water supply.
- Task B: Water Management and Planning Projects
- Task B projects are intended to help entities better manage water supplies through decision support tools, modeling, the identification of potential strategies to address drought, and comprehensive drought planning.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Program Funding: $13,500,000
- Award Ceiling: $1,500,000
- Award Floor: $25,000
Project Period
Proposed projects must not start construction until at least 12 months after the submission deadline.
Eligibility Criteria
For Category A Applicants
- States, Tribes, irrigation districts, and water districts;
- State, regional, or local authorities, the members of which include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and
Other organizations with water or power delivery authority. Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or Territories; specifically: 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 U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
For Category B Applicants
- Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership with, and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A.
- Category B applicants should include with their application a letter from the Category A partner stating that the Category A partner:
- Is acting in partnership with the applicant;
- Agrees to the submittal and content of the application; and
- Intends to participate in the project in some way, for example, by providing input, feedback, or other support for the project.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
