WaterSMART Grants: Water Marketing Strategy Grants for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021
Agency: Bureau of Reclamation
Assistance Listings
- 15.507 -- WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow)
Archived opportunityLast Updated: May 13, 2026
View version history on Grants.gov
Description
Through WaterSMART Water Marketing Strategy Grants, Reclamation provides cost-shared financial assistance to States, Indian tribes, and local governments to develop water marketing strategies to establish or expand water markets or water marketing activities between willing participants, in compliance with state and Federal laws. Water Marketing Strategy Grants are a component of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Grants Program, which also includes Water and Energy Efficiency Grants and Small-Scale Water Efficiency Projects. For further information on the WaterSMART Grants Program, please see www.usbr.gov/watersmart/index.html....
The objective of this NOFO is to invite States, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, and other organizations with water or power delivery authority to leverage their money and resources by cost sharing with Reclamation to develop a water marketing strategy to increase water supply reliability. Applicants under this NOFO may request funding to develop a water marketing strategy (project) to establish or expand water markets or water marketing activities.
A “water marketing strategy” is a framework for implementation of water marketing activities. Development of a water marketing strategy must include:
(1) Outreach and partnership building;
(2) Scoping and planning activities (e.g., hydrologic, economic, legal and other types of analysis); and
(3) Development of a water marketing strategy document describing how water marketing activities will be implemented.
For the purposes of this NOFO, “water marketing” refers to water rights transactions (e.g., the voluntary lease, sale, or exchange of water or water rights), or voluntary agreements governing water rights, water use, or water management (e.g., non-diversion agreements, dry-year options, and agreements governing groundwater recharge and storage), undertaken in accordance with State and Federal laws, between willing participants.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
Government
- Special district governments
- State governments
- City or township governments
- Federally recognized Native American tribal governments
Miscellaneous
- Other
Nonprofit
- Nonprofits non-higher education with 501(c)(3)
Additional information
Category A: States, Indian Tribes, irrigation districts, water districts; state, regional, or local authorities whose members include one or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; and, other organizations with water or power delivery authority.
Category B: Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A.
All applicants must be located in the Western United States or United States Territories, including 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 Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
To be eligible, applicants must also be located in one of the following States or Territories: 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 Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Those not eligible include, but are not limited to, the following entities:
Federal governmental entities
Institutions of higher education
Individuals
501(c)4 organizations
501(c)6 organizations
Grantor contact information
Description
Matthew Reichert
bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov
bor-sha-fafoa@usbr.gov
Documents
| File name | Description | Last updated |
|---|---|---|
| FY_2021_Water_Marketing_Strategy_Grants_NOFO.pdf | FY 2021 Water Marketing Strategy Grants NOFO.pdf | Feb 3, 2021 04:32 PM UTC |
Link to additional information
Archived: June 1, 2021
Award
$3,000,000
Program Funding
--
Expected awards
$--
Award Minimum
$400,000
Award Maximum
Funding opportunity number:
R21AS00278
Cost sharing or matching requirement:
Yes
Funding instrument type:
Cooperative agreement
Grant
Opportunity Category:
Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
--
Category of Funding Activity:
Natural resources
Category Explanation:
--
History
Version:
3
Posted date:
February 3, 2021
Archive date:
June 1, 2021
