← All grants

WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects

Bureau of Reclamation · Opportunity R26AS00017

Deadline September 8, 2027 364 days left

This funding opportunity will have two application deadlines. The first application period will close Wednesday, September 9th, 2026, and the second application period will close Wednesday, September 8th, 2027.Wednesday, September 9th, 2026, 4:00pm MDTAnd Wednesday, September 8th, 2027, 4:00pm MDT

Award range $50k – $3M
Total program funding $60M

≈ 30 awards expected

PostedMay 14, 2026

Who can apply

Applicants eligible to receive an award under this funding opportunity are described below.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; andOther organizations with water or power delivery authority.Category A applicants must be located in the Western United States or Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended and supplemented; 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. Category B Applicants: Nonprofit conservation organizations that are acting in partnership with, and with the agreement of an entity described in Category A. All Category B applicants must be located in the United States, or the specific Territories identified above under Category A Applicants. Applicants applying under this category should include a letter of support or other documentation demonstrating that they are acting in partnership with and with the agreement of the Category A entity. Reclamation may request additional information to verify that the applicant meets this requirement. Category C Applicants:Watershed groups as defined in the Cooperative Watershed Management Act, Section 6001(6). All Category C applicants must be located in the United States, or the specific Territories identified above under Category A Applicants. To be eligible, the watershed group must: Be a grassroots, non-regulatory entity that addresses water availability and quality issues within the relevant watershed;Capable of promoting the sustainable use of water resources in the watershed;Make decisions on a consensus basis; andRepresent a diverse group of stakehold

About this opportunity

The objective of the WaterSMART Enhancing Water Resources Projects funding opportunity is to invite eligible entities to apply for funding to implement projects per the authorizing language referenced above that benefit water resource management for multiple uses, including water conservation and efficiency projects, water infrastructure improvements, and river and watershed restoration. Projects that balance numerous community interests (agriculture, recreation, fisheries, power, etc.), were developed collaboratively, and provide significant watershed benefits will be prioritized under this funding opportunity. This program demonstrably advances Trump administration priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14154 (January 20, 2025): Unleashing American Energy (E.O. 14154) and Secretarial Order 3418, and aligns with other priorities and requirements, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 14332 (August 7, 2025): Improving Oversight in Federal Grantmaking (E.O. 14332).

Portfolio context — this listing covers more than this opportunity

This opportunity is funded under Assistance Listing 15.507 (“WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow)”), a broad federal program that made about 110 new awards per year over the last five fiscal years (median award $227k). Those figures describe that whole portfolio — not this specific solicitation, so we don't show them as if they were this opportunity's track record.

Applicant counts per solicitation are not published by any federal agency — no one can honestly sell you that number.

Apply on grants.gov →

Don't want to hunt for grants like this one? Get free deadline alerts for your state and focus areas.

Consultant or grant writer? See the client-ready Opportunity Brief for this grant — actual award sizes vs. the advertised ceiling, who wins, printable "prepared for your client" version.

Similar grants still open

OpportunityAgencyDeadlineAward ceilingEligible
Forest Legacy Program - FY2028 Funding Forest Service September 11, 2026 2d left $20M
FY26 Bureau of Land Management Threatened and Endangered Species - Bureau wide Bureau of Land Management September 11, 2026 2d left $1M Nonprofits
FY26 Bureau of Land Management Wildlife Resource Management Program - Bureau wide Bureau of Land Management September 11, 2026 2d left $2M Nonprofits
F26AS00051_FY 2026 Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program_Funding Opportunity Announcement Fish and Wildlife Service September 18, 2026 9d left $1M