Water Conservation Field Services Program: Financial Assistance for Fiscal Year 2022

The Department of the Interior’s (DOI’s) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of DOI priorities. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (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 existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts. The Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP) provides support for priorities identified in Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (E.O. 14008) and aligned with other priorities, such as those identified in Presidential Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (E.O. 13985). Drought conditions across the Western United States impact a wide range of communities and sectors, including agriculture, cities, Tribes, the environment, recreation, hydropower producers, and others. Reclamation established the Water Conservation Field Services Program (WCFSP) in 1996 to encourage recipients of water from Federal water projects to conserve water and to assist agricultural and urban water districts in preparing and implementing water conservation plans in accordance with the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. Through the WCFSP, Reclamation makes cost-shared financial assistance available for developing water conservation plans, designing water management improvements, identifying water management improvements through System Optimization Reviews (SORs), and improving the understanding of water conservation techniques through demonstration activities. This Water Conservation Field Services Program Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) provides funding for projects that result in water management planning. These planning projects support planning for water managers to plan, prioritize, and design projects that conserve and use water more efficiently; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to sustainability in the Western United States. For further information on the WaterSMART Program, please see www.usbr.gov/watersmart/.
Categories: Natural Resources.