June 8, 2023 (Denver, CO) - This week, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) announced a new grant opportunity totaling $2.5 million in federal funds. The Technical Assistance Grant Program will support small agencies, farmers, and communities by providing them with critical expert assistance to develop federal grant applications for water projects with the intent of leveraging the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other federal funding for project completion.
“CWCB is proud to allocate funds to support organizations and stakeholders who may not have otherwise had access to this type of contractor assistance,” said Lauren Ris, CWCB’s Deputy Director. “This funding will help communities access federal funds to build important water infrastructure, prepare for water emergencies like drought and flood, and so much more.”
Funded through the American Rescue Plan Act, these technical assistance grants will provide water stakeholders with a broad range of expert assistance, including: preliminary project planning and design, preliminary permitting, development of estimated project costs, navigation of available federal opportunities, grant writing, and federal grant application submittal.
Grants will be awarded on a rolling basis through December 2024 and grant funds must be fully expended by December 2026. A minimum of 25 percent matching funds is required. Learn more and apply here.
The Technical Assistance Grant Program is a companion program to the agency’s existing Local Capacity Grant Program, which has awarded more than $1.0 million for the development of federal grant applications since December 2022.
In March, CWCB awarded $434,100 to the Colorado River Water Conservation District to support a decision-support system to help develop locally-tailored conservation goals. This work will help inform future drought response and preparedness efforts.
And in April, CWCB awarded $52,500 to the Ute Mountain Utes Farm and Ranch Enterprise for planning and engineering work that will support data and literature reviews, conceptual design, and cost estimates for projects on six ranch properties in southwestern Colorado—with the goal of securing funding for the development of a 1,000 acre-foot storage reservoir, installing micro-hydro turbines, and significantly improving ditch infrastructure.
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