Deadline: Ongoing
Amount: Requests for $50,000 or more must be submitted by the first of the month prior to a bi-monthly board meeting; Requests for less than $50,000 may be submitted any time.
Website: https://cwcb.colorado.gov/drought-management-planning-grants
Description:
Grants to Colorado government agencies and other water suppliers to develop plans to respond to drought conditions. Funding may be used for plan development, to cover staff and other associated costs, and for technical assistance from a water conservation professional or consultant to aid in the development of a drought mitigation plan. Pursuant to the Water Conservation Act of 2004 HB 04 1365 the Office of Water Conservation and Drought Planning Office provides grants to covered entities and state or local governmental entities to develop drought mitigation plans that meet the provisions of 37-60-126 5 CR S and the Guidelines adopted by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB)for Drought Mitigation Planning.
A drought mitigation plan can be defined as a strategy or combination of strategies for temporary supply management and demand management responses to temporary and potentially recurring water supply shortages and other water supply emergencies. Drought response measures in this context typically include mandatory restrictions on certain water uses, water allocation, or the temporary use of an alternative water supply. The main objective is to preserve essential public services and minimize the adverse effects of a water supply emergency on public health and safety, economic activity, environmental resources, and individual lifestyles. Most important in developing a drought plan is to determine the actions and procedures for responding to a drought related water supply emergency before an actual water shortage emergency occurs.
It is the explicit intent of the Board to work with water users and local entities to increase drought planning in Colorado by:
- Increasing the number of covered entities and state or local governmental entities with CWCB approved drought mitigation plans;
- Improving the nature and breadth of drought mitigation practices at the local level; and
- Increasing the amount of technical assistance that the CWCB provides to local entities.
Eligible applicants:
Covered entities, non-covered entities, and local or state governmental entities are eligible to apply for and receive drought mitigation planning grant funding.
- Covered Entity: means each municipality, agency, utility, including any privately owned utility, or other publicly owned entity with a legal obligation to supply, distribute, or otherwise provide water at retail to domestic, commercial, industrial, or public facility customers, and that has a total demand for such customers of two thousand acre-feet or more.
- Local Governmental Entity: means a county, municipality, city and county, water district, water and sanitation district, metropolitan district that provides water services, water conservation district, water conservancy district, or water authority.
To apply, an applicant must demonstrate that:
- It is in fact a covered entity (as defined above); through the disclosure of its organizational structure its charter (or equivalent), and its annual retail water demand for the past five years; or that
- It is in fact a state or local governmental entity through the disclosure of its organizational structure, its charter (or equivalent), and its annual retail water demand for the past five years, if applicable.
PROGRAM CONTACT
(303)-866-3441 x3238
Colorado Water Conservation Board
1313 Sherman Street, Room 718
Denver, CO 80203