| Conservation/Reuse/Storage Grant Program |
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| General Program Description |
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Background
Oregon is facing increasing water demand and increasingly scarce water supplies. To adequately meet Oregon’s diverse water demands now and into the future, Oregonians must use their water wisely and efficiently. That means looking more closely at innovative water conservation and reuse programs and environmentally sound storage projects that capture available water so it can be put to good use when needed.
Across the state, there are numerous potential water supply projects that are not pursued because a lack of funds necessary to cover the up-front costs presents a considerable and often insurmountable barrier. “Up-front costs” may include hundreds of thousands of dollars to conduct the numerous feasibility studies and environmental analyses required before a project can begin. To meet this challenge, in 2008 the Oregon Legislature established the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Grant Program to be administered by Oregon Water Resources Department.
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Overview
The Oregon Water Resources Department has $1.6 million available for funding under the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Grant Program (Program). The Program provides match funding for project planning studies performed to evaluate the feasibility of developing a water conservation, reuse or storage project. These funds are available on a competitive basis to a local government, an Indian tribe, or a person.
The Department will award up to $500,000 for each project selected for funding. This level of funding reflects the per project grant limitation established by law in SB 1069 (Chapter 13, 2008 Laws). Funding recipients will be required to demonstrate funding from another source that is not less than a dollar-for-dollar match of the amount of Program funding requested (i.e., at least $100,000 from another source to match the $100,000 in Program funds requested). To be considered for funding, applications must be received at the Department’s Salem office by September 2, 2008. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications prior to the September 2, 2008 deadline.
Eligibility
A local government as defined in ORS 174.116, an Indian tribe as defined in ORS 391.802, or a person as defined in ORS 536.007 are eligible to apply for and receive Program funding.
Local government” means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. ORS 174.116.
“Indian tribe” means a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon that has members residing on a reservation or tribal trust lands in Oregon. ORS 391.802.
“Person” includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, joint stock companies, public and municipal corporations, political subdivisions, the state and any agencies thereof, and the federal government and any agencies thereof. ORS 536.007.
To be eligible for funding -- applicants must clearly demonstrate funding from a source other than the Program of not less than a dollar-for-dollar match. For example, if $100,000 is requested in Program Funds, then there must be a match of at least $100,000 from another source. The matching funds must be secured or in the process of being secured.
To be eligible for funding -- for a project planning study associated with a proposed storage project that would: a) Impound surface water on a perennial stream; b) Divert water from a stream that supports sensitive, threatened or endangered fish; or c) Divert more than 500 acre-feet of surface water annually, the proposed project planning study must contain the following elements
- Analyses of by-pass, optimum peak, flushing and other ecological flows of the affected stream and the impact of the storage project on those flows;
- Comparative analyses of alternative means of supplying water, including but not limited to the costs and benefits of conservation and efficiency alternatives and the extent to which long-term water supply needs may be met using those alternatives;
- Analyses of environmental harm or impacts from the proposed storage project;
- Evaluation of the need for and feasibility of using stored water to augment in-stream flows to conserve, maintain and enhance aquatic life, fish life and any other ecological values; and
- For a proposed storage project that is for municipal use, analysis of local and regional water demand and the proposed storage project’s relationship to existing and planned water supply projects.
Eligible Project Planning Studies
Project planning studies eligible for funding under the Program may include:
(a) Analyses of hydrological refill capacity;
(b) Water needs analyses;
(c) Refined hydrological analyses;
(d) Engineering and financial feasibility studies;
(e) Geologic analyses;
(f) Water exchange studies;
(g) Analyses of by-pass, optimum peak, flushing and other ecological flows of the affected stream and the impact of a proposed water conservation, reuse or storage project on those flows;
(h) Comparative analyses of alternative means of supplying water, including but not limited to the costs and benefits of conservation and efficiency alternatives and the extent to which long-term water supply needs may be met using those alternatives;
(i) Analyses of environmental harm or impacts from a proposed water conservation, reuse or storage project;
(j) Analyses of public benefits accruing from a proposed water conservation, reuse or storage project;
(k) Fiscal analyses of a proposed water conservation, reuse or storage project, including estimated project costs, financing for the project and projected financial returns from the project;
(l) Hydrological analyses of a proposed water conservation, reuse or storage project, including the anticipated effects of climate change on hydrological refill capacity; and
(m) Analyses of potential water quality impacts of the project.
If an application concerns a project planning study associated with a proposed storage project that would impound surface water on a perennial stream or divert water from a stream that supports sensitive, threatened or endangered fish or divert more than 500 acre-feet of surface water annually; the project planning study must contain the following elements:
(a) Analyses of by-pass, optimum peak, flushing and other ecological flows of the affected stream and the impact of the storage project on those flows;
(b) Comparative analyses of alternative means of supplying water, including but not limited to the costs and benefits of conservation and efficiency alternatives and the extent to which long-term water supply needs may be met using those alternatives;
(c) Analyses of environmental harm or impacts from the proposed storage project;
(d) Evaluation of the need for and feasibility of using stored water to augment instream flows to conserve, maintain and enhance aquatic life, fish life and any other ecological values; and
(e) For a proposed storage project that is for municipal use, analysis of local and regional water demand and the proposed storage projects relationship to existing and planned water supply projects.
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| Application Process and Forms |
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Grant Process - Detailed Schematic (PDF 20KB) July 2008
Award of Funding
The Water Resources Department may use an application review team consisting of persons with water supply and planning knowledge and interdisciplinary expertise appointed by the Director to review applications and make funding recommendations to the Department. The Department will make its funding recommendations to the Oregon Water Resources Commission based in part on the review team's recommendations and public comment regarding those recommendations.
The Department reserves the right at its sole discretion, to reject any and all applications received without penalty. The Department’s final funding recommendations to the Oregon Water Resources Commission will be those applications which in the opinion of the Department, after review of the application review team recommendations and public comment regarding those recommendations, best meet the intent of the Oregon Legislature as set forth in SB 1069 (Chapter 13, 2008 Laws), the requirements of the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Grant Program, and that are in the best interest of the State of Oregon.
Application Form (DOC 539KB) July 2008
Downloading Application Instructions: Click on "Word Version": when prompted, choose "save" instead of "open" to save the file to a location of your choice, then open Word and browse for the saved file. (This prevents the Application from opening in your internet browser and allows the editing capabilities of Word.)
If you cannot open an MS Word document, contact staff by August 18, 2008 to request a PDF version.
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Application Criteria and Evaluation Guidance (PDF 96 KB) Revised - August 2008*
*Please note revision to Criteria and Evaluation Guidance for Water Conservation
and Reuse Grant Application (page 8) (PDF 69 KB) Original - July 2008
Standard Grant Agreement (PDF 76 KB) August 2008
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| 2008 Applications Received |
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2008 Grant Application Received
The Department received 36 grant applications, of which 35 were complete grant applications. A total of over $5 million dollars in grant funds were requested. To view a tabular summary of the applications click here. The table includes hyperlinks to one-page application summaries, as well as the complete applications. To view a map showing the location of the applications click here.
The public notice period for applications requesting Program funding will begin September 30 and continue through October 30, 2008. The associated application review team recommendations will be available beginning September 30, 2008.
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| 2008 Funding Recommendations |
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2008 Application Review Team Recommendations
An interagency Application Review Team composed of representatives from the Water Resources Department and the Departments of Agriculture, Economic and Community Development, Environmental Quality, Fish and Wildlife, Parks and Recreation, and the Watershed Enhancement Board reviewed 35 applications which requested over $5 million for funding planning studies to evaluate the feasibility of developing water conservation, reuse or storage projects.
The Application Review Team ranked the projects in one of four categories: Do Fund: High, Medium, Contingent on Available Funding and Do Not Fund. There is no sub prioritization within a funding category (i.e. all “Do Fund: High” carry the same ranking). The Application Review Team also recommended funding conditions on some Do Fund applications.
The Water Resources Department has $1.6 million available for funding, or $1 available for every $3 requested. This amount is adequate to fund all of the Do Fund: High and Do Fund: Medium feasibility studies at the level recommended by the Application Review Team. However, the Department currently lacks adequate funding for the Do Fund: Contingent on Available Funding feasibility studies.
Consistent with OAR 690-600-0060, the Department is providing public notice of the applications for program funding and associated Application Review Team recommendations.
Any interested person may comment in writing on the feasibility study applications requesting funding and the associated Application Review Team recommendations. Comments must be received by 5:00 PM on October 30, 2008. Comments should be sent to Bob Rice, Water Resources Department, 725 Summer Street NE, Suite A,Salem, OR 97301-1266. Comments may be faxed to 503-986-0903.
A listing of the 2008 grant applications received is available at http://www.wrd.state.or.us/OWRD/LAW/GrantApplication.shtml, to view the Application Review Team recommendations click here.
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| 2008 Grant Awards |
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The Water Resources Commission is authorizing funding for 22 water conservation, reuse and storage feasibility studies. Totaling over $1.5 million, the funding will pay for feasibility studies and environmental analyses associated with innovative water conservation and reuse programs and environmentally sound storage projects. Recipients were selected from a highly competitive group of applicants. Each application was thoroughly reviewed by a 12-member interagency Application Review Team and Department staff. Recipients will be required to report on the progress of the study and applications associated with storage applications are required to provide environmental analyses. Money to fund the studies comes from the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Investment Fund which was created by the legislature in 2008 to fund water conservation, reuse and storage feasibility studies.
To view a list of the funded studies click here; to view a map of the studies click here. More information on these studies and the Water Conservation, Reuse and Storage Grant Program is available from the November 20, 2008 and December 5, 2008 staff reports.
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| Grantee Forms |
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Request for Release of Funds
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December 2008
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Financial Status Report
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December 2008
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Feasibility Study Progress Reports
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- Conservation, Reuse and "Other" Storage Projects
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December 2008
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- Storage Projects
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December 2008
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