The Department seeks to build partnerships and incentivize Oregonians to pursue integrated and innovative solutions for complex water challenges and an uncertain water future. This work is accomplished through strategic investments, adaptive planning, cooperative partnerships, accessible information, and effective coordination. We have a number of funding opportunities that allow us to strategically invest in order to achieve a secure and sustainable water future, addressing instream and out-of-stream needs, for all Oregonians and Oregon's environment, economy, communities, and cultures. Learn more about our funding opportunities below.
Announcements
Grant Application Deadline
The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) invites applications for Water Project Grants and Loans (WPGL) projects and Irrigation Modernization projects.
- Water Project Grants and Loans – provides grants for projects to evaluate, plan, and develop instream and out-of-stream water supply projects. Funding for Water Project Grants and Loans is provided through the sale of lottery revenue bonds. OWRD anticipates having up to $8.7 million available to award, with $3.7 million available for immediate award and an additional $5M potentially available for provisional award contingent on a spring 2025 lottery revenue bond sale.
- Application materials are now available.
- Application deadline: 5:00 p.m. on July 10, 2024
- Funding cycles will only be offered in 2025 if there are remaining funds after the second 2024 funding cycle
- Irrigation Modernization Funding –
provides grants for projects that improve water use efficiency of
irrigation systems on currently irrigated agricultural lands. Funding
for Irrigation Modernization Funding is provided through the sale of
lottery revenue bonds. OWRD anticipates having $20.6 million available for the second funding cycle of 2024 with these awards contingent on a spring 2025 lottery revenue bond sale. The $25 million available for Irrigation Modernization projects in 2024 was fully allocated at the June 2024 Commission meeting. The Commission provisionally awarded $4.4 million of the additional $25 million that will be available in 2025. At the December 2024 Commission meeting, projects may be provisionally awarded funds from the additional $20.6 million that will be available after the spring 2025 bond sale.
- Application materials are now available.
- Learn more about the irrigation modernization funding by viewing the Frequently Asked Questions document.
- Application deadline: 5:00 p.m. on July 10, 2024
- Funding cycles will only be offered in 2025 if there are remaining funds after the second 2024 funding cycle
Water Project Grants and Loans and Irrigation Modernization applications are scored using 18 questions to assess the project’s public economic, environmental, and social/cultural public benefits. View the Application Scoring Overview and Scoring Criteria documents to learn more.
Funding Awards
The Oregon Water Resources Commission awarded $25,900,067 in grants to fund ten projects for the first 2024 cycle of Irrigation Modernization Funding. Nine projects will be immediately funded, and the tenth project received a provisional award contingent on the anticipated spring 2025 bond sale. The Commission also awarded an additional $7,500,000 to the Ochoco Irrigation District and Deschutes River Conservancy for the McKay Creek Water Rights Switch Project, funded by Water Project Grants and Loans in 2023. A portion of the increased funding, $4,000,000, will be immediately awarded and the remaining $3,500,000 is contingent on the anticipated spring 2025 bond sale.
Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund
OWRD’s
Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund may reimburse qualifying
homeowners in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern
(GHVGAC) for a portion of the cost to repair or replace and abandon a
dry, severely declining, or at-risk household water well impacted by
declining groundwater levels. The well must have provided household
water for individual households, or members of a federally recognized
tribe in Oregon.
Learn more about the Harney Domestic Well Remediation Fund.
Planning Grants
The Department is a funding partner in four places that are taking a collaborative, integrated approach to water planning. There is no funding currently available to support new water planning efforts. The Department is a funding partner in four places that are taking a collaborative, integrated approach to water planning. There is no funding currently available to support new water planning efforts.
Feasibility Study Grants
Feasibility Study Grants reimburse up to 50 percent of the costs of studies to evaluate the feasibility of developing water conservation, reuse, and storage projects. This competitive funding opportunity helps individuals and communities investigate whether a proposed project idea is actually feasible and worth pursuing. Grants are offered on an annual basis.
Learn more about Feasibility Study Grants
Water Project Grants & Loans
Water Project Grants and Loans provides funding for projects that will help Oregon meet its instream and out-of-stream water supply needs and produce economic, environmental, and social/cultural benefits. This competitive funding opportunity is meant for implementation-ready projects.
Learn more about applying for Water Project Grants and Loans.
Well Abandonment, Repair, and Replacement Fund
The Well Abandonment, Repair, and Replacement Fund (WARRF) may reimburse qualifying low to moderate income homeowners for the cost to repair or replace and abandon a dry or severely declining well or a well that was damaged or destroyed by wildfire. The well must have provided water for household needs to individual households or members of a federally recognized tribe in Oregon.
Applications will be accepted year-round, depending on availability of funds.
Please see the website to learn more about applying for a WARRF grant.
Public comment period now open : Best Practices in Community Engagement Around Water Projects
HOW TO SHARE COMMENTS:
The agencies co-leading this process are excited to collaborate with partners to refine the draft Best Practices guidance for community engagement around water projects.
Comments will be accepted through 5 p.m. on August 1, 2024. Comments should be submitted via email to engagement.best.practices@water.oregon.gov. For more information about how this document was created, check out the March 14, 2024 open house or contact Charlotte Regula-Whitefield directly using the contact information noted below.
All comments received will be reviewed by the interagency team consisting of the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). The agencies will work together to ensure feedback is incorporated into the final document to provide the most meaningful set of best practices for community engagement around water projects.
The Oregon Water Resources Department, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Department of Environmental Quality, and Business Oregon have been working collaboratively to identify Best Practices in engaging communities when supporting water projects.
This work emphasizes the importance of engaging a wide range of communities, especially those disproportionately impacted or underrepresented, in decisions related to the identification, scoping, design, and implementation of water projects. The agencies co-leading this process are excited to collaborate with partners to refine Best Practices for water projects and co-create materials to help guide the use of Best Practices.
Click here to read the draft 10 Best Practices in Community Engagement around Water Projects Document
This document is intended to be in a draft format. The named agencies in House Bill 3293 (2021; ORS 541.551) are sharing this draft document with communities to gather input and feedback on a draft list of best practices in community engagement around water projects.
Click here to learn more about HB3293 bill
Click here to watch the March 14th informational webinar
For more information contact:
Charlotte Regula-Whitefield 971-375-3481