Here’s the release from the Colorado River District:
As of December 1st, the Colorado River District is accepting grant applications for projects that protect, enhance or develop water resources within its 15-county region. The Colorado River District includes all watersheds of the Colorado River within western Colorado, except those that drain to the San Juan River.
Projects eligible for the grant program must achieve one or more of the following objectives:
♦ develop a new water supply
♦ improve an existing system
♦ improve instream water quality
♦ increase water use efficiency
♦ reduce sediment loading
♦ implement a watershed management action
♦ control tamarisk
♦ protect pre-1922 Colorado River Compact water rightsPreviously funded grants included financial assistance for the construction of new water storage, the enlargement of existing water storage or diversion facilities, rehabilitation of non- functioning or restricted water storage / delivery / diversion structures, implementation of water efficiency improvements and watershed enhancements. Such projects that utilize water rights that are senior to 1922 will be given additional ranking priority over similar projects that do not. Each project will be ranked based upon its own merits in accordance with published ranking criteria.
Successful grantees can receive up to a maximum of $150,000 (or approximately 25% of the total project cost whichever is less; in the case of smaller projects, this percentage may be slightly higher) for their project. The total amount available for the 2012 competitive grant program is $250,000. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2012.
To access the Water Resources Grant Program application, guidelines and policies, please visit www.ColoradoRiverDistrict.org/page_193. For additional information please contact Alesha Frederick at 970-945-8522; Colorado River District, 201 Centennial St., Glenwood Springs, CO 80601 or e-mail grantinfo@crwcd.org.
More Colorado River basin coverage here.