Colorado WaterWise and the Native Grass Working Group are seeking proposals from website designers/developers to create an independent educational website about using native grasses.

This website will feature photo galleries, information, interactive tools, project case studies, and resources to help the website users be more successful installing and maintaining native grasses in irrigated landscapes in Colorado.

To learn more about this opportunity, see the following resources:

• Project Overview
• Summary of Website Organization, Features, and Tools
• Roles and Responsibilities Matrix
• Exhibit A – Statement of Work
• Proposal Guidelines
• Proposed Pricing Sheet

We will hold a virtual, optional pre-bid meeting at 10:00 am (Mountain Standard Time) on Friday, November 3, 2023. Join the Microsoft Teams meeting through this link.

Questions must be submitted by 11:59 pm on November 8, 2023. Answers will be available to all potential bid respondents upon request.   

Final proposals are due at 11:59 pm on November 15, 2023. Submit proposals and pricing sheets to Melissa Brasfield at admin@coloradowaterwise.org and copy Catherine Moravec at cmoravec@csu.org.

Call for Proposal document.

Draft Grass Selection Tool Data document.

The Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART program is now accepting applications for their FY 23 and 24 Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) Phase 1 Grants.

The Details

This funding opportunity provides funding to grassroots, local watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local solutions to address their water management needs. Activities supported under CWMP Phase 1 include development of watershed groups, watershed restoration planning activities, and designing watershed management projects. 

• Applications are due by December 5, 2023 for FY23 funding and September 3, 2024 for FY24 funding.
• Applicants may request up to $300,000 for projects which can be completed within three years.
• Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete NOFO (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00362). 
• Learn more about CWMP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our CWMP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance! 

Free Support from WaterNow Alliance*

Now, more than ever, our cities and utilities need all the financial support they can get to meet our region's water challenges. Through our WaterSMART Grant Application Support and Help Desk, WaterNow Alliance can support Colorado water providers with no-cost assistance to apply for these funds to bring critical support to your community.

• 1-on-1 calls to discuss grant opportunities and to strategize next steps
• Guidance on USBR grant submission processes
• Targeted research tasks related to your application
• Fillable application templates that follow the Notice of Funding Opportunity
• Detailed review of your application (Please note that WaterNow is not able to write/draft WaterSMART applications)
• And more! We'll work with you to determine what kind of support would be most useful to your utility or organization.

To learn more about how we can support your application process fill out this Google Form and visit our website. 

We Need Your Input: Take Our 5-Minute Survey!

We are committed to providing the best possible support to help Colorado water providers tackle regional water challenges. To understand how effective our WaterSMART grant application services are, please complete our short survey! You can access the survey here.

Questions About the Grant?

If you are planning to apply or have questions regarding applicant and project eligibility, program requirements, or the evaluation criteria, you should schedule a time to talk with the USBR program coordinators by clicking here and selecting Cooperative Watershed Management Program Inquiries.

The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program is now accepting applications for their FY 23 and FY24 Planning and Project Design Grants – Drought Contingency Planning (DCP).

The Details

This funding opportunity supports the development and update of drought contingency plans. Reclamation provides funding for planning that, when implemented, will increase water reliability, and improve water management through the use of expanded technologies and improved modeling capabilities.

• Applications are due by October 17, 2023, for FY23 funding and April 2, 2024 for FY24 funding.
• Applicants may request up to $400,000 for projects which can be completed within three years.
• Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (also searchable using the opportunity number R23AS00109).
• Learn more about DCP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our DCP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!

Watch USBR's Webinar!

The Bureau of Reclamation hosted a webinar on August 24, to discuss eligible applicants and project types, and the evaluation criteria for the Planning and Project Design Grants and Drought Resiliency Projects funding opportunity. Click here to watch a recording of the live event. 

Questions About the Grant?

If you are planning to apply or have questions regarding applicant and project eligibility, program requirements, or the evaluation criteria, you should schedule a time to talk with the USBR program coordinators by clicking here and selecting Drought Contingency Planning Inquiries. 

Support from WaterNow Alliance*

Now, more than ever, our cities and utilities need all the financial support they can get to meet our region's water challenges. Through our WaterSMART Grant Application Support and Help Desk, WaterNow Alliance can support Colorado water providers with no-cost assistance to apply for these funds to bring critical support to your community. Our support services include:

• 1-on-1 calls to discuss grant opportunities and to strategize next steps
• Guidance on USBR grant submission processes
• Targeted research tasks related to your application
• Detailed review of your application (Please note that WaterNow is not able to write/draft WaterSMART applications)
• And more! We’ll work with you to determine what kind of support would be most useful to your utility or organization. 

If you are interested in applying for these grants and learning more about how WaterNow can help support your application process, fill out this Google Form!

We Need Your Input: Take Our 5-Minute Survey!

The Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program is now accepting applications for their FY24 Drought Resiliency Projects (DRP) Grants through October 31, 2023.

The Details

This funding opportunity is available for projects that will increase water supply reliability, build long-term resilience to drought, and reduce the need for emergency response actions. 

• Applications are due by October 31, 2023 for FY24 funding.
• Applicants may request up to $5 million for projects which can be completed within three years.
• Click here to access the funding opportunity on grants.gov and download the complete NOFO (also searchable using the opportunity number R24AS00007).
• Learn more about DRP grants and WaterNow’s support by downloading our DRP Fact Sheet and visit our website for additional guidance!

Applicable Project Examples:

• Constructing stormwater capture and reuse systems, including green stormwater infrastructure solutions such as rain gardens, cisterns, and bioswales.
• Installing residential grey water and rain catchment systems
• Developing water budgets and tiered pricing programs that incentivize decreased consumptive use.
• And more! See the FY24 DRP Notice of Funding Opportunity for a longer list of eligible project types.

Free Support from WaterNow Alliance*

Now, more than ever, our cities and utilities need all the financial support they can get to meet our region's water challenges. Through our WaterSMART Grant Application Support and Help Desk, WaterNow Alliance can support Colorado water providers with no-cost assistance to apply for these funds to bring critical support to your community, including:

• 1-on-1 calls to discuss grant opportunities and to strategize next steps
• Guidance on USBR grant submission processes
• Targeted research tasks related to your application
• Fillable application templates that follow the Notice of Funding Opportunity
• Detailed review of your application (Please note that WaterNow is not able to write/draft WaterSMART applications)
• And more! We’ll work with you to determine what kind of support would be most useful to your utility or organization.

To learn more about how we can support your application process fill out this Google Form and visit our website. 

We need your input: take our 5-minute survey!

We are committed to providing the best possible support to help Colorado water providers tackle regional water challenges. To understand how effective our WaterSMART grant application services are, please complete our short survey! You can access the survey here.

Questions About the Grant?

If you are planning to apply or have questions regarding applicant and project eligibility, program requirements, or the evaluation criteria, you should schedule a time to talk with the USBR program coordinators by clicking here and selecting Drought Resiliency Projects Inquiries. 

Watch USBR's Webinar!

The Bureau of Reclamation hosted a webinar on August 24, to discuss eligible applicants and project types, and the evaluation criteria for the Planning and Project Design Grants and Drought Resiliency Projects funding opportunity. Click here to watch a recording of the live event. 

The American Water Works Association has extended the call for abstracts for the North American Water Loss Conference (NAWL) until April 6.

If you would like to share your water loss work, now is your chance to throw your hat in. Let’s show the rest of the world the good work we are
doing and the challenges we are addressing here in Colorado! NAWL is also an excellent chance to spend a couple of days talking with a rare group of people who really understand water loss and might be able to give you new ideas on how to work on your own water loss issues. Come share your experiences!

The submittal portal is here: Water Loss | American Water Works Association

In early March, Jerd Smith of Water Education Colorado published a news article discussing Colorado's placement in the 9th position of the national water conservation ranking. Within the article, Smith conducted an interview with our member, Diana Denwood, a water conservation specialist at Aurora Water, who co-authored the 2022 Colorado WaterWise report. Denwood stated that numerous commendable water conservation programs are being executed by water providers, but there is still ample room for enhancement. Read the full article here.

The Sonoran Institute, Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, and partner Northern Water are now accepting applications from counties, municipalities, and districts in Northern Colorado that are interested in attending the Growing Water Smart workshop.

 If your team is accepted, the workshop is free. Participants cover their own travel. Meals and lodging are provided.

 The goal of Growing Water Smart is to ensure that the water-related growth and development challenges your community is facing are addressed collaboratively and effectively with the greatest tools at your disposal.

 Attend with your team of land use planners, water providers, elected officials, and other water or land use experts. We will share a range of public engagement, planning, communication, and policy implementation tools and facilitate your team to ensure your community can realize its water efficiency, watershed health, and resilience goals.

 Workshop Details:

May 8-10, 2023

Estes Park • YMCA of the Rockies

 This workshop provides a great opportunity to begin collaborative thinking around linking water and land use, create an action plan, and qualify for technical assistance to support your path forward.

 Don't take our word for it - listen to past participants share their workshop experiences in this video.

 Learn more and apply today!

WaterNow Alliance is delighted to share that applications for the Transformative Water Leadership Academy are now open through September 15!

As detailed below, together with AWWA, WaterNow are seeking emerging leaders with 3-10 years of experience to participate in this 10-month cohort, which is designed to prepare the next generation of utility leaders to meet the challenges of today—and tomorrow—through sustainable community leadership practices.

The TWLA website has more information on who’s eligible and how to apply: https://www.awwa.org/Professional-Development/Transformative-Water-Leadership-Academy.

Colorado HB22-1151 Turf Replacement Program

Concerning measures to incentivize water-wise landscapes, and, in connection therewith, creating a state program to finance the voluntary replacement of irrigated turf, and making an appropriation.

SESSION: 

2022 Regular Session

SUBJECT: 

Water

The bill requires the Colorado water conservation board (board) to develop a statewide program to provide financial incentives for the voluntary replacement of irrigated turf with water-wise landscaping (turf replacement program). The bill defines water-wise landscaping as a water- and plant-management practice that emphasizes using plants with lower water needs. Local governments, certain districts, Native American tribes, and nonprofit organizations with their own turf replacement programs may apply to the board for money to help finance their turf replacement programs. The board will contract with one or more third parties to administer one or more turf replacement programs in areas where local turf replacement programs do not exist.

The state treasurer is required to transfer $2 million from the general fund to the turf replacement fund, which fund is created to finance the turf replacement program. The money is appropriated to the department of natural resources for use by the board to implement the turf replacement program, with $11,400 of the money reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services to the department of natural resources.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Read the full text of the bill at  Turf Replacement Program | Colorado General Assembly

Are you working to design, fund, or launch an innovative water program in Colorado? WaterNow is pleased to announce that the application cycle for its Regional Colorado Project Accelerator is open! Project Accelerator offers cities, water agencies, and other organizations the opportunity to jump start a sustainable water project. We provide free, high-value capacity and expertise that helps make meaningful progress toward more
affordable, community-oriented solutions. This application cycle will focus specifically on Colorado communities.

Selected projects receive:

• Tailored support for your program, which may include policy guidance, research and analysis, program design, and training and education
• Access to a broad network of water sector experts in program development and innovative financing
• Up to 250 hours of assistance over an approximately 6 month period (valued at $25,000)

Learn more and apply now to receive support. Applications are due by December 13, 2021.