Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance

Department of Water Resources · State of California

At a glance

Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance is a forecasted California state grant opportunity from the Department of Water Resources (State of California). The agency has forecast this opportunity but has not yet set an application deadline. Total estimated funding is $228M. Applicant types listed as eligible include nonprofit, public agency and tribal government. It is listed on the California Grants Portal. Cost sharing or matching is required.

Summary assembled from the official notice's fields. The official notice governs.

Key facts

Opened: —
Est. close date: Not listed
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $228,200,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State — These Guidelines govern the DSCR solicitation using funds authorized by the California Budget Act of 2025 (Stats. 2025, Ch. 6, Sec. 144.) (Budget Act) and funded by the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024 (Proposition 4; Public Resources Code, § 90000 et seq.).
Matching funds: 50% — Applicants may propose a reduced local cost-share of up to 50% (making the project 0% local cost share) if the project would cause extreme financial hardship to the grant recipient and the dam poses an unacceptable public safety risk.
Funding method: Advances & Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Estimated award amounts: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Award period: 2 years
Expected award announcement: June 2026
Letter of intent: Not required
Geography: Projects must occur in California
Expected open date: October 2026
How to submit: By email: DSCR@water.ca.gov
Latest change note: Added anticipated opening date of October 2026.

Who can apply

Applicant categories as listed on the California Grants Portal. GrantsJunction maps them to detailed applicant types for search and matching.

Nonprofit
Public Agency
Tribal Government

Additional information on eligibility (from the listing)

To be eligible for DSCR funds, the following conditions must be met: - The dam must be a California State Jurisdictional Dam. - The dam must have a downstream hazard classification, as determined by DSOD, of Significant, High, or Extremely High. - The dam owner must be in compliance with DSOD’s dam safety program. - The dam owner must not have any delinquent annual DSOD fees.

Can your organization apply?

A quick check against the listed applicant types — other requirements in the notice still apply.

Based on the published notice. Review the official notice for complete eligibility requirements.

What it funds

Purpose and description as published on the California Grants Portal.

Purpose

Senate Bill 122 added Part 4, Section 6700 to the Water Code to create a new program, the Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance Program, within DWR for the purpose of providing state funding for repairs, rehabilitation, enhancements, and other dam safety projects at existing state jurisdictional dams and associated facilities that were in service prior to January 1, 2023.

Description

Approximately 10 percent of the 1,236 State jurisdictional dams regulated by DWR’s Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) have been assigned a condition assessment classification of less than “Satisfactory” (e.g., they have noted deficiencies that need remediation). In many cases, these dams pose a significant threat to communities downstream. As an interim risk reduction measure, more than 40 of these dams have had reservoir restrictions imposed. The loss of water storage from these reservoir restrictions is about 350,000 acre-feet. Many dam owners, even those with sources of funding, do not have the ability to secure funding for dam remediation or improvement projects. This program will provide much-needed grant funding for the repair, retrofit, and rehabilitation of these critical infrastructure facilities, reduce the unacceptable risks to the public, and regain lost storage capacity that is needed to face California’s climate-related water shortages.

Program page on the agency site ↗

How to apply

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Read the program guidelinesThe agency's solicitation or guidelines set eligibility details, scoring criteria and required documents. Open ↗
Confirm eligibility and fitCheck your organization type and location (see Geography above), and plan for the required matching funds.
Watch for the openingExpected to open: October 2026. Save this grant to track changes.
Request letters of support and partner commitmentsPartners need time to write and sign letters; ask early.
Secure the matching funds commitmentGet the match documented (board approval, partner letters or budget lines) before the budget is final.
Finish a full draft of the application and budgetFollow the guidelines' format exactly; state programs often require specific forms and attachments.
Ask the program contact any questions earlyTaylor Kanaan · DSCR@water.ca.gov Open ↗
Internal review and sign-offLeave time for leadership or board approval and a final proofread.
Submit before the deadlineSubmit a few days early and keep your submission confirmation.

Program contact (as published)

Taylor Kanaan
DSCR@water.ca.gov
1-916-820-7876

Quick answers

Is “Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance” open for applications yet?

Not yet. It is a forecast — an agency's advance notice of an expected opportunity. Forecast details and dates can change.

Who is eligible to apply for “Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. It adds: “To be eligible for DSCR funds, the following conditions must be met: - The dam must be a California State Jurisdictional Dam. - The dam must have a downstream hazard classification, as determined by DSOD, of Significant, High, or Extremely High. - The dam owner must be in complia…” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $228,200,000.

How do I apply for “Dam Safety and Climate Resilience Local Assistance”?

Applications go directly to Department of Water Resources, not through GrantsJunction. Submission: by email to DSCR@water.ca.gov. Read the program guidelines on the agency's site first; state programs set their own forms and registration requirements.

Other open California state opportunities, matched on agency, categories and wording.

OpenState of California