Urban Streams Restoration Program

Department of Water Resources · State of California

At a glance

Urban Streams Restoration Program is a closed California state grant opportunity from the Department of Water Resources (State of California). The application deadline was February 29, 2024. Total estimated funding is $12.4M. 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

Jun 1, 2022Posted
Feb 29, 2024Application deadline

Opened: Jun 1, 2022
Close date: Feb 29, 2024
Award floor: Not specified
Award ceiling: Not specified
Est. total funding: $12,400,000
Expected awards: Not specified
Matching funds: Required
Funding instrument: Grant

Program details (as published on the California Grants Portal)

Type: Grant
Funding source: State — The California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68). Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood control, River and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 84). The Budget Act of 2021.
Matching funds: 20% — Projects funded with Proposition 68 funds require a minimum 20 percent funding match from non-State sources unless the grant benefits a disadvantaged community (no funding match is required for disadvantaged community applicants). Costs and services to be considered as funding match must fall into the categories included as Eligible Costs and must be incurred after the effective date of Proposition 68 (June 5, 2018).
Funding method: Reimbursement(s)
Estimated number of awards: Between 4 and 7
Estimated award amounts: Dependant on number of submissions received, application process, etc.
Award period: 3 years
Expected award announcement: October 2022
Letter of intent: Required
Geography: The geographic scope of the USRP is statewide
Latest change note: Changed the expected opening date and the expected award date; added wording about concept proposals and full proposals.

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)

Requires a partnership of two applicants (sponsor and co-sponsor): one local public agency, Tribe, or a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and local community group. The USRP recognizes partnerships when there is a signed MOU between authorities representing the partners included in the application

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

The Urban Streams Restoration Program (USRP), established by Water Code section 7048 which declared that urban creek protection, restoration, and enhancement are best undertaken by local agencies and organizations with assistance from the State. The USRP funds projects and provides technical assistance to restore streams impacted by urban development to a more natural state

Description

The USRP goals include: (1) protecting, enhancing, and restoring the natural, ecological value of streams; (2) preventing future property damage caused by flooding and bank erosion; (3) promoting community involvement, education, and riverine stewardship. A major objective of the USRP is to bring people together around projects that foster community relationships while ensuring the community’s interests are incorporated into the project’s planning, design, and outcomes. Local community-supported projects can support local economies, renew a community’s understanding of the value of streams, and make them a centerpiece for the community while expanding their contact with nature. The RSP objectives defined in the Water Code direct program staff to connect with communities and encourage community participation in project development and stewardship. Requires a public outreach and education component that is designed to encourage community participation in the planning process, public support for long-term management for a minimum 10-year timeframe, and to increase the public’s understanding of the project’s benefits to the environment and the sustainability of California's water resources. These activities may include but are not limited to: community organizing, resource interpretation, multilingual translation, natural science, community education, and communication-related to water, parks, climate change resiliency, and other outdoor pursuits. Eligible projects must be consistent with the goals of the USRP outlined in Water Code sections 7048-7049. Eligible projects types include, but are not limited to: o Bank stabilization and revegetation. o Recontouring of channels to improve or reestablish floodplain function and localized flood protection. o Installation of bioswales prior to water reaching urban streams. o Removing of culverts or storm drains to stabilize channels to achieve flood control objectives and daylighting of streams. o Purchase of lands or structures on lands to allow for floodplain reconnection and floodwater detention or wetlands/tidal zone restoration. The USRP may also fund planning-only grants for projects that would serve disadvantaged communities once completed. Eligible planning grants may include any combination of the technical assistance activities listed above, including project development activities that occur prior to the initiation of construction. Concept proposals will be reviewed monthly. Applicants will be invited to submit full proposals following the concept review.

Past applications & awards

Historical data · not a prediction

Reported by the agency for this listing

Fiscal year 2022–232 applications · 1 award
Fiscal year 2021–222 applications · 2 awards

Counts as published on the California Grants Portal. Award counts can read zero until decisions are announced.

Awards published: 1
Total awarded: $2,500,000
Median award: $2,500,000 calculated
Smallest – largest: $2,500,000 – $2,500,000

Recipients by type: Nonprofit (1)

Areas served: Monterey County (1)

Largest awards to organizations

Big Sur Land TrustCarr Lake Restoration$2,500,000 · FY 2022–23

Source: California Grants Portal grant award data. Awards to individuals are counted but not named. Past awards show who was funded; they do not predict future decisions.

Program contact (as published)

RSP@water.ca.gov
1-916-749-9038

Quick answers

Who is eligible to apply for “Urban Streams Restoration Program”?

The official listing names these applicant types as eligible: Nonprofit, Public Agency and Tribal Government. It adds: “Requires a partnership of two applicants (sponsor and co-sponsor): one local public agency, Tribe, or a certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and local community group. The USRP recognizes partnerships when there is a signed MOU between authorities representing the partners…” Additional restrictions may apply; review the full guidelines.

How much funding is available through “Urban Streams Restoration Program”?

Per the notice, total estimated program funding is $12,400,000.

How do I apply for “Urban Streams Restoration Program”?

Applications go directly to Department of Water Resources, not through GrantsJunction. 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