WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects for Fiscal Year 2025

The United States Department of the Interior’s (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) Program provides a framework for Federal leadership and assistance to stretch and secure water supplies for future generations in support of the Department’s priorities. Through WaterSMART, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) leverages Federal and non-Federal funding to work cooperatively with States, Tribes, and local entities as they plan for and implement actions to increase water supply reliability through investments in existing infrastructure and attention to local water conflicts.Drought conditions across the Western United States (West) impact a wide range of communities and sectors, including agriculture, cities, Tribes, the environment, recreation, hydropower producers, and others. The WaterSMART Drought Response Program supports a proactive approach to drought by providing financial assistance to develop and update comprehensive drought plans (Drought Contingency Planning) and implement projects that will build long-term resilience to drought (Drought Resiliency Projects).Collaboration with a multitude of customers, partners, and stakeholders is essential to identifying successful strategies to address complex water management issues such as drought. Collaborations are central to Reclamation’s approach to addressing drought in the West, and WaterSMART’s Drought Response Program supports the goals of the Interagency Drought Relief Working Group established in March 2021 and the National Drought Resiliency Partnership formed in 2016 to enhance Federal coordination of drought activities.The WaterSMART Drought Response also provides support for priorities identified in Presidential Executive Order (E.O.) 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. The WaterSMART Drought Response will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative. Established by E.O. 14008, the Justice40 Initiative has made it a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments, such as climate, clean energy, and other areas, flow to disadvantaged communities.1With the passage of the IRA, through the Drought Resiliency NOFO, Reclamation now offers an opportunity that provides up to 95 percent of the cost for the planning, design, and construction of domestic water supply projects that benefit disadvantaged communities or households that do not have reliable access to domestic water supplies. Tribes, territories, and other disadvantaged communities are encouraged to reach out to the Program Coordinator contact in Section G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s), to learn more about this opportunity. Some technical assistance may be available for these projects, contingent on Reclamation staff availability.For further information on the Drought Response Program, please see www.usbr.gov/drought.For further information on the WaterSMART Program, please see www.usbr.gov/WaterSMART.