DECEMBER 2016 
Mission Statements 

The U.S. Department of the Interior protects America’s natural resources and 

heritage, honors our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to 

power our future. 

The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect 

water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound 

manner in the interest of the American public. 

Cover photo: Swift Current Creek below Many Glacier as the Creek enters Lake Sherburne Reservoir, Montana. 

Photo by Chuck Heinje, Reclamation. 
WaterSMART 

Progress Report 2010 – 2016
 

December 2016 

 

 

Message from the Secretary 

As Secretary of the Interior, one of my proudest accomplishments has been the steady 

advance of the landscape-scale approach to natural resource stewardship. Nowhere is this 

approach more needed than in water resources. 

Across the country – including the arid West – climate change, population growth and urban 

development are creating challenges for America’s families, businesses, farms, industry and 

natural heritage. At the Department of the Interior, we are meeting this challenge by pursuing 

new, creative ideas and solutions that will help ensure a stable and secure water supply for 

future generations. 

The WaterSMART program embodies the basin-scale approach to water resource management 

that this country needs. In 2010, Interior established the program to stretch limited water 

supplies by improving water conservation, and helping water-resource managers develop the 

tools they need to make sound decisions about water use. 

This report describes the Program’s accomplishments as we work with partners to pursue a 

sustainable water future. 

Through its Basin Studies Program, Reclamation has worked in cooperation with States, 

Tribes, local partners, and other stakeholders to evaluate 25 river basins and their ability to 

meet future water demands, and to identify adaptation and mitigation strategies that would 

address imbalances between water supply and demand caused by drought, climate change, 

population growth and other stressors. 

Sound science provides the foundation for our water programs. The U.S. Geological Survey 

has implemented a National Water Census, which now provides more accurate information 

about the quantity of the Nation’s water resources and improved forecasting of water 

availability. 

Through its grant programs, the Bureau of Reclamation has invested to stretch our scarce 

water supplies, so we can have clean water for drinking, agriculture and other economic 

activities, recreation, and ecosystem health. Importantly, Interior established a performance 

goal of conserving of over one million acre-feet of water by the end of 2017 – about the 

annual household use in the city of Phoenix and surrounding areas. Through projects funded 

from 2010 to 2016, Interior has now met and exceeded that goal. 

The WaterSMART program now includes a new, proactive approach to addressing drought, 

support for watershed groups as they form local water management solutions, and investments 

in new institutions to support market-oriented approaches to water management. This 

innovation and constant improvement is essential given the dynamic nature of climate and 

hydrology, and a hallmark of a well-run program. 

It is often said that water is the lifeblood of communities, and I’m proud of what we are 

accomplishing through the WaterSMART program to meet the water challenges of our time 

and help sustain a healthy nation. 

SALLY JEWELL 

Secretary of the Interior 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contents 

Overview 1
 

WaterSMART Basin Study Program 7
 

Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program 15
 

WaterSMART Grants 23
 

The Priority Goal for Water Conservation 30
 

Drought Response Program 33
 

Cooperative Watershed Management Program 41
 

USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 49
 

Securing a Sustainable Water Future 59 

 

 

WaterSMART Overview 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 

2010 – 2016 

Water is our most precious natural resource and is increasingly

stressed by the demands our society places on it. Significant climate 

change-related impacts on water supplies are well documented in

the scientific literature and scientists are forecasting changes in 

hydrologic cycles. 

In 2009, Congress passed the SECURE Water Act directing the 

United States Department of the Interior (Interior) to develop a 

sustainable water management policy. In 2010, Interior established 

WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for 

Tomorrow), combining existing programs with new initiatives to 

create a broad framework for wisely managing the Nation’s water 

supplies. 

This report provides an overview of the steps taken under

WaterSMART to date and highlights some specific actions that have 

been carried out. The report also describes the ways the program 

has evolved since 2010 and proposes a path forward given the water 

management challenges faced across the West. 

Improving Water Management through 

Collaboration and Cooperation 

Interior is the Nation’s largest wholesaler of water, steward of

one- fifth of the Nation’s land, and administrator of the United States’ 

trust responsibilities to Native Americans. Our understanding of 

water resource management has expanded from supplying water for 

domestic and irrigation needs to also providing water for ecosystem 

health, municipal and industrial demands, energy and economic 

development, and recreation. 

At the same time, multiple levels of government and nongovernmental organizations are involved. State laws govern the 

use, allocations, and management of most water resources and local 

laws govern many land use decisions. Communities are increasingly 

attuned to the need for water to ensure healthy ecosystems and avoid 

environmental degradation, and conservation groups are spearheading 

this agenda. 

WaterSMART provides opportunities to improve water management 

through collaboration and cooperation. Through WaterSMART, 

Interior provides leadership by identifying strategies to ensure that

this and future generations will have sufficient supplies of clean water 

for drinking, economic activities, recreation, and ecosystem health. 

Interior implements the WaterSMART Program through the Bureau of 

Reclamation (Reclamation) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 

SECURE: Science 

and Engineering to 

Comprehensively Understand 

and Responsibly Enhance 

WaterSMART: Sustain and 

Manage America’s Resources 

for Tomorrow 

Interior issued a ThreeYear Progress Report on 

WaterSMART in 2012. The 

report highlighted steps being 

taken through the program to 

save water, to find better ways 

to stretch water supplies, and 

to help partners plan to meet 

future water demands. 

This is the second 

WaterSMART Progress report 

published by the Department 

of Interior highlighting 

accomplishments from 

2010 through 2016. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 1 
WaterSMART Overview 

WaterSMART Programs 

highlighted in this report 

include the five complementary 

Western Reclamation 

programs in the figure above 

as well as the nationwide 

USGS WaterSMART activities 

under the Water Availability 

and Use Science Program. 

(see pages 49 through 57). 

See the Long-term Drought 

Resilience Federal Action 

Plan of the National Drought 

Resilience Partnership here: 

https://www.whitehouse. 

gov/sites/default/files/docs/ 

drought_resilience_action_ 

plan_2016_final.pdf 

Bureau of Reclamation 

Reclamation plays a key role in the WaterSMART program as 

Interior’s primary water management agency. Focused on improving 

water conservation and helping water and resource managers 

make wise decisions about water use, Reclamation’s portion of the 

WaterSMART program is achieved through administration of grants, 

scientific studies, technical assistance, and scientific expertise. 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Under WaterSMART, USGS is working to integrate its existing 

research on various aspects of water availability and use, to identify 

key gaps in scientific capacity, and to invest in the development 

of new, cutting edge hydrologic tools and assessments to fill the 

most critical information gaps. Importantly, USGS is working 

more directly with stakeholders through WaterSMART to identify 

information gaps most critical for the types of management decisions 

and uncertainties that they face. Science developed through 

the USGS WaterSMART Program supports sustainable water 

managements actions undertaken in the Reclamation WaterSMART 

Programs. 

The National Drought Resilience 

Partnership 

In March 2016, President Obama issued a Memorandum and Action 

Plan on Building National Capabilities for Long-Term Drought 

Resilience. The Memorandum elucidates the role of the National 

Drought Resilience Partnership, a team of Federal agencies, in 

helping communities manage drought impacts by linking information, 

such as forecasts and early warnings, with drought preparedness 

strategies in critical sectors like agriculture, municipal water systems, 

tourism and transportation. WaterSMART activities play an important 

role in carrying out the Action Plan. For example, Reclamation 

2 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Overview 

is coordinating with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National 

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to leverage WaterSMART 

funding for water delivery agencies with NRCS funding for 

agricultural producers. See pages 24-25. 

Reclamation is also contributing to the National Drought Resilience 

Partnership through the Missouri Headwaters Basin pilot in 

southwest Montana, including WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

and Drought Response Program activities. See Page 37. Through 

WaterSMART, Reclamation is also working to explore how climate 

change information about water supplies could be incorporated into 

operations of its reservoirs and is coordinating with the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers (USACE) where storage is co-managed. See 

page 60. 

Climate Change Adaptation 

Through WaterSMART, Interior and its partners are building on the 

successes of many existing activities to support initiatives on climate 

adaptation and drought resiliency. New complementary programs 

and funding mechanisms are also incorporated into WaterSMART 

to develop the science, technology, funding, and collaboration 

tools needed for us to better understand how much water we have, 

how much we need, and how to close the gap between supply and 

demand. Solutions to complex water resource challenges now and 

in the future will require finding balance among the many uses of 

water that support people, the economy, and the environment. 

In March 2016, Reclamation released the SECURE Water Act 

Report to Congress, which identifies that warmer temperatures, 

changes to precipitation, snowpack and the timing and quality 

of streamflow runoff are threats to water 

sustainability in the 21st century. The 

report highlights on-going collaboration 

between Reclamation and stakeholders to 

improve climate resiliency in the West. A 

comprehensive summary of on-going climate 

change adaptation activities is also provided 

in the report, including Reclamation’s 

work with an array of partners to costeffectively develop new water sources and 

make the most of existing supplies through 

WaterSMART. 

Data and Information Sharing 

To support the President’s Open Data Policy 

and Department of Interior’s Open Water 

Data Initiative, a data visualization site has 

been produced to accompany this report. 

This tool allows users to view information 

on each of the complementary WaterSMART 

Programs including a link to the 

USGS National Water Census Data Portal 

In November 2014, 

Reclamation published its 

Climate Change Adaptation 

Strategy to build on existing 

actions and identify new 

activities that extend climate 

change adaptation efforts 

across Reclamation’s 

mission responsibilities. 

The SECURE Water Act 

Report and companion 

data visualization tool are 

available here: 

https://www.usbr.gov/climate/ 

secure 

(http://arcg.is/1TcT68S). WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 3 
2010 2011 2012 

WaterSMART Overview 

In 2010, Interior 

established WaterSMART. 

In 2010, the existing Title XVI Water 

Reclamation and Reuse Program was 

incorporated into WaterSMART and new 

funding criteria were established for the 

program. See Pages 15 – 21. 

In 2009, as part of the implementation 

of the SECURE Water Act, Reclamation 

established the Basin Study Program as 

part of WaterSMART to provide support 

for collaborative climate adaptation 

planning. See pages 7 – 13. 

About this Report 

Over the last seven years, Interior and its 

partners have been working to address nearterm and immediate water shortages, and 

also to plan for longer-term needs, through 

WaterSMART. The following chapters 

highlight the steps taken to date under the 

major programs being carried out as part of 

WaterSMART. Each chapter includes a short 

description of the program, a brief progress 

update, and a closer look at some of the specific 

actions that have been taken since 2010 under 

the program. Each chapter also includes an 

introduction to the additional information 

available online as part of the interactive data 

visualization tool that accompanies this report. 

The final chapter is a look forward, including a 

brief summary of additional program elements 

recently implemented or planned for 2017. 

In 2010, building on existing grant programs, 

Reclamation established WaterSMART Grants 

to make funding available for water conservation 

and efficiency improvements in the West. 

See pages 23 – 29. In 2012, Interior released a 

WaterSMART Three-Year 

Progress Report. 

4 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Overview 

2013 2014 2015 2016 

The USGS National Water Census Data Portal allows 

users to access a comprehensive and nationally consistent 

interactive map interface for national estimates of water 

budget components for local watersheds, water withdrawal 

data for counties, as well as tools and records for 

streamflow and aquatic biology observations. See pages 

49 – 57 on the USGS Water Availability and Use Science 

Program. 

In 2012, Reclamation launched the Cooperative Watershed 

Management Program to provide funding to watershed 

groups to form local solutions to address their water 

management needs. See pages 41 – 47. 

In 2016, the WaterSMART Progress Report 

2010-2016 and companion data visualization 

tool were released highlighting program 

accomplishments and allowing users to view 

and interact with program specific information 

for WaterSMART. 

In 2015, Reclamation implemented the new 

Drought Response Program to support a proactive 

approach to preparing for and addressing drought. 

See pages 33 – 39. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 5 
6 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

WaterSMART Basin Study 

Program 

Good resource management relies on accurate and complete 

information. We cannot successfully manage our water resources 

without understanding water supply, current demands for all uses, 

and future trends, risks, and uncertainties. Science has and will 

continue to inform the real-time decisions of water managers who 

need reliable estimates of current conditions in the hydrologic cycle 

and projections of supply and demand in watersheds throughout the 

Nation. 

The President’s Climate Action Plan emphasizes the importance of 

providing open government data that “can fuel entrepreneurship, 

innovation, scientific discovery, and public benefits.” Federal, State, 

and local government managers and water resource associations all 

recognize that they need more and better water data and improved 

water science – an important aspect of which is the need for 

improved analytical approaches that will contribute to new, adaptive 

strategies for management. 

By using the best available 

science, Reclamation 

accomplishes important 

water resource management 

objectives: 

• First, it provides information 

that is difficult for individual 

water managers to obtain, 

with the highest degree of 

certainty in what is often an 

uncertain world. 

• Second, it continues to 

push the goal higher for 

better management of 

precious water resources. 

• Third, it supports 

collaborative partnerships 

that bring people together 

to understand scientific 

challenges and develop 

solutions. 

Sunrise along the Laguna Reach of the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona. 

Photo by Alexander Stephens, Reclamation 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 7 
 

 

 

WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

Basin Studies Activities 

Basin Study eligibility 

includes States, tribes, water 

districts, cities, and other local 

governmental entities with 

water delivery or management 

authority located in the western 

United States are eligible 

to apply for a Basin Study. 

Any non-Federal entity can 

contribute to a Basin Study as 

a cost-share partner, and all 

stakeholders in a basin where 

there is a Basin Study are 

encouraged to participate in the 

study. 

West-Wide Climate Risk 

Assessments (WWCRA) 

Reclamation coordinates with 

other Federal agencies through 

the WWCRA Implementation 

Team to sustain active 

communication on science tools 

and data for water resources 

planning and operations. 

Non-Federal entities, such as 

universities or state agencies 

can access data and information 

produced through WWCRA and 

also collaborate in the WWCRA 

activities to transition science to 

application. 

Landscape Conservation 

Cooperatives 

Reclamation coordinates with 

partners (Federal, State, local, 

Tribes, universities, and nongovernmental organizations) 

through LCC Steering 

Committees and working groups 

to collaboratively define and 

develop priority science and 

tools for managing natural and 

cultural resources across large 

landscapes. Partners can be 

involved at multiple levels and 

can find out more by contacting 

the LCC Coordinator in their 

region. See a map of the 

LCC Network: 

https://lccnetwork.org/map. 

Sustainable water management requires understanding and 

planning for changes in the future. Taking advantage of the 

program authority established by Congress through the SECURE 

Water Act, the Secretary of the Interior included a comprehensive 

climate adaptation program as part of WaterSMART. The 

WaterSMART adaptation planning strategy consists of several 

programs designed to help Interior and its partners assess risks to 

water supplies and ecological resources and identify adaptation 

strategies. The three activities described in this chapter form 

the WaterSMART Basin Study Program: Basin Studies, WestWide Climate Risk Assessments, and Landscape Conservation 

Cooperatives. 

Basin Studies: Through Basin Studies, Reclamation works with 

States, Tribes, non-governmental organizations, other Federal 

agencies, and local partners to identify strategies to adapt to and 

mitigate current or future water supply and demand imbalances, 

including the impacts of climate change and other stressors on 

water and power facilities. Basin Studies use and develop data, 

models, and analyses to identify consensus-based solutions to help 

stakeholders plan for long term water sustainability in the 

Western United States. 

West-Wide Climate Risk Assessments (WWCRA): WWCRAs 

are technical evaluations of west-wide climate-induced risks 

and evaluations of impacts to Reclamation’s operations. Key 

data on climate-induced risks and impacts developed through 

the WWCRAs provides a foundation for future Basin Studies 

as well as for project-specific applications. WWCRAs also 

generate important information, tools, and guidance that support 

the integration of climate information into planning activities, 

consistent with Reclamation’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. 

Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCC): The LCCs 

are collaborative partnerships of governmental (Federal, State, 

tribal, and local) and non-governmental entities. The 22 LCCs 

collectively form a network of resource managers and scientists 

who share a common need for scientific information and interest 

in conservation throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada, Mexico, 

and the Pacific Islands. The primary goal of the LCCs is to provide 

science and technical support, coordination, and communication 

to resource managers to inform strategies for adapting to climate 

change and other landscape-scale ecosystem stressors. The 

individual LCCs each function in a specific geographic area. 

Reclamation co-leads the Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs – 

which roughly overlie the Colorado River Basin – with the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 

8 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

These activities are complementary and represent a 

comprehensive approach to the assessment of climate change 

impacts on Reclamation’s mission and the identification of 

adaptation strategies. Through the WWCRAs, Reclamation 

develops baseline information regarding the risks and impacts 

of climate change to water supplies and demands, as well as Together, these activities form 

Reclamation’s operations. The information developed through a robust program that utilizes 

the WWCRAs is used in Basin Studies to work collaboratively Federal and stakeholder 

with stakeholders to evaluate the ability to meet future water driven activities to assess 

risks from climate change and demands and identify mitigation and adaptation strategies. other stressors and identify Reclamation also shares the information developed through 

WWCRAs and Basin Studies with resource managers through adaptation strategies that

implement Reclamation’s the LCCs, which are partnerships focused on developing Climate Change Adaptation management strategies across multiple resource areas, including Strategy and the water, lands, species, and ecosystems. Collaboration with SECURE Water Act. partners through the LCCs and Basin Studies, in turn, helps to 

identify science needs and gaps that can be addressed by 

the WWCRAs. 

Collaborative Planning in the Basin Study Program 

Collectively, the Basin Study Program supports collaborative planning through inter-related 

activities, where WWCRAs contribute baseline science for planning and operations, the Basin 

Studies provide collaborative, basin-scale water resource assessments, and the LCCs support 

cross-resource landscape level collaboration. 

Collaborative Planning 

Basin Study 

Program 

Information 

developed in 

WWCRA 

supports the 

Basin Studies 

and LCCs 

Information from 

WWCRAs and 

Basin Studies is 

integrated into 

tools for resource 

managers 

through the LCCs 

Collaborative 

Basin Studies 

and LCC efforts 

identify science 

needs that can be 

addressed by the 

WWCRA 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 9 
WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

Tool Map of the WaterSMART 

Basin Studies, Impact 

Assessments, and Reservoir 

Operations Pilots from 

2010 – 2016 below and the 

LCC Projects from 2010 – 2016 

on the right. Click on a project for 

more information. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

Note: Study 

areas that span 

international 

boundaries, such 

as the Columbia 

River Basin Climate 

Impact Assessment 

and Lower Rio 

Grande Basin 

Study, included an 

assessment of the 

watershed hydrology 

that contributes 

to water supply 

in the basin from 

Canada and Mexico, 

respectively. 

Program Update 

WaterSMART Basin Studies are an important mechanism to 

identify adaptation strategies appropriate for the area being 

studied. As collaborative studies that are cost-shared with nonFederal partners, Basin Studies evaluate the impacts of climate 

change and identify a broad range of potential strategies to address 

water supply and demand imbalances, both current and future. 

Since 2009, Reclamation has initiated 34 studies in 15 western 

states. These studies include 25 Basin Studies, 4 WWCRA 

regional climate impact assessments to assess climate impacts in 

a river basin, and 5 reservoir operations pilot studies to evaluate 

improvements to reservoir operations. 

By building a network that is holistic, collaborative, adaptive, and 

grounded in science, LCCs are working to ensure the sustainability 

of our economy, land, water, wildlife, and cultural resources. 

Reclamation and the USFWS co-lead both the Desert and Southern 

Rockies LCCs, which have funded 44 projects since 2009 to develop 

tools and science that analyze and address climate change impacts. 

10 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

Funding provided by the Desert and Southern Rockies LCCs support 

mutual climate adaptation efforts by: 

●		Convening cross-jurisdictional, multi-sector partners 

●		Assessing current and future landscape conditions 

●		Modeling and mapping landscape configurations that meet 

conservation goals
 

●		Identifying strategies to implement actions in specific places to 

meet conservation goals
 

●		Providing science that supports priorities and landscape 

assessment
 

●		Communicating priorities, needs, and results across landscapes 

The Desert LCC geography includes the Mojave, Sonoran, and 

Chihuahuan Desert regions of the southwestern United States and 

northern Mexico. The Desert LCC is leading collaborative efforts 

with partners in Mexico by leveraging projects and data to support 

transboundary information sharing. In 2014, the Desert LCC funded 

an effort to integrate water delivery data and models on habitat 

and species responses to the Minute 319’s environmental water 

deliveries to the Colorado River Delta. This project creates a userfriendly tool for predicting the hydrologic and ecological responses 

to pulse flows released into the Colorado River Delta under varying 

climate conditions in a rapid, unified manner to assist decision 

makers from both the U.S. and Mexico as they consider the results 

achieved under Minute 319 to inform future binational negotiations. 

Activities funded under the Basin Study Program contribute to 

Reclamation’s implementation of Section 9503 of the SECURE 

Water Act and to meeting Interior’s Priority Goal for Climate 

Change. 

Note: The 

Desert LCC 

works with 

Mexico to 

leverage 

projects and 

data to support 

transboundary 

information 

sharing. 

Did you know? 

• By the end of the century, 

due to changing snowpack 

conditions summer 

streamflow is expected 

to decrease by 7 to 27% 

in several river basins, 

including the Colorado, the 

Rio Grande, and the 

San Joaquin, where 

snowpack accounts for a 

significant portion of the 

storage and water supply in 

the basin. 

• Earlier springs and warmer 

summers are beginning to 

severely restrict trout habitat 

in the headwater streams of 

the Rocky Mountains. 

• The impacts of climate 

change are affecting fire 

danger and frequency in 

sensitive riparian habitats in 

the Southwest. 

• Many Basin Studies evaluate 

portfolios of multiple possible 

adaptation strategies. Rarely 

will one single strategy be 

sufficient to address all of the 

potential impacts of concern. 

• Reservoir operation pilots 

are critical to understanding 

where flexibilities in reservoir 

operations may be increased 

through improved use of 

weather forecasting and also 

support the National Drought 

Resilience Partnership. 

• Research funded by the 

LCCs has been used 

to develop tools to help 

understand climate 

change impacts to riparian 

ecosystems and to identify 

critical riparian areas for 

restoration.
 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 11 
WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

“The SacramentoSan Joaquin Basin Study 

was a great collaborative 

process between 

Reclamation, State, and 

local agencies. This 

Basin Study provides a 

framework for evaluating 

uncertainties impacting 

future water supplies 

and water demands, 

including climate change 

and population growth, 

and identifies ways for 

improving future water 

management conditions. 

The coordination on 

the Basin Study helps 

local agencies work 

with Federal and State 

agencies and others to 

provide a path forward for 

water supply reliability.“ 

Rich Juricich, Principal Water 

Resources Engineer, State of 

California Department of Water 

Resources 

Featured Projects 

These examples highlight the type of work that is conducted 

under the program and include select Basin Studies, WWCRA 

climate impact assessments, and landscape level projects. 

In 2016, Reclamation released the Sacramento and 

San Joaquin Rivers Basin Study, which found that climate 

change will cause earlier runoff, declines in snowpack, and 

higher sea levels, potentially affecting reservoir operations 

and water storage, increasing unmet water demands, and 

increasing salinity levels. This study, collaboratively developed 

by Reclamation, the State of California Department of Water 

Resources, El Dorado County Water Agency, Stockton East 

Water District, California Partnership for the San Joaquin 

Valley and Madera County Resource Management Agency, 

examined climate change impacts and adaptation actions for 

the Sacramento River Basin, San Joaquin River Basin, and 

the Tulare Lake Basin. Basin Study partners and stakeholders 

developed an array or potential water management actions to 

address future water related risks. 

In 2015, Reclamation released the Santa Fe Basin Study, 

which found that without implementing adaptation strategies, 

there will be a water supply and demand imbalance of about 

7,375-9,323 acre-feet per year by 2055 due to the impacts of 

population growth and climate change. The Santa Fe Basin 

Study was collaboratively developed by Reclamation, the City 

of Santa Fe, and Santa Fe County. The area’s population is 

expected to increase about 80 percent by 2055 and, unless action 

is taken, would be expected to result in a shortfall of about 

5,155 acre-feet of water per year (more than 20% of the area’s 

current demands)--even without the impacts of climate change. 

The portfolio of strategies identified in the study includes 

using reclaimed water, water conservation, direct injection 

and infiltration for aquifer storage and recovery, and obtaining 

additional water rights. 

In 2016, Reclamation also released the WWCRA Columbia 

River Basin Impact Assessment, a reconnaissance-level 

assessment of the potential hydrologic impacts of climate 

change in the Columbia River Basin. The basin is in the 

Pacific Northwest region and extends over seven States, 

13 federally recognized Indian reservations, and southern 

British Columbia, Canada. The impact assessment is currently 

being used to provide scientific information to the water 

management community for a number of planning projects 

including the Hungry Horse Power Plant modernization, a 

preliminary hydrologic evaluation of a dam raise at 

Anderson Ranch Reservoir, and the Boise General Investigation. 

12 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Basin Study Program 

The Southern Rockies LCC is building tools 

that predict long-term extreme climate 

conditions, such as prolonged drought, to help 

manage water supply in the Intermountain West. 

In 2015, researchers developed a reconstructed 

record of streamflows by combining climate 

modeling with local drought histories (developed 

from tree-ring reconstructions) to project future 

water availability. Partners are already using 

these data and tools to plan for changes in water 

management and operations necessary to adapt to 

climate change. The project is being developed 

collaboratively with partners such as the Weber 

Basin Water Conservancy District, Metropolitan 

Water District of Salt Lake and Sandy, Salt Lake 

Department of Public Utilities and the Provo River 

Water Users Association. 

In the past decade there has been increased interest in providing 

water to meet the needs of riparian and aquatic ecosystems in the 

Western United States. Projected water deficits mean that land 

and water managers must be proactive in managing rivers and 

shallow aquifers to maintain these ecosystems. The Desert LCC 

is funding a Desert Flows Database for managers and decision 

makers to provide easy access to the best techniques available 

for determining how much water ecosystems need. The Desert 

Flows Database summarizes key data from over 400 studies on 

environmental flows from across the desert watersheds of the 

U.S. and Mexico and provides users with a one-stop-shop for 

published information. This project further identifies critical data 

gaps in flow need and flow response information. 

Source: Standard-Examiner, 

February 13, 2015. 

The Desert Flows Database 

combines data from 408 

sources to provide a one-stop 

shop for managers looking 

for information on water flow 

needs for ecosystems and 

environmental responses. 

International cross-boundary 

collaboration demands a new 

understanding about how to 

share information through 

networks, like LCCs, that are 

increasingly sharing data 

across all jurisdictions and 

geographical boundaries to 

build a comprehensive picture 

of the climate impacts and our 

environments. 

Rio Grande, Texas at 

Big Bend National Park. 

Photo by Genevieve Johnson, 

Reclamation Desert LCC 

Coordinator.
 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 13 
14 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

Title XVI Water Reclamation and 

Reuse Program 

Water reuse and recycling can turn currently unusable water 

sources into a new source of water supply that is less vulnerable 

to drought and climate change. Throughout the country, 

wastewater effluent from households and commercial and 

industrial facilities is collected at wastewater treatment plants 

where it is treated prior to disposal. Most of those wastewater 

treatment plants accomplish “primary” treatment (removal of 

suspended solids and organic matter) and “secondary” treatment 

(further biological treatment and disinfection) before discharging 

treated wastewater into streams or rivers, or into the ocean. 

Water management agencies can stretch existing drinking water 

supplies and help to ensure that growing water needs can be 

met through advanced treatment of wastewater and naturally 

impaired surface and groundwater. In particular, in communities 

where downstream users are not already relying on that treated 

wastewater as part of their water source, reuse of wastewater 

can become an additional supply as well as a way to reduce 

discharges into particularly sensitive ecosystems. 

Many WaterSMART Basin 

Studies identify the use of 

non-traditional water supplies 

as an adaptation option to 

plan for future water supply 

imbalances. For example, 

the Lower Rio Grande 

Basin Study in Texas, 

identified regional brackish 

groundwater desalination 

as an adaptation strategy 

capable of meeting future 

municipal demands. 

Indirect Potable Reuse system 

at the North City San Diego 

Recycling Plant. Photo by 

Alexander Stephens, Reclamation. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 15 
WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

Authorized Projects 

Eligible Applicants: Sponsors 

of water reclamation and reuse 

projects specifically authorized for 

funding under Title XVI of Public 

Law 102-575 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: The 

average annual Federal funding 

allocation is $3 million per 

applicant with a non-Federal cost 

share of 75% or greater. 

Feasibility Studies 

Eligible Applicants: Entities with 

water delivery authority, all located 

within the 17 Western States or 

Hawaii. 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: Federal 

funding up to $150,000 per study, 

or up to $450,000 per study for 

larger or regional-scale studies, 

with a cost share of 50% or 

greater. 

Research Studies 

Eligible Applicants: Entities with 

water delivery authority, all located 

within the 17 Western States or 

Hawaii. 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: Federal 

funding up to $75,000 for planning 

related research, $150,000 for 

research at existing facilities, and 

$300,000 for research at new 

locations with a cost share of 

75% or greater. 

WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

In 1992, to implement Title XVI of Public Law 102-575, 

Reclamation established a program to address reuse of municipal 

wastewater, agricultural wastewater, and naturally impaired 

groundwater or surface waters. Through the WaterSMART Title XVI 

Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, Reclamation works with 

water management agencies in the Western U.S. and Hawaii as they 

plan, design, and construct water reuse projects. Funding is provided 

annually through funding opportunity announcements: 

Authorized Projects: Funding is provided to sponsors of 

congressionally authorized Title XVI Water Reclamation and 

Reuse projects to plan, design or construct their projects. Congress 

specifically authorizes Reclamation to participate in the construction 

of these particular projects. Since 1992, 53 projects have been 

specifically authorized under Title XVI. 

Feasibility Studies: Through the program, funding is also provided 

for communities in the West which may be seeking new sources 

of water supplies using water recycling and reuse technologies. 

Funding for feasibility studies assists communities in determining 

whether water recycling and reuse projects are viable opportunities 

for them. 

Research Studies: In 2016, Reclamation provided a new funding 

opportunity for water entities in the Western U.S. to conduct water 

reclamation research under the Title XVI Water Reclamation and 

Reuse Program for planning related research, research to improve 

existing facilities, and research to advance state of the art technology 

deployment at new locations. 

From 1992 

through 2009, 

53 projects were 

authorized for 

construction. 

In 1992, Title XVI of 

P.L. 102-575, as 

amended, provided 

authority for 

Reclamation’s water 

recycling and reuse 

program. 

16 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

In 2011, Reclamation 

offered the first funding 

opportunity for 

feasibility studies under 

Title XVI to support 

planning for new water 

reuse opportunities. 

In 2010, the Title XVI 

Program was incorporated 

into WaterSMART, where 

program criteria and a 

competitive process were 

developed to award Title 

XVI funding. 

The 36 Title XVI projects 

in California have capacity 

to recycle more than 

660,000 acre-feet of water 

per year--about 300,000 

acre-feet per year beyond 

current production. 

To date, more than 

$667 million in Federal 

funding through the Title XVI 

program has been awarded 

and is being leveraged with 

non-Federal funding to 

implement more than 

$3.3 billion in improvements. 

In 2016, Reclamation 

offered the first 

funding opportunity 

for research studies 

under Title XVI to 

support planning 

related research. 

In 2015, Title XVI 

projects delivered over 

369,000 acre-feet of 

water in the Western 

U.S. In 2016, projects 

are projected to deliver 

over 400,000 acre-feet. 

Congressionally 

authorized Title XVI 

projects together have 

a maximum estimated 

capacity of about 

738,000 acre-feet per 

year at build out. 

Timeline of Reclamation’s Title XVI Program 

from 1992 through 2016. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 17 
WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

Tool Map of the WaterSMART 

Title XVI Program grants from 

2010 – 2016. Authorized projects, 

feasibility studies, and research 

studies are represented by different 

shades. Click on a project for more 

information. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

Program Update 

Since 2009, the WaterSMART Title XVI Program has provided 

funding for research, planning, design, and construction in 7 states 

through more than 75 grants for research, feasibility studies, and 

construction projects. To date, approximately $667 million in 

Federal funding through the Title XVI program has been awarded 

and is being leveraged with non-Federal funding to implement 

more than $3.3 billion in water reuse improvements. 

Note: Map includes Title XVI projects authorized since the inception of the Title XVI Program 1992. 

18 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

Title XVI projects provide growing communities with new sources 

of clean water while promoting water and energy efficiency 

and environmental stewardship. Projects completed through 

the program can improve efficiency, providing flexibility and 

diversifying the water supply. Reuse is often a drought-resistant 

supply, since sources such as treated municipal wastewater continue 

to be available during periods of water shortages. Imbalances 

between water supply and demand are expected to increase in 

many parts of the country as population grows and water shortages 

becomes more prevalent due to climate change and droughts. These 

challenges may lead more and more communities to turn to water 

reclamation and reuse as an opportunity to expand water supplies. 

●		Since 2010, Reclamation has provided funding for 

approximately 36 authorized construction projects under the 

program. 

●		Twenty-four congressionally authorized projects have now 

finished construction.
	

●		Reclamation has also funded more than 30 water reuse 

feasibility studies in five Western States through funding 

opportunities provided in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015. 

●		In 2016, nine research studies were funded under the newest 

aspect of the program, which focuses on research to advance the 

technology associated with water reclamation. 

Title XVI is an important part of Interior’s Climate Action Plan and 

Reclamation’s Climate Change Adaptation Strategy under key goals 

such as increasing water management flexibility and enhancing 

adaptation planning. Title XVI continues planning efforts, where 

water reuse is identified as a strategy to mitigate climate change 

impacts, which include drought, fire, ecosystem resiliency, and 

water quality. 

Did you know? 

Water recycling has been 

actively managed in the 

U.S. since the 1970s. For 

instance, Orange County, 

California has used water 

reuse for managed aquifer 

recharge since 1976. 

In 2014, Big Spring, Texas 

completed the first direct 

potable reuse facility in the 

United States. 

According to the University of 

Arizona’s Water Resources 

Research Center, between 

60 and 65% of the water that 

goes down a home’s drain 

could be reused. 

A 2012 National Academy of 

Sciences study found that 

U.S. coastal cities could 

increase their water supply by 

27% with treated wastewater. 

As a next step to the 

Santa Fe Basin Study, 

the City of Santa Fe, 

New Mexico, is 

conducting a water 

reuse feasibility study 

to develop greater 

resiliency and diversity 

in their water portfolios 

by exploring alternatives 

for reclaimed wastewater. 

For more information on 

this study, check 

out the Title XVI 

featured projects. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 19 
WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

Featured Projects 

Through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, 

Reclamation works with water management agencies in the 

Western U.S. and Hawaii as they plan, design, and construct 

water reuse projects. Projects highlighted below include select 

construction projects and feasibility studies funded through the 

program. 

Construction (above) and the In 2016, the North Bay Water Reuse Project in Santa Rosa, completed (below) 100 acre-foot California, is constructing Phase I of the project, which includes capacity recycled water reservoir upgrades of treatment processes and construction of storage, by the Sonoma Valley County 

Sanitation District, part of a pipelines, and pump station facilities to distribute recycled water. 

Title XVI project to reduce reliance Phase I will provide 5,457 acre-feet of recycled water annually 

on groundwater supplies. for agricultural, environmental, industrial, and landscape uses Photos courtesy of North Bay throughout Marin, Sonoma, and Napa counties. The project Water Reuse Authority, all rights reduces reliance on local and imported surface water and reserved, 2016. groundwater supplies, and it reduces the amount of treated 

effluent released to San Pablo Bay and its tributaries. 

Other Title XVI projects that have been completed in California 

include the Watsonville Area Water Recycling Project in 

Watsonville, California that provides 4,000 acre-feet of recycled 

water per year for irrigation. This project reduces overdrafting 

of groundwater resources and subsequent seawater intrusion. 

In southern California, the Orange County Water District 

and Orange County Sanitation District jointly constructed 

the Groundwater Replenishment System, which underwent 

an expansion in 2015 and now produces 103,000 acre-feet of 

advanced purified water each year. 

Water recycling and reuse 

offsets the demand for 

imported water in Southern 

California, such as the 

diversion of Colorado 

River Water through the 

All-American Canal. 

Reclamation photo. 

20 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Title XVI Program 

Also in southern California, the Irvine Basin Project employs 

a natural treatment system that uses wetlands to remove 

contaminants from urban drainage facilities and treats brackish 

groundwater to produce approximately 13,300 acre-feet of water 

annually. 

In Texas, the City of Round Rock’s new facilities perform 

additional treatment of municipal wastewater so that recycled 

water can be delivered to parks and schools for irrigation. The 

project has the capacity to provide 13,400 acre-feet annually, 

which is 10% of its projected 2050 demands. 

Located along the Texas Gulf Coast, the Laguna Madre Water 

District evaluated alternatives to reuse 784 acre-feet of effluent 

annually from the Port Isabel Wastewater Treatment Plant to 

improve of water supply reliability for urban irrigation and 

potable purposes in the district. 

The City of Santa Fe, New Mexico, with input from Santa Fe 

County, is conducting a feasibility study to evaluate alternatives 

for both potable and non-potable applications of reclaimed water 

to augment local water supplies. The study is developing options 

with greater resiliency to drought that will produce 4,000 acrefeet of water per year. This study is a next step after the 

Santa Fe Basin Study, which identified water recycling as a 

potential climate adaptation strategy. 

Port Isabel along the Texas Gulf 

Coast was the focus area of the 

Laguna Madre Water District’s Title 

XVI Feasibility Study. 

Take a tour around the west to view 

featured Title XVI projects in the 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

online. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

Title XVI is an important 

part of WaterSMART and is 

used to provide communities 

with a new source of clean 

water, while promoting water 

and energy efficiency and 

environmental stewardship. 

For more information on 

the WaterSMART Title XVI 

Program visit the website: 

https://www.usbr.gov/ 

watersmart/title/index.html. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 21 
22 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

WaterSMART Grants 

Most Western States incorporate water conservation and Competitive, cost-shared efficiency into their plans to ensure that water is available funding for non-Federal to meet demands into the future. The State of Texas plans to partners’ water conservation work toward increasing conservation and efficiency by about and efficiency improvements 1.5 million acre-feet of water per year by 2060, a volume that is a fundamental aspect of

represents roughly 23% of the State’s strategy to meet expected WaterSMART. 

future demands. The State of California has set a goal of a 

20% reduction in urban water use by 2020 and is currently 

finalizing regulations to implement goals and best practices for 

agricultural water conservation. 

Water Conservation and Climate Change WaterSMART Basin Studies have 

identified demand management as a Water Conservation and Climate Change Projects crucial adaptation action that can be funded through WaterSMART Grants address climate 

considered to address vulnerabilities adaptation, bolstering Reclamation’s contributions 

related to drought and climate change. to two pillars of the President’s 2013 Climate Action 

Improvements that reduce the demand Plan: (1) Cut Carbon Pollution in America; and 

for water, particularly during periods (2) Prepare the United States for the Impacts of 

of water scarcity, can provide valuable Climate Change. Climate change requires a more 

flexibilities by helping to bring those efficient use of limited water resources. Projects 

funded through WaterSMART Grants and carried demands into better balance with 

out by non-Federal entities are adaptation actions supply. With water deliveries in the that can help to ensure that water is available to West facing increasing vulnerabilities meet demands into the future. The President’s from population growth and climate Climate Action Plan highlights Reclamation’s efforts change, various strategies to ease through WaterSMART Grants to provide funding to demands are being implemented agricultural water users for more efficient practices by communities across the Western in the face of drought and long-term climate change.

United States. These strategies include 

improved water conservation and 

efficiencies in water and energy use. 

Drop chute in the St. Mary River Basin. Reclamation photo. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 23 
WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

Water and Energy 

Efficiency Grants 

Eligible Applicants: States, 

Tribes, irrigation districts, water 

districts, or other organizations 

with water or power delivery 

authority in the Western 

United States. 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: Federal 

funding up to $300,000 for 

projects to be completed within 

two years; or up to $1,000,000 

for projects to be completed 

within three years with a cost 

share of 50% or greater. 

Through 2016, WaterSMART 

Water and Energy Efficiency 

Grants has been the primary 

category of WaterSMART 

Grants. Beginning in 2017, 

Reclamation is introducing two 

new grant categories. One new 

category will focus on water 

marketing projects, while the 

other will focus on small-scale 

implementation projects. Please 

see pages 60 – 61 for additional 

information. 

WaterSMART Grants 

Through WaterSMART Grants, Reclamation provides costshared funding on a competitive basis to non-Federal partners 

to implement water and energy conservation and efficiency 

projects. Projects that can be completed within two or three years 

are selected through a competitive process to help increase the 

sustainability of water supplies in the Western United States. 

Water and Energy Efficiency Grants, the primary category of 

funding under WaterSMART Grants, focus on projects that result 

in quantifiable and sustained water savings, including canal 

lining and piping projects, irrigation flow measurement, and 

groundwater recharge projects. 

Projects that increase the use of renewable energy in the 

management and delivery of water are also eligible for funding, 

including projects to install small-scale hydroelectric, solarelectric, wind energy, and geothermal power systems at existing 

water delivery facilities. Criteria place a priority on projects that 

dedicate conserved water to in-stream flows to benefit federally 

listed species or result in other fish and wildlife benefits, that 

implement an adaptation strategy identified in a completed 

WaterSMART Basin Study, and that will also expedite future 

on-farm irrigation improvements, including those that may be 

eligible for NRCS funding. 

Collaborative Water Conservation 

Partnership with NRCS 

Reclamation and NRCS are coordinating efforts to address 

water management improvements that increase water supply 

sustainability. In 2012, building on a partnership between the 

two agencies in California, Reclamation expanded WaterSMART 

Grants funding criteria to provide additional consideration 

for projects that not only address sustainability through water 

delivery system improvements, but that could also be expected to 

lead to future on-farm improvements. Once projects have been 

selected for WaterSMART Grants funding, NRCS reviews the list 

of projects to identify any opportunities to make funding available 

to agricultural producers to carry out complementary on-farm 

irrigation improvements. 

The President’s March 2016 Memorandum on Building National 

Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience commits to 

expanding this collaborative effort. In June 2016, Reclamation 

Commissioner Estevan López and Agriculture Secretary 

Tom Vilsack made a joint funding announcement to highlight the 

commitment to this partnership. Reclamation announced 

53 new WaterSMART Grants projects to receive $25.6 million in 

24 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

 

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

From 2010 through 2015, 

243 WaterSMART 

Water and Energy 

Efficiency Grants have 

been awarded funding. 

As of June 2016, 146 of 

those projects have 

completed construction. 

In 2015, Reclamation selected 

7 projects for WaterSMART 

Grants funding that included 

renewable energy components. 

Together, these projects 

included over 5.5 megawatts of 

new energy capacity. 

In 2013, a new evaluation 

criterion was added to 

provide an opportunity 

for applicants to describe 

how their project was 

implementing an adaptation 

strategy identified in a 

completed WaterSMART 

Basin Study. 

In 2017, Reclamation 

is planning to make 

new funding opportunities 

available for small-scale 

water management 

implementation projects 

and for water 

marketing activities. 

In 2012, Reclamation expanded 

WaterSMART Grants funding 

criteria to provide additional 

consideration for proposed water 

delivery improvements that could 

also be expected to lead to future 

on-farm improvements. 

In 2010, Reclamation’s 

existing grant program 

was expanded as it 

was incorporated into 

WaterSMART. 

2009

2010

2012

2013

2015

2017

In 2009, more than 

$44 million, including 

$40 million in American 

Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009 (ARRA) funding for 

projects that have now been 

completed, was provided to 

non-Federal project sponsors 

for water conservation and 

efficiency improvements. 

Timeline of Reclamation’s 

WaterSMART Grants from 

2009 through 2016 

funding. NRCS, in turn, announced an investment of 

$5.2 million in on-farm assistance to complement several 

projects previously funded by Reclamation and a commitment to 

provide an additional $10 million in 2017 to support some of the 

WaterSMART-funded projects selected in 2016. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 25 
WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

WaterSMART Data Visualization Program Update 

Tool Map of the WaterSMART Since 2010, Reclamation has provided more than $135 million Grants from 2010 – 2016. Click on 

a project for more information. in competitively-awarded WaterSMART Grants to non-Federal 

partners, including tribes, water districts, and municipalities. http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

26 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

Leveraging Funding for WaterSMART 

Grants from 2010 to 2016 

Actual Federal 

cost share 

$137 million. 26% 

74% 

50% 

50% 

Non-Federal cost share of at Actual Non-Federal 

least 50% of each project’s cost share 

cost is required. $395 million 

WaterSMART Grants leverage funding. Sponsors match Federal 

funding dollar for dollar on all WaterSMART Grants projects, and 

many sponsors are able to secure non-Federal funding beyond 

the required 50% level. Since 2010, more than $135 million in 

Federal funding has been used to implement more than 

$395 million in water management improvements across the 

Western United States. 

●		Since 2010, Reclamation has provided funding through 

WaterSMART Grants for 243 on-the-ground improvements in 

15 Western States. 

●		In 2016, Reclamation selected 53 projects in 11 Western 

states to receive a total of $25.6 million in WaterSMART
 

Grants which, when leveraged with local and other funding 

sources, will complete more than $128 million in efficiency 

improvements. 

● Through reduced pumping and adding more efficient 

equipment, these projects are also anticipated to save 

10.8 million kilowatt-hours annually – enough energy to 

power nearly 1,000 households and equivalent to over 

12.5 million tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. 

Consistent with Reclamation’s Climate Change Adaptation 

Strategy, which recognized a role for Reclamation in helping 

to increase water management flexibility, WaterSMART 

Grants make cost-shared funding available to non-Federal 

partners to carry out water conservation and efficiency projects 

collaboratively. The grants prioritize projects that implement 

adaptation strategies identified through Basin Studies. As Basin 

Studies are completed, water managers look to WaterSMART 

Grants to help them implement adaptation strategies. 

Through WaterSMART Grants, 

Federal funding (light blue), 

is leveraged with non-Federal 

funding (dark blue) to accomplish 

on-the-ground water management 

improvements. Over the last 

seven years, project sponsors 

have provided much more nonFederal funding than is required, 

helping to leverage limited Federal 

funding available through the 

program. 

Did you know? 

One acre-foot of water is the 

volume needed to cover a 

football field with nine inches of 

water. 

One acre-foot of water 

translates to 325,851 gallons. 

About 6,800 gallons of water is 

required to grow a day’s food 

for a family of four. 

A leaky faucet can waste 

100 gallons a day. Household 

leaks can waste more than 

1 trillion gallons annually 

nationwide. That’s equal to the 

annual household water use of 

more than 11 million homes. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 27 
 

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

Piping project by the 

Three Sisters Irrigation District 

and the Deschutes River 

Conservancy help protect 

Whychus Creek flows, to meet the 

Oregon Department of Fish and 

Wildlife’s instream flow target for 

steelhead and Chinook salmon. 

Reclamation continues to work 

with its partners to complete 

agricultural and municipal and 

industrial water conservation 

improvements that implement 

demand-management 

strategies. For more 

information on WaterSMART 

Water and Energy Efficiency 

Grants see: 

https://www.usbr.gov/ 

watersmart/weeg/index.html 

Featured Projects 

Through WaterSMART Grants, Reclamation provides grant 

funding to water management agencies to carry out water and

energy efficiency improvements, including projects that save water;

increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in water

management; support environmental benefits (i.e., make conserved 

water available instream or otherwise address endangered species

issues); and mitigate conflict risk in areas with a high risk of future

water conflict. Depending on specific needs, entities seek funding for 

a variety of project types: 

For example, the Three Sisters Irrigation District in Oregon

identified a need to convert open ditches to pipe. Through a 2015 

WaterSMART Grant, the district is working to pipe 14,000 feet of 

the open Watson-McKenzie Main Canal, which is expected to result 

in water savings of approximately 1,850 acre-feet annually. The 

District is also working with farmers that are interested in working 

with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to convert to high

efficiency irrigation systems once the pressurized pipe is installed. 

The District plans to dedicate a portion of the conserved water for

instream flows through the Deschutes River Conservancy to improve 

habitat for endangered species. 

Similarly, through a 2012 WaterSMART Grant, the Bostwick 

Irrigation District in Nebraska converted 7 miles of open ditch 

to buried pipe, an improvement estimated to result in savings of 

1,573 acre-feet of water annually that had been lost to seepage and 

evaporation. The project also included the installation of a variable

frequency drive to increase pumping efficiency. Water conserved as 

a result of this project is stored in the Harlan County Reservoir, on 

the Republican River to maintain high lake levels, meet water supply 

needs, and to help comply with the Republican River Compact. 

Other types of water management infrastructure improvements are 

also funded through WaterSMART Grants. In northern Montana, 

the Malta Irrigation District identified a need for a new headgate

structure at the Dodson South Canal and for acoustic Doppler flow

meters to improve operational control and efficiency in the system. 

The district is undertaking this work through a 2014 WaterSMART 

Grant. The district plans to leave water saved from the project in the

Milk River to benefit upstream and downstream users as well as the 

endangered Pallid Sturgeon’s critical habitat. 

In addition to projects focused on improved water management, 

entities can identify opportunities to install renewable energy 

components. As part of a 2014 WaterSMART Grant, the 

Davis and Weber Counties Canal Company in northern Utah is 

replacing 1,000 feet of unlined, open canal with 66-inch reinforced 

concrete pipe, and replacing 3,430 feet of a deteriorating concrete 

lined, open canal with two 72-inch reinforced concrete pipes. As 

part of the project, the company will also install two 10-kilowatt 

hydroelectric units on the canal, which together are expected to 

generate 86,400 kilowatt hours of power per year. The project is 

ongoing and is expected to be completed in 2017. 

28 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants
	

Municipal entities also identify water management improvements to 

be undertaken through WaterSMART Grants. In California, the City

of Yucaipa is using 2015 WaterSMART Grant funding to construct 

a 25 acre-foot retention basin along the Wildwood Creek to capture

stormwater runoff and increase groundwater recharge. Recharged 

stormwater will recharge 250 acre-feet of water annually and will 

reduce the City’s reliance on imported water supplies. 

Other municipal entities have identified rebate programs as a tool 

for conserving water. Through a 2011 WaterSMART Grant, the

Edwards Aquifer Authority near San Antonio, Texas, implemented 

a regional water conservation program providing economic

incentives for a range of water efficiency improvements such as

replacement of inefficient plumbing fixtures such as toilets and 

showerheads. The Authority also provided rebates for conversion of

commercial/industrial equipment to more water efficient technologies 

and for equipment to implement graywater and rainwater collection. 

This program helped the Authority reduce the need for aquifer 

pumping by an estimated 692 acre-feet per year and energy 

consumption by approximately 790,000 kilowatt hours per year. 

In Kansas, the City of Topeka is focused on metering as a way 

to better manage water supplies. Through a 2014 WaterSMART 

Grant, the City is replacing 500 commercial and residential water

meters with advanced metering infrastructure; installing acoustic

leak detection and pressure sensors to detect distribution leaks; and 

implementing a Meter Data Management System. 

The City of Topeka will replace 

500 commercial and residential water 

meters in the City with advanced 

metering infrastructure. 

Take a tour around the west 

to view featured Water and 

Energy Efficiency Grants in the 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

online. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 29 
WaterSMART Priority Goal for Water Conservation 

Interior enables capability 

to increase the available 

water supply for agricultural, 

municipal, industrial, and 

environmental uses in 

the Western U.S. through 

Reclamation’s water 

conservation programs, which 

include the WaterSMART 

Title XVI Water Reclamation 

and Reuse Program and the 

WaterSMART Water and 

Energy Efficiency Grants. 

Priority Goal for Water 

Conservation 

Beginning in 2010, Interior and other Federal agencies 

established a series of outcome-based, performance goals to 

help focus on key initiatives. One of the five goals identified 

as Interior’s highest priorities was a new Priority Goal for 

Water Conservation. Since 2010, Interior has extended some of 

its goals, including the Priority Goal for Water Conservation. 

Interior and Reclamation are currently working to address that 

expanded Priority Goal: To enable the capability to increase the 

available water supply through Reclamation’s water conservation 

programs to 1,100,000 acre-feet by the end of September 2017. 

For more information on the Priority Goal for Water Conservation 

and other Reclamation goals, check out 

https://www.performance.gov/. 

Contributing Activities 

Reclamation addresses the Priority Goal for Water Conservation 

through two significant WaterSMART activities: WaterSMART 

Grants and the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program. 

Both of those programs result in projects that have quantifiable 

water savings. Several other regionally-focused water 

conservation efforts also result in quantifiable water savings that 

contribute toward the goal. 

Calculating Water Savings 

Each year, Reclamation reports the water savings expected to 

result from water conservation activities funded that year. Water 

savings for each funded project are based on estimates of the 

number of acre-feet of water expected to be conserved each year 

after the project becomes operational. The estimates are provided 

by non-Federal project sponsors in applications for financial 

assistance, feasibility reports and other project planning reports, 

and National Environmental Policy Act documents. Estimates are 

based on water measurement and accounting records, calculations 

by the project sponsor’s engineering sources, hydrologic 

modeling, statistical analysis of historical climatic data, and other 

information. Reclamation reviews project sponsors’ estimates to 

ensure that each estimate is adequately supported and then works 

with project sponsors to make any necessary adjustments. 

30 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Priority Goal for Water Conservation 

Each year, Reclamation reports the water savings expected to 

result from water conservation activities funded that year. Water 

savings for each funded project are based on estimates of the 

number of acre-feet of water expected to be conserved each 

year after the project becomes operational. The estimates are 

provided by non-Federal project sponsors in applications for 

financial assistance, feasibility reports and other project planning 

reports, and National Environmental Policy Act documents. 

Reclamation’s technical experts conduct a review of project 

sponsors’ estimates to ensure that each estimate is adequately 

supported and consistent with empirical results of similar 

projects and existing scientific information about water savings. 

Reclamation requests additional information if necessary, and 

then works with project sponsors to make adjustments. 

Progress Toward the Priority Goal 

Projects funded from 2010 to 2015 are expected to result in 

1,144,822 acre-feet of water savings per year once completed. 

Based on water savings reported through 2016, Reclamation and 

Interior have now exceeded the goal of 1,040,000 acre-feet of 

water savings per year – about one and a half times the amount 

of water needed for household use in Denver, Colorado and the 

surrounding metropolitan area each year – by September 2017. Acre-Feet/Year 

1,400,000 

1,200,000 

1,000,000 

800,000 

600,000 

400,000 

200,000 

0 

Fiscal Year 

“Water and energy 

efficiency are intricately

linked, when we conserve 

water, we also conserve 

the energy it takes to

move it. One way we can 

achieve these efficiencies 

is to bring federal

resources to the table for 

local projects that focus 

on saving water. This 

program represents one 

more way we’re focusing 

resources on projects to

provide resiliency in the 

face of drought.” 

Commissioner López 

(WaterSMART Grants press 

release, 2016). 

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 

977,454 Goal: 

1,100,000 AF/YR 

254,608 

487,939 

616,226 

734,851 

860,299 

Goal: 

840,000 AF/YR Goal: 

730,000 AF/YR 

Goal: 

350,000 AF/YR 

1,144,822 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 31 
32 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

Drought Planning and Resiliency 

Severe and sustained droughts are part of life in the Western 

U.S., frequently resulting in water shortages, affecting Through the Drought 

agriculture, municipalities, and ecosystem functions. As an Response Program, 

entity established at the turn of the 20th century to provide water Reclamation supports 

in the Western U.S., Reclamation addresses drought as part of communities as they build 

resilience to drought and our mission. 

climate change in advance 

of a crisis. While droughts in the West are common, there is growing 

evidence that climate change is exacerbating drought conditions. 

Temperature increases have resulted in decreased snowpack, and 

differences in the timing and volume of spring runoff for some 

basins. Precipitation changes have already occurred and are 

expected to continue interacting with warming to cause longer 

term and more frequent droughts. 

Along with an increased understanding of potential climate 

impacts is an increased awareness of the need to plan ahead 

to build resiliency to drought. Governments and stakeholders “Drought is, and will be, a at all levels are pursuing a more proactive approach that major challenge for water incorporates risk management with the end goal of increasing managers. We need to be the sustainability of water supplies. The pitfalls of not preparing nimble and adjust to those for drought are well-documented and include the high cost and future realities.” relative ineffectiveness of emergency actions; the lack of data, 

tools and processes to understand and react to drought; and the Commissioner López 

(Drought Response Program increased severity of impacts following from the failure to build press release, 2016). resilience. 

Reclamation’s Drought Response 

Program, initiated in 2015, 

supports a proactive approach to 

drought. Through the Drought 

Response Program, Reclamation 

provides assistance to water users 

to conduct drought contingency 

planning, including consideration 

of climate change information, and 

to take actions that will build longterm resiliency to drought. This 

program supports projects to avoid 

drought-related crises in the short 

term, while laying a foundation for 

climate resiliency in the long term. 

Lake Mead, August 2008. Photo by Alexander Stephens, Reclamation. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 33 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

Drought Response Program 

Reclamation reformulated its existing drought program in 

2015 to improve assistance to States, Tribes, local governments, 

and districts or other organizations with water or power delivery 

authority as they build resilience to drought. The Drought 

Response Program supports the goals of the President’s 

2016 Memorandum and Federal Action Plan on Building National 

Capabilities for Long-Term Drought Resilience. The Presidential 

Memorandum recognizes the importance of local leadership

by states, counties, cities, non-profits and the agricultural 

community. 

Funding for the Drought Response Program is allocated through a 

competitive process for the following activities: 

Drought Contingency Planning: Reclamation provides 

financial assistance to develop or update drought contingency 

plans. Plans must include input and participation by a diverse set 

of stakeholders. Plans also consider climate change impacts to 

drought conditions and identify potential drought mitigation and 

response actions to build resilience to drought as exacerbated by

climate change. Actions identified in the plans may be eligible

for funding as “drought resiliency projects” so long as they meet 

program requirements. 

Drought planning is an essential tool for communities and all 

levels of government to reduce the impacts from drought before 

a crisis occurs. As explained by the National Drought Mitigation 

Center, most drought contingency planning processes are 

structured to address the three following questions: 

● How will we recognize the next drought in 

the early stages? Most drought plans include 

a monitoring plan to collect water availability 

data to identify the onset of drought and to 

assess its severity. 

●		How will drought affect us? A “vulnerability 

assessment” is conducted as part of the 

drought planning process to evaluate the risks 

to resources and sectors within the planning 

area and the factors driving those risks. 

●		How can we protect ourselves from the 

next drought? Once drought risks have been

identified, planners can identify mitigation 

and response actions to address those 

impacts. 

The planning process used in Reclamation’s Drought Response 

Program is structured to help planners answer these three key 

questions and to encourage an open and inclusive approach. 

Drought Contingency

Plans 

Eligible Applicants: States, 

Tribes, irrigation districts, water 

districts, and other organizations 

with water or power delivery 

authority in the Western U.S. or 

Hawaii. 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: Federal 

funding up to $200,000 to develop 

a drought contingency plan or to 

update an existing plan with a cost 

share of 50% or greater. 

Drought Resiliency 

Projects 

Eligible Applicants: States, 

Tribes, irrigation districts, water 

districts, and other organizations 

with water or power delivery 

authority in the Western U.S. or 

U.S.Territories. 

Federal Funding and NonFederal Cost Share: Federal 

funding up to $750,000 to 

implement projects that will build 

long-term resiliency to drought with 

a cost share of 50% or greater. 

34 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
 

WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

Drought Resiliency Projects: Reclamation also provides “An unprecedented drought financial assistance to implement projects that build long-term is gripping the Western U.S., resiliency to drought. Proposed projects that are supported by an and many communities existing drought contingency plan will be prioritized for program are struggling to meet funding. Projects that are eligible for funding include projects 

that: their basic need for water. 

Helping these communities

●		Increase the reliability of water supplies through infrastructure address these water needs improvements is important to ensure their 

●		Improve water management through decision support tools, welfare so they are able to 

modeling, and measurement meet their basic needs.”
 

Commissioner López ●		Facilitate the sale, transfer or exchange of water (Drought Response Program 

●		Provide protection for fish, wildlife, and the environment press release, 2016). 

Even small investments in infrastructure Eligible Drought Projects 

can improve resiliency to drought Projects that build long-term resiliency to drought conditions by increasing water

management flexibility and providing 

alternative sources of water supply. For 

example, constructing new surface water 

intakes and new conveyance system 

components—such as pipes or pumping 

plants—can provide water managers with 

much needed options to deliver water from 

alternative sources, or support voluntary 

transfers of water during drought. 

Likewise, aquifer recharge facilities can 

support water banking in wet years for 

use in dry years. Investments in modeling 

and decision support tools provide critical 

information to allow water managers to act 

quickly to avoid a crisis. 

Emergency Response Actions: 

Reclamation will continue to fund 

emergency measures, such as temporary 

pipes or pumps, or hauling water to 

address ongoing drought emergencies as 

authorized under Title I of the Reclamation 

States Emergency Drought Relief Act 

of 1991 (Drought Act). To be eligible, 

a State governor or tribal leader must 

declare a drought and request assistance 

in writing for the proposed emergency 

response action, or have a drought plan on

file with Congress. Emergency response 

actions are typically crisis-driven actions 

in response to unanticipated emergencies. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 35 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

Tool Map of the WaterSMART 

Drought Response Program from 

2010 – 2016. Click on a project for 

more information. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

Program Update 

Since the new Drought Response Program was established 

in 2015, the program has provided over $10 million in 

competitively-awarded funding to non-Federal partners, 

including Tribes, water districts, and municipalities for drought 

planning and drought resiliency. In 2016, Reclamation selected 

9 contingency plans and 14 resiliency projects to receive a 

total of almost $5 million in WaterSMART Drought Response 

Program funding. 

36 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

As shown on the WaterSMART Data Visualization Tool Map, in just 

these first two years of the Drought Response Program, Reclamation 

has funded a broad variety of projects, in terms of scale and size,

located across 13 different states. These include large-scale drought 

contingency plans, such as the Washington State Department of 

Ecology’s effort to update their 2005 statewide drought contingency 

plan, and efforts on a far smaller geographic scale, such as the 

proposed drought plan for the City of Gallup, New Mexico to 

create a regional drought contingency plan for a community of about 

20,000 people, including numerous disadvantaged communities 

throughout McKinley County and the Zuni and Navajo Reservations. 

Through WaterSMART, Reclamation is contributing to the 

Department’s National Drought Resilience Partnership through 

the Missouri Headwaters Basin pilot in southwest Montana. 

Reclamation is providing Drought Response Program funding 

for a regional Headwaters Basin Drought Contingency Plan. The 

proposed drought plan will leverage information about climate 

change impacts made available through the ongoing WaterSMART 

Missouri River Basin Study and Impacts Assessment. 

U.S. Drought Monitor 

Moving drought conditions in the western 

U.S. from 2010 through 2016 

Lake Mead on the Colorado River. 

Photo by Reclamation. 

Did you know? 

In the Colorado River Basin, 

average inflow over the period 

2000 - 2015 represents the 

lowest 16-year period in 

approximately 100 years of 

measured record, dating back 

to 1906. Paleorecords indicate 

that this period was also one of 

the lowest 16-year periods for 

natural flow in the past 

1,200 years. 

On April 22, 2014, the 

U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly 

report marked the first time 

in its history that the entire 

state of California was dealing 

with moderate to exceptional 

drought. 

Reclamation is taking action 

to address drought head 

on, including developing 

the basin-wide Pilot System 

Conservation Program in the 

Colorado River Basin, and 

developing a contingency 

plan in California to provide a 

roadmap for operation of key 

water projects during drought. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 37 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

The Washington Department of 

Ecology also collaborated with 

Reclamation on the Yakima River 

Basin Study, which was completed 

in 2011. 

McPhee Dam is located on the 

Dolores River a tributary of the 

Colorado River. Reclamation photo. 

Featured Plans 

By providing funding for drought contingency plans, 

Reclamation supports water management agencies in the 

Western U.S. as they plan and prepare for drought. From large, 

ambitious state-wide plans to plans focused on municipal areas 

or rural agricultural districts, the examples highlighted below 

represent the diverse needs addressed by the drought plans. 

The East Bay Municipal Utility District and other regional 

water management agencies within the Bay Area in California 

will develop a drought contingency plan to improve water 

supply reliability during times of shortage. The plan will cover 

nine counties surrounding the San Francisco Bay. 

The Washington State Department of Ecology will update its 

drought contingency plan, last published in 1992. The updated 

plan will strengthen the existing version by prioritizing specific 

drought response and mitigation actions, and incorporating 

lessons learned during the 2015 statewide drought emergency. 

The Dolores Water Conservancy District in Colorado will 

develop a drought contingency plan with the Ute Mountain 

Ute Tribe Farm and Ranch Enterprise, and the Montezuma 

Valley Irrigation Company. The plan will include an evaluation 

of mitigation and response actions to improve drought resiliency 

for water users through collaboration with local agricultural 

districts, tribal farmers, municipal and industrial users, nongovernmental organizations, and Federal and state agencies. 

Featured Projects 

The following examples showcase the wide-ranging benefits 

that drought resiliency projects provide to communities during 

periods of drought. Whether by constructing infrastructure 

improvements to augment existing supplies, creating modeling 

tools that more accurately predict drought, or installing 

water quality monitoring devices that provide more accurate 

information, there are many ways in which these projects 

provide flexibility to water managers. 

The Waurika Lake Master Conservancy District in 

southwestern Oklahoma will install an extension intake pipe 

to the lowest point in Waurika Lake and add a floating intake 

to access water at more points, including the lake’s lowest 

elevations. The project will enable the district to access an 

additional 25,000 acre-feet during drought conditions. 

38 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Drought Response Program 

The Texas Water Development Board will modify their existing 

drought prediction tool to provide more accurate forecasts of 

average May-July rainfall, reservoir levels, and reservoir storage 

for the State of Texas. By providing early warning of drought, 

early response measures may be taken to mitigate drought and 

to reduce the need for severe use restrictions. Forecasts will be 

updated on a bi-weekly basis and made accessible through the 

Water Data for Texas website at http://waterdatafortexas.org/ 

reservoirs/statewide. 

Southern Nevada Water Authority, a wholesale water provider, 

will install real-time water quality monitoring equipment that 

will enable faster evaluation of untreated water from Lake Mead. 

This project will equip the authority with better instrumentation-­

enabling quick responses to rapidly changing water quality while 

continuing to provide safe drinking water for nearly 2 million 

residents in Clark County, Nevada. 

Semitropic Water Storage District in southern San Joaquin 

Valley, California will equip nine existing aquifer recovery wells 

with pumps, motors, discharge piping, and electrical equipment 

for completion of an Aquifer Storage and Recovery project. The 

project will enable more effective extraction of banked water 

supplies for participants of the Semitropic Storage Banking Photo courtesy of Semitropic Water Program. Storage District, all rights reserved. 

Lake Mead from Hoover Dam in 

March 2014. 

Reclamation expects that providing support for drought 

contingency planning and projects to build drought resilience 

may also reduce the need for some emergency response actions. 

For more information on the WaterSMART Drought Response 

Program, see: https://www.usbr.gov/drought. 

Take a tour around 

the west to view 

featured Drought Plans 

and Projects in the 

WaterSMART Data 

Visualization online 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 39 
40 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

Cooperative Watershed 

Conservation and Management 

Watershed management is a complex task, particularly in the 

Western U.S., where there are many competing demands for 

water and water supplies are highly variable. To be effective, 

watershed management must incorporate a collaborative, 

multidisciplinary planning process that can balance the 

ecological, economic, and social needs of a watershed. 

Increasingly, multidisciplinary watershed groups are being 

formed to meet this challenge. 

Watershed groups bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, 

some of which might otherwise be at odds, to provide a platform 

for collaborative, locally-led and community based water 

resource management. Stakeholders may initially unite around 

one issue that affects multiple stakeholder groups, for example 

flood control or wildfire mitigation. However, these groups 

typically evolve to have a more holistic approach: aiming to 

address multiple issues within the watershed and benefit a wide 

range of stakeholders. 

“The Cooperative 

Watershed Management 

Program has made an 

incredible difference to 

the watershed because 

the people that we 

got together to talk 

about impacts never 

would have been in 

the same room without 

this funding. Groups 

that have historically 

been adversarial in the 

watershed are now having 

personal conversations 

and building trust.” 

- Representative of Sierra 

Streams Institute concerning 

establishment of the Bear River 

Watershed Group. 

Little Truckee River in-between Stampede and Boca dams, California. 

Photo by Alexander Stephens, Reclamation. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 41 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

Development of Watershed 

Groups (Phase I) 

Eligible Applicants: States, 

Tribes, local and special districts 

(e.g., irrigation and water districts), 

local governmental entities, and 

non-profit organizations in the 

Western U.S. and capable of 

supporting the sustainable use 

of water resources within the 

watershed. 

Federal Funding: Federal 

Funding: Federal funding up to 

$50,000 may be awarded to an 

applicant per year, for a period 

of up to two years with no nonFederal cost-share required. 

Implementation of 

Watershed Management 

Projects (Phase II) 

Eligible Applicants: Established 

watershed groups that represent 

a diverse group of stakeholders, 

have completed a watershed 

restoration plan, and are capable 

of promoting the sustainable use 

of water resources. 

Federal Funding: Federal funding 

up to $100,000 per project for 

projects up to two years in length. 

A non-Federal cost share of at 

least 50% is required. 

Cooperative Watershed Management 

Program 

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) 

contributes to the WaterSMART strategy by providing funding to 

watershed groups to encourage diverse stakeholders to form local 

solutions to address their water management needs. By providing 

this funding, Reclamation is promoting the sustainable use of 

water resources and improving the ecological resilience of rivers 

and streams using collaborative conservation efforts. Funding is 

provided on a competitive basis for: 

Development of Watershed Groups: In 2012, Reclamation began 

providing funding for the establishment or further development of 

watershed groups (Phase I). A watershed group is a self-sustaining, 

non-regulatory, consensus-based group that is composed of a diverse 

array of stakeholders, which may include, but is not limited to, 

private property owners, non-profit organizations, Federal, State, or 

local agencies, and Tribes. As part of Phase I activities, applicants 

may use funding to develop bylaws, a mission statement, watershed 

management project concepts, and a watershed restoration plan. For 

Phase I projects, Reclamation will award a successful applicant up 

to $50,000 per year for a period of up to two years with no nonFederal cost-share required. 

Implementation of Watershed Management Projects: Starting 

in 2017, Reclamation will provide cost-shared financial assistance 

to watershed groups to implement watershed management projects 

(Phase II). These on-the-ground projects, collaboratively developed 

by members of a watershed group, will address critical water supply 

needs, water quality, and ecological resilience, helping water users 

meet competing demands and avoid conflicts over water. Program 

Cooperative Watershed Management 

Program Phases I & II 

Reclamation offers two funding opportunities, one to establish

 or further develop a watershed group (Phase I), and another to

 implement watershed management projects (Phase II). 

The goal of these funding opportunities is to aid in 

the process of developing and implementing 

watershed groups. 

42 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

criteria will prioritize projects that contribute to the ecological 

resilience of the watershed. Reclamation will award up to 

$100,000 per project over a two-year period. For Phase II projects, 

applicants must contribute at least 50% of the total project costs. 

Benefits of Local Watershed Management 

The benefits of locally led watershed management efforts are 

numerous, interconnected, and dependent on the unique makeup and management strategy of each watershed group. However, 

many watershed management efforts are focused on increasing the 

resilience of the communities and ecosystems within the watersheds. 

Benefits from these management efforts generally fall into one of 

three categories: 

1. Ecological Benefits: Many watershed groups focus efforts on 

ecological restoration activities. Some groups focus on instream 

restoration activities that restore the river to a more natural flood 

regime and, in doing so, improving habitat for aquatic species. 

Other groups focus on restoring the riparian corridor to benefit 

wildlife habitat, stabilize stream banks, and restore natural rates 

of erosion. 

2. Water Quantity and 

Quality Benefits: Some 

watershed groups focus on 

improving water quality or 

conserving water to increase 

instream flows. For example, 

groups mitigate wildfire 

contamination, decrease 

municipal and agricultural 

runoff by restoring wetlands 

and riparian vegetation, 

and reduce surface water 

diversions through smallscale water conservation 

projects and improved 

efficiencies. 

3. Social and Economic 

Benefits: Groups often 

take a holistic approach to 

management and strive to 

provide social and economic 

benefits, such as improving 

soil health on agricultural 

lands, improving recreational 

opportunities, and reducing 

flood risk. 

Multiple Benefits of Watershed Management 

Watershed groups use a holistic approach to address issues 

that impact many water users. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 43 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

Program Update
 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

Tool Map of the WaterSMART 

Cooperative Watershed 

Management Program from 2010 

– 2016. Click on a project for more 

information. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

Since 2012, Reclamation has awarded a total of $2.4 million 

in funding for the establishment or further development of 

30 watershed groups in nine states. This includes funding for 

11 watershed groups recently announced by Reclamation in 

June of 2016. These groups are located in Arizona, California, 

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, 

and Washington. 

44 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

In FY 2017, the President’s budget requests $1.75 million 

for this program, which is a substantial increase above the 

$250,000 per year that has been appropriated for this program 

historically. Reclamation will use these funds to initiate Phase 

II of the CWMP, providing cost shared financial assistance for 

watershed management projects. 

On average, applicants have requested $2.3 million per year, 

which far exceeds the available program funding. We believe 

this is due to the fact that non-profit organizations are eligible to 

apply under the Cooperative Watershed Management Program, 

and due to the program’s emphasis on building ecological 

resilience. 

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program offers a 

unique opportunity for these watershed groups to get started, as 

explained by Tamsen Binggeli of the Boise River Enhancement 

Network:

 “The WaterSMART Grant provided critical seed money 

to establish our watershed group. The funding allowed us 

to adopt an organizational structure, develop governance 

procedures and elect a Coordinating Team representing 

diverse stakeholder groups. The Grant also provided 

funds to develop the Boise River Enhancement Plan – an 

informative, forward-looking plan to improve water quality, 

aquatic and riparian habitat and stream channel function 

through cooperative action.” 

Did you know? 

A watershed is an area of 

land that drains all the streams 

and rainfall to a common 

outlet such as the outflow of 

a reservoir, mouth of a bay, 

or any point along a stream 

channel. 

Watershed management is 

an adaptive, collaborative, 

multidisciplinary planning 

process that aims to balance 

the ecological, economic, and 

social needs of a watershed. 

A watershed group is a selfsustaining, non-regulatory, 

consensus-based group that is 

composed of a diverse array of 

watershed stakeholders. 

Ecological resilience is the 

capacity of a system to absorb 

disturbance and reorganize 

while undergoing change, 

so as to retain essentially 

the same function, structure, 

identity, and feedbacks. 

The Boise River near Boise, Idaho. See the featured projects section for more information on the watershed 

group that works in this Region. Photo courtesy of the Boise River Enhancement Network, all rights reserved. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 45 
 

WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

Members of the Bear River 

Watershed Group perform water 

quality monitoring along the 

Bear River below Chicago Park 

Powerhouse, California. 

Photo courtesy of the Bear River 

Watershed Group, all rights reserved. 

Vegetation restoration project in 

Arizona. Photo courtesy of the Upper 

Verde River Watershed Protection 

Coalition, all rights reserved. 

“Although the Coalition 

continues to focus on water 

resource issues, during 

the planning process we 

found that the goals of 

many others are closely 

aligned with ours. For 

example, ranchers and 

land managers, the Game 

and Fish Department, State 

Forestry and Fire all agree 

that watershed health 

relates closely to grassland 

restoration, wildlife habitat, 

and reducing fire intensity.” 

- John Munderloh, Technical Advisory 

Committee Chair, Upper Verde River 

Watershed Protection Coalition. 

Featured Projects 

The Sierra Streams Institute developed the Bear River 

Watershed Group in North-Central California. The watershed 

lies within four of the fastest growing counties in California 

- Nevada, Placer, Sutter, and Yuba Counties - which has 

increased the demand for water and exacerbated environmental 

concerns. The Bear River Watershed Group has provided an 

important forum for entities to discuss a proposal to build a 

new dam on the Bear River. Public meetings hosted by the 

watershed group have allowed entities with different opinions 

on the issue to come together and have discussions concerning 

the dam and concerning the management of other areas not 

impacted by the dam. 

The Upper Verde River Watershed Protection Coalition, 

in Central Arizona, was successful in developing a watershed 

restoration plan that brought together multiple partners 

across resource areas and laid the foundation for watershed 

management projects. The coalition’s initial step was to 

form a watershed task force composed of stakeholders with 

responsibility and accountability for land or water resources 

in the watershed. This task force then developed a plan that 

contained broad-scale vision and specific on the ground 

watershed restoration projects. Buy-in from the stakeholders 

has made it possible for the coalition to implement various 

projects outlined in the watershed restoration plan, which has 

attracted additional partners, including private landowners, 

additional agencies, and the wood products industry. 

The Boise River Enhancement Network is working with 

stakeholders on the Lower Boise River in Idaho to promote 

the ecological enhancement of the Boise River. Through the 

CWMP, the network developed the Boise River Enhancement 

Plan, focusing on stream channel function, fisheries and aquatic 

habitat, wetland and riparian habitat, and water quality issues. 

According to Tamsen Binggeli, a representative from the 

network, “the Boise River Enhancement Plan is our primary 

enhancement tool--we use it to make recommendations and 

to prioritize projects. The Enhancement Plan has been widely 

supported by numerous agencies and stakeholder groups.” 

This network was instrumental in getting approval for an 

instream habitat restoration project in the Boise River--the first 

such project in decades and a top recommendation in the 

Boise River Enhancement Plan. 

46 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 

The Animas Watershed Partnership in Durango, Colorado, 

developed a watershed plan to address concerns with the 

temperature, sedimentation, and E. coli levels in the Animas 

River. The Partnership stated that, “with the support of 

Reclamation’s Cooperative Watershed Management grant, we 

have completed our bylaws, developed our vision, engaged 

an OSMRE Vista volunteer position (we are now in our third 

year), completed an assessment of the Florida River--the 

largest perennial tributary to the Animas River--engaged many 

new partner organizations and individuals, and completed two 

highly successful Soil Health Workshops, one in Durango and 

one in Farmington. We continue to look for ways to engage 

our communities in improving river health.” 

The Cooperative Watershed Management Program is 

supporting watershed groups to develop local solutions to 

water management issues through collaborative conservation 

efforts. 

For more information on the WaterSMART CWMP, see: 

https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart/cwmp. 

A fly fisherman on the Boise River, 

Idaho. Photo courtesy of the 

Boise River Enhancement 

Network, all rights reserved. 

Volunteers plant willows 

in the Animas River 

watershed during an 

Animas Watershed 

Partnership event 

in Colorado. 

Photo courtesy of the 

Animas Watershed 

Partnership, all 

rights reserved. 

Take a tour around the west to view featured Watershed Groups in the WaterSMART Data 

Visualization Tool Map online at 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 47 
48 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

USGS Water Availability and Use 

Science Program 

While Reclamation’s WaterSMART activities focus on water 

management in the 17 Western States, the USGS implements 

WaterSMART through a nationwide program of data collection, 

research, and information sharing. A key part of achieving 

Interior’s sustainability goals is informing the public and decision 

makers about the status and changes over time of the Nation’s 

water resources. To achieve these goals, through WaterSMART, 

the USGS has implemented a National Water Census (NWC) to 

provide a more accurate picture of the quantity of the Nation’s water 

resources and improve forecasting of water availability for current 

and future economic benefits (e.g., public supply and irrigation), 

energy production, and environmental uses. In 2016, to streamline 

water sustainability activities, the USGS realigned all water 

availability and use oriented research, including the NWC, within 

a new Program: the Water Availability and Use Science Program 

(WAUSP). 

WAUSP supports producing a current, comprehensive scientific 

assessment of factors that influence water availability by: 

1. Developing nationally consistent datasets that reflect the status 

water use, for the nation 

2. Improving the current 

understanding of flow 

requirements for 

ecological purposes 

3. Evaluating 

water-resource 

conditions 

in selected 

river basins, 

or geographic 

inflow Focus Area 

Studies, where 

competition for 

water is elevated.
 

The concept of a National 

Water Census is consistent 

with the SECURE Water 

Act, which calls for the 

establishment of a “national 

water availability and use 

assessment program” within 

the USGS. 

Precipitation 

Surface-water inflow, 

imported water 

(pipelines, canals) 

Groundwater 

Surface-water outflow, 

exported water 

(pipelines, canals) 

Groundwater outflow 

Aquifer 

Evapotranspiration 

Bedrock 

Water table 

Unsaturated zone 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 49 

and trends of major water budget components (precipitation, 

streamflow, groundwater, and evapotranspiration), as well as 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

Program Update 

The SECURE Water Act authorized $20 million for each of 

fiscal years 2009 through 2023 for the NWC. Considerable 

emphasis is placed on method and model development, WebTo maximize the utility of 

the information, the USGS 

coordinates the design 

and development of the 

effort through the Federal 

Advisory Committee on Water 

Information. 

based tools for data delivery, and enhancement of water budget 

data. Much of the information developed as part of the NWC 

is derived from models, statistical estimation techniques, and 

other transformation processes. The NWC Data Portal 

(http://cida.usgs.gov/nwc/) allows users to access a 

comprehensive and nationally consistent interactive map 

interface to download data visualizations, retrieve stand-alone 

data for further analysis, or integrate multiple datasets with 

built-in and downloadable data-analysis tools. The following 

sections update USGS NWC projects since the first funding was 

received in 2011. 

50 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

Geographic Focus Area Studies 

Throughout the U.S., there are areas where competition for water 

resources has reached a level of national attention and concern. 

These competing interests may arise from multiple human needs 

(such as demands for potable water, irrigation, energy, industrial 

processes), from competition between human and aquatic 

ecosystem needs, or both. The USGS has initiated a series of 

stakeholder-driven studies, focused on selected large watersheds, 

where there is a desire on the part of watershed stakeholders 

to conduct a comprehensive technical assessment of water 

availability with the best available tools. 

These geographic Focus Area Studies contribute toward ongoing 

assessments of water availability in these watersheds and 

also provide opportunities to test and improve approaches to 

conducting water availability assessment. The following sections 

outline the 3 initial studies, now completed, and the expected 

work of 3 new studies that began in 2016. 

Conflict over water resources in the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint River Basin among Alabama, Florida, and 

Georgia has resulted from increases in water use for municipal 

and industrial supplies, power generation, and agriculture. 

Competition over water is not limited to the State borders. 

During drought conditions, competition among all water users 

can become pronounced. The study is addressing the complex 

interaction of withdrawals and discharges from groundwater and 

surface water on streamflow within the basin, and the potential 

impact on aquatic ecosystems. 

The Colorado River is a critical source of water supply for much 

of the Southwestern United States. While surface water in the 

Colorado River Basin is carefully regulated and monitored, 

other components of the water budget are less well understood. 

Through stakeholder consultation, the USGS identified the 

following major components of the basin water budget for 

investigation: 

1. Estimating current water use and historical (1985 - 2010) trends 

in water use, 

2. Assessing evapotranspiration and the dynamic variation in 

snowpack water content for regional and field-scales 

3. Estimating groundwater discharge to streams and rivers. 

Better quantification of these components of the basin water 

budget provide water managers with the increased knowledge of 

water sources and water movement, and enhance their ability to 

make resource management decisions. 

In 2011 USGS began 

3 focus area studies in the 

Apalachicola-ChattahoocheeFlint, Colorado, and Delaware 

River Basins that were 

completed in 2015. 

In 2016, 3 new focus area 

studies began, in the 

Coastal Carolina, Red River, 

and Upper Rio Grande River 

Basins. 

The study identified that 20 

to 60 percent of the flow 

in the Colorado originates 

as groundwater discharge. 

Reclamation photo. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 51 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

Upper Rio Grande Basin, 

New Mexico. 

Reclamation photo. 

North Fork Red River, Oklahoma. 

Photo by Kevin Smith, USGS. 

USGS Focus Area Studies 

are often performed in 

conjunction with Reclamation 

Basin Studies to build on the 

collaborative planning efforts 

in the area, such as in the 

Upper Rio Grande and Red 

River Basins. 

The Delaware River Basin covers parts of four States 

(New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). The 

basin has the largest inter-basin withdrawal of water east of 

the Mississippi River and provides water to over 15 million 

people. The information, databases, and products developed as 

a part of the study will contribute significantly to the information 

needs of the Delaware River Basin Commission “Strategy for a 

sustainable future water supply.” 

The Upper Rio Grande Basin of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, 

and northern Mexico focus area study began work in 2016. The 

conjunctive use of water in the basin takes place under a myriad 

of legal constraints including the Rio Grande Compact agreement 

between the States, an international treaty with Mexico, and 

several Federal water projects. Changes in climate have reduced 

reservoir water supplies, leading to increased use of groundwater 

for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, and for downstream 

delivery under the Compact. The study team will collaborate 

with Reclamation, USACE, USFWS, and other resource 

management agencies in the study area to better understand and 

adapt to these changes. 

The Red River Basin, which is characterized by mostly flat 

agricultural land and is relatively arid, is at the center of a 

Federal lawsuit between the States of Oklahoma, Arkansas, 

Louisiana, and Texas, regarding the interstate transfer and sale 

of water in the basin. Beginning in 2016, the study has been 

collaborating with Reclamation, USACE, the USFWS, state 

water-management, environmental, and wildlife-management 

agencies, Tribes with jurisdictional areas in the basin, and other 

stakeholders to comprehensively assess water budgets and 

water availability under current hydrologic, climatic, land-use, 

and water-demand conditions; potential climatic scenarios; and 

possible land-use changes. 

The Carolina Coastal Basins are in an area with ongoing and 

projected increases in permanent and tourist populations, extreme 

natural events (such as droughts, hurricanes, earthquakes), and 

issues related to sea-level rise that will place additional stress on 

societal and ecological systems currently competing for water 

resources. Beginning in 2016, the study has been collaborating 

with municipalities, water-suppliers, State regulatory and 

resource management agencies, universities, wildlife refuges, 

non-profit, and environmental stewardship groups of the coastal 

Carolinas to evaluate the impacts of these stresses particularly 

related to groundwater-surface water interaction, saltwater 

intrusion, and the associated impacts to ecosystem management. 

52 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

Topical Area Studies 

As part of the NWC, the USGS also conducts studies to improve 

national estimates of individual water budget components, 

focusing on streamflow, groundwater, evapotranspiration, and 

water use to develop and improve the data needed to achieve a 

comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of water availability 

at both national and basin scales. An additional topical area 

study advances the science of ecological flow by quantitatively 

examining the relationships between water availability and 

healthy ecosystems. 

Each topical area study seeks to enhance available data and 

associated information by developing new methodologies, 

improving data accessibility, and quantifying and reducing 

data uncertainty. In addition to providing a basis for national 

indicators of water flow and storage for the NWC, these studies 

support analyses of water availability by local and regional 

agencies and contribute to research quantifying national and 

global water cycles. 

Surface Water 

The USGS network of streamgages provides both real-time 

information to meet operational needs of water managers and 

historical context for water resources planning and assessment. 

While extensive, the streamgage network cannot provide direct 

observations of streamflow at every location of interest. The 

NWC aims to improve upon the information that is currently 

available at ungaged locations by providing estimates of daily 

streamflow at Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC)-12 watersheds 

nationally. 

The NWC has completed preliminary 

studies comparing methods for 

estimating streamflow time series 

across the nation. Examples of the 

estimated time series are available via 

the NWC Data Portal for a pilot area 

in the Southeastern United States. 

Research on methods for expressing 

the uncertainty of these estimates is 

ongoing and will allow the addition 

of confidence intervals for daily 

streamflow estimates. In the coming 

years, estimated time series will be 

provided for the entire country. 

Did you know? 

The USGS operates more than 

8,000 streamgages to provide 

information on floods, droughts, and 

current water availability across the 

United States. 

Reported water use relies heavily 

on estimates by State agencies and 

estimation procedures vary from 

state to state. 

The NWC provides an opportunity 

to establish agreed-upon standards 

for estimating, reporting, and 

storing water use data from various 

categories. 

The NWC focuses efforts on the 

most critical areas rather than 

spread its effort equally over the 

landscape. One factor to consider 

in focusing efforts is where the 

uncertainty in different types of data 

is greatest. 

HUC 12 is a more local sub-watershed 

level that captures tributary systems. 

Map of real-time streamflow compared 

to historical streamflow for the day of 

the year (United States). Red values 

are below normal and blue are above 

normal. 

http://waterwatch.usgs.gov 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 53 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

Groundwater 

Groundwater presents a particular challenge in providing a 

The National Brackish 

Groundwater Assessment 

is expected to be released 

in 2017. The publication will 

include a series of maps 

to identify the occurrence 

of brackish groundwater 

resources. States and water 

users will be able to use this 

information to explore the use 

of brackish groundwater in 

their area. 

Depth to groundwater 

with total dissolved-solids 

concentration greater than 

1,000 milligrams per liter in 

the United States. Map by 

USGS modified from Feth 

and others, 1965. 

complete budget on a watershed basis. Aquifer systems are 

complex, three-dimensional geologic features. They can cover 

great distances, commonly do not conform to surface-water 

divides, and may obtain most of their recharge at locations far 

from where the groundwater discharges to a well or surface-water 

body. Because of these and other complexities, groundwater 

systems are incorporated into the NWC in two ways: 

● Regional analyses of groundwater availability in principal 

aquifers that collectively account for more than 90% of the 

nation’s total groundwater withdrawals. 

● Estimates of groundwater recharge, storage, and discharge 

at the watershed scale to the extent possible. These estimates 

use a combination of information from regional-scale studies, 

data from observation well networks, analysis of streamflow 

records, and other available information. 

The amount of fresh or potable groundwater in storage has 

declined for many areas in the U.S. and has led to concerns about 

the future availability of water for human and environmental 

needs. Use of brackish groundwater could supplement or, in 

some places, replace the use of freshwater sources. However, a 

better understanding of the location and character of brackish 

groundwater is needed to expand development of the resource 

and provide a scientific basis for making policy decisions. 

54 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

To address this need the USGS is conducting a 

National Brackish Groundwater Assessment that 

uses a consistent national approach to: 

● Compile existing information that can be used to 

characterize brackish aquifers 

● Describe dissolved-solids concentrations, 

other chemical characteristics, horizontal and 

vertical extents of aquifers containing brackish 

groundwater, the ability of the aquifers to yield 

water, and current brackish groundwater use; 

generates national maps of dissolved-solids 

concentrations, to the extent that existing data 

allow 

● Identify data gaps that limit full characterization 

of brackish aquifer. 

The glacial aquifer system is present in parts of 25 states and contains 

the glacial sand and gravel principal aquifer, which is the largest water 

source for public supply and self-supplied industrial for any principal 

aquifer; it also is an important source for irrigation supply. The glacial 

aquifer system groundwater availability study is one of the USGS 

efforts in response to the WaterSMART initiative. This study is designed 

to provide information and analysis to stakeholders and decision 

makers for characterizing groundwater availability in regions within the 

glacial aquifer system. This study complements other USGS WAUSP 

regional aquifer studies designed to develop a national assessment of 

groundwater availability in USGS Principal Aquifers as part of the 

NWC. 

In addition to work done as part of the NWC, and funded through 

WaterSMART, the USGS WAUSP is undertaking a series of regional 

groundwater availability studies in the Western U.S. to improve our 

understanding of groundwater availability in major aquifers across the 

nation. 

Evapotranspiration 

Evapotranspiration is an essential component of water budget 

determinations for water availability. It is also a fundamental variable  

of water use, especially for irrigation, with great importance for 

administration of water rights and river basin compacts. Historically, 

reliable quantification has required observations at sites with specialized 

instruments. However, these sites represent only local conditions, 

making evapotranspiration difficult to quantify over broad areas such as 

irrigation districts, river basins, or states. In addition to its application 

in water use and availability studies, remote sensing ET can be used to 

characterize and map the severity and extent of drought as it measures 

the response of the landscape to soil moisture distribution in space and 

time. Future work will produce historical evapotranspiration estimates 

going back to the 1980’s at a field scale using improved computational 

platforms that allow the processing of large volumes of data. 

Extent of the Glacial Aquifer 

System Map by the USGS.
 

More information on the 

USGS Regional Groundwater 

Availability Studies please visit: 

http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/gwrp/ 

activities/gw-avail-a.html 

The USGS is applying its 

satellite remote sensing 

resources and expertise to 

quantify evapotranspiration 

nationally and working to 

improve these estimates 

by collaborating with FASs 

in the west and east to 

improve the methodology 

and a finer scale. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 55 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

USGS continues to work with 

other organizations, Federal 

and non-Federal agencies, 

and universities to ensure that 

the information produced can 

be aggregated with other 

types of water-availability and 

socioeconomic information. 

USGS, in cooperation with the 

Teton Conservation District, 

Wyoming, analyzed groundwater 

flow and streamflow, and collected 

water, aquatic insect, and algal 

samples to characterize the stream 

and to compare data to neighboring 

rivers and streams. 

Water Use 

Information on human water withdrawals and return flows is 

critical to understand the demand part of the water budget. Better 

information about components of water use, such as withdrawal, 

conveyance, consumptive use, and return flow by sector of use, 

and the factors which influence these components, will allow 

water managers and users to make better decisions for the future. 

Every five years since 1950, the USGS has produced a report, 

the Estimated Use of Water in the United States. The most 

comprehensive of these reports was for 1995, which provided 

total annual estimates of withdrawals by sector of use, publicsupply deliveries to selected sectors of use, wastewater returns, 

and hydroelectric (instream) use, and consumptive use for selected 

sectors of use. 

Efforts are underway to develop a national site-specific wateruse database as part of the USGS National Water Information 

System, which will contain withdrawal, conveyance, use, and 

discharge return information for public supply system across the 

United States. Detailed, long-term information on withdrawals, 

conveyances, consumptive use, and return flows will provide the 

critical demand component for studies of the interactions between 

human water use and the natural hydrologic system. Additional 

efforts related to improving water use data nationally include 

reporting consumptive use estimates for selected categories, 

reporting water use by aquifer, and developing models to estimate 

thermoelectric water use. 

Ecological Water Science 

Ecological water science has advanced greatly over the past 

two decades, driven largely by a need to better understand how 

anthropogenic changes in water availability affect the streamflows 

required to maintain healthy freshwater ecosystems, and to 

advance the management of these ecosystems by maintaining a 

balance between human and ecological water needs. 

The NWC has an important role to fulfill in ecological water 

science, and this includes developing novel tools and webavailable resources that provide stakeholders and ecological 

water science practitioners with the hydrologic and biological 

information necessary for comparing natural and altered 

hydrologic regimes and understanding the effects of streamflow 

alteration on aquatic ecosystems. 

56 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program 

USGS National Water Use 

information on freshwater irrigation 

withdrawals by county, 2010. Planning for the Future 

The USGS continues to work with other organizations, Federal and 

non-Federal agencies, and universities to ensure that the information 

produced can be aggregated with other types of water-availability 

and socioeconomic information. USGS and USBR closely 

coordinate on the science goals of relevant Focus Area Studies, the 

Brackish water assessment, and the Water Use Data and Research 

program to ensure that products meet the needs of stakeholders and 

water managers in making water resource management decision in 

the West. Future research goals include: 

1.	 Evaluating the relations between water supply and quality for 

both human and ecological uses, including the potential use of 

impaired water supplies. 

2.	 Developing geographic Focus Area Studies in additional basins. 

3.	 Continuing to improve uncertainty analyses. 

For more information on the 

USGS WaterSMART Program 

see: 

http://water.usgs.gov/ 

watercensus/WaterSMART. 

html. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 57 
58 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Securing a Sustainable Water Future 

Securing a Sustainable Water 

Future 

Over the last seven years, the WaterSMART Program has enabled 

Interior and its partners to act in response to near-term and immediate 

water shortages and to plan for longer-term needs. Since 2010, 

Reclamation has provided approximately $430 million in funding 

through WaterSMART, matched by funding from partners to carry out 

more than 550 water resources planning studies and on-the ground 

improvement projects in the Western U.S. WaterSMART data and 

scientific assessments have helped water users understand trends and 

make informed decisions about long-term water management strategies. 

WaterSMART Data Visualization 

Tool Map of Reclamation’s 

WaterSMART Program activities 

from 2010 – 2016. Programs are 

represented by different shades 

and colors, and progress can be 

displayed over time. Click on a 

project for more information. 

http://arcg.is/1TcT68S 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 59 
WaterSMART Securing a Sustainable Water Future 

Addressing the Resilience of Reclamation’s 

Facilities 

Reclamation’s water resource infrastructure assets have a current 

estimated total replacement value of $99 billion. From dams and 

irrigation facilities to hydropower generation and distribution, 

Reclamation’s assets are a vital part of the Nation’s economy, safety, 

and security. To ensure that Reclamation’s infrastructure is sufficient 

to accommodate climate variability, WaterSMART now includes 

the Resilient Infrastructure Program. Through the program 

Reclamation is taking steps to address the challenges of incorporating 

climate change information into decisions about infrastructure repair, 

replacement, and renovation investments and protect infrastructure 

by supporting healthy and resilient watersheds. Reclamation is 

developing an enhanced decision making framework for prioritizing 

these types of infrastructure investments, including an approach to 

determine when climate change information should be incorporated 

into the design process. The decision framework and design criteria 

will be tested through a pilot process, using infrastructure investments 

that have the greatest potential to be influenced by climate impacts. 

The results of this effort will be used in Reclamation’s infrastructure 

investment decisions. 

The Resilient Infrastructure Program includes the Western 

Watershed Enhancement Progam, which is a part of President 

Obama’s Climate Action Plan, outlining a comprehensive approach 

to prepare the nation for the impacts of climate change, including 

increased risk of wildfires and drought. In May 2016, Interior 

announced $500,000 in Western Watershed Enhancement Partnership 

funding to five projects to improve watershed health, reduce 

wildfire risk and post-wildfire erosion and sedimentation through 

rehabilitation of fire-damaged areas; restore wildlife habitat; and 

investigate watershed enhancement methods. Projects included: 

Boise River Pilot Project (Idaho), Cragin Watershed Protection 

Project (Arizona), Hemlock Project (California), Glacier Creek 

to Mill Creek Fuel Reduction Project (Colorado), and the Yakima 

Watershed Enhancement Project (Washington). 

Reclamation is also working to improve drought preparedness by 

developing new processes that can be incorporated into reservoir 

management. In January 2016, Reclamation implemented five pilot 

activities to explore the tracking of water supplies affected by climate 

change, and to identify other reservoir operations opportunities, as 

part of the Reservoir Operations Pilot Initiative. Incorporated into 

the WaterSMART Basin Study Program WWCRA activity, the five 

reservoir operations pilot studies include the following locations: 

60 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Securing a Sustainable Water Future 

●		Great Plains Region: Upper Washita, Fort Cobb and Foss 

Reservoirs 

● Mid-Pacific Region: Klamath River Basin, Klamath Project 

● Pacific Northwest Region: Ochoco Creek and Crooked River 

●		Upper Colorado Region: Upper Colorado River Drought 

Contingency Plan, Climate and Operations Assessment 

Methodology 

●		Lower Colorado Region: Salt River Project, Salt and 

Verde Rivers
 

The Reservoir Operations Pilot Initiative is a key aspect of the 

National Drought Resilience Partnership Action Plan and a high 

priority action under Reclamation’s Climate Change Adaptation 

Strategy first goal to increase water management flexibility. 

Reclamation is collaborating with USACE and the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to evaluate how 

weather, hydrology, and climate change information could better 

inform operations. This effort will be used to develop Reclamation 

guidance on improving reservoir operations. 

Between the partner-led WaterSMART projects and the investments 

in Reclamation operations and infrastructure, we are helping 

to build secure water supplies for communities in the Western 

United States. For example, in the seven-state Colorado River 

Basin, Reclamation and agencies representing the Basin States 

completed the seminal Colorado River Basin Study in 2012. In For more information on the 

the Colorado River Basin and adjacent areas that receive Colorado Reservoir Operations Pilot

River Water, Reclamation and its partners are carrying out over 70 Initiative visit the website here: 

WaterSMART Grant projects to address water efficiency—projects https://www.usbr.gov/ expected to result in over 85,000 acre-feet of water savings each watersmart/wcra/reservoirpilot.

year once completed—and 20 water reclamation and reuse projects html 

that are now delivering about 314,000 acre-feet of recycled water 

each year. Along with development of two drought contingency 

plans, implementation of two drought resiliency projects, and 

development of nine local watershed partnerships through the 

Cooperative Watershed Management Program, these investments 

have made an important contribution to water operations during 

the current drought of record. Similarly, in basins across the 

17 Western States—places as diverse as the Sacramento-San 

Joaquin, the Los Angeles Basin, the Yakima Basin, the Upper 

Missouri Headwaters, the Republican, and the Upper Red River— 

investments are paying off for local water users and communities. 

The WaterSMART program represents a comprehensive, sciencebased and partner-led approach to solving water challenges in the 

21st Century. 

The Klamath River Basin Pilot 

Study is focused on improving 

supply and demand forecasting. 

Photo by Reclamation. 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 61 
WaterSMART Securing a Sustainable Water Future 

Strengthening WaterSMART 

Reclamation continues to make adjustments to WaterSMART, 

based on stakeholder feedback and regular review of results, 

to ensure that available funding helps water managers address 

priority issues effectively. Reclamation has made improvements 

to Water and Energy Efficiency Grants funding criteria 

for 2017, including steps to make the criteria clearer and to 

emphasize the consideration given to proposals that address 

not only quantifiable water savings but also broader water 

sustainability benefits. Reclamation is also developing a new 

funding category, WaterSMART Grants for Water Marketing 

Activities, to provide meaningful support for entities exploring 

actions that can be taken to develop or facilitate water marketing 

that could provide a mechanism for willing participants to buy, 

sell, lease, or exchange water. 

While interest in WaterSMART Grants continues to be strong, 

Reclamation has heard from a number of partners that the 

application process for Water and Energy Efficiency Grants 

is not ideal for smaller entities. With that in mind, a new 

funding category, WaterSMART Grants for Small-Scale 

Water Efficiency Projects will be made available in 2017. 

This new funding category will be used to support small-scale 

water management projects that have been identified through 

previous planning efforts. Reclamation is working to develop a 

streamlined selection and review process that is more appropriate 

for the small-scale nature of these projects. 

In 2017, Reclamation is also modifying two other existing 

programs. To complement activities funded through 

WaterSMART Grants, the Water Conservation Field Services 

Program is now focused on funding for water conservation 

planning, System Optimization Reviews to assess potential 

water conservation improvements, small demonstration projects, 

design of water management improvements, and technical 

assistance. Also in 2017, Reclamation will offer a new funding 

opportunity under the Cooperative Watershed Management 

Program, providing cost shared funding on a competitive basis 

for watershed management projects that improve water quality 

and ecological resilience and address water quantity and quality 

issues at the local level to, reduce water conflicts, and to support 

multiple water uses within a watershed. 

Finally, Reclamation continues to improve WaterSMART 

Basin Studies by increasing focus on the impact climate change 

may have on extreme events, such as floods and droughts, and 

62 WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 
WaterSMART Securing a Sustainable Water Future 

ecological resiliency. In addition, Reclamation began funding 

Basin Study Updates in 2016. The Santa Fe Basin Study 

Update and Saint Mary and Milk Rivers Basin Study Update 

will incorporate new information and update the climate change 

analysis and modeling tools developed in the original Basin 

Studies. Through these and other efforts, Reclamation will work to 

ensure that the Basin Studies are dynamic efforts that use the best 

available science to help ensure sustainable water supplies in river 

basins in the West. 

These new program elements are intended to ensure that 

WaterSMART can continue to provide the framework Interior 

needs to work with partners to secure a sustainable water future 

for the nation. Building on the success of WaterSMART to 

date, Interior will continue to provide leadership and assistance 

to partner states, tribes, regional and local governments, and 

conservation organizations as a responsible steward of the Nation’s 

natural resources. 

For more information, visit https://www.usbr.gov/watersmart. 

Stay up to date on new funding 

opportunity announcements and 

key dates each year by visiting 

the WaterSMART Calendar: 

https://www.usbr.gov/ 

watersmart/calendar.html 

WaterSMART: Progress Report 2010–2016 63