Proposition 204 Drainage Reuse Grant Program

The Drainage Reuse Grant Program provides funds to local public agencies, including public universities, in the state of California for research and/or programs that resolve agricultural subsurface drainage water issues. The program encourages development of methods of using subsurface drainage, reducing its toxic elements, and concentrating, separating and utilizing its salts.

Examples of research and technical study projects that could be funded by this grant program include, but are not limited to, those that:

• Develop methods to reuse drainage water
• Optimize irrigation methods for source reduction
• Investigate or develop salt tolerant plant species
• Analyze market opportunities for harvested salts
• Develop drainage treatment and salt separation technologies

DWR’s Drainage Reuse Grant Program Offers $1 Million in Competitive Grants

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released the Final 2020 Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package for the Drainage Reuse Grant Program. This grant program provides financial assistance to local public agencies, including public universities in the state of California for research and/or programs that resolve agricultural subsurface drainage water issues.

The program is funded by Proposition 204 through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. A total of approximately $1 million in funding is available in 2020 and maximum grant amounts per each eligible project are limited to $300,000. The Final Guidelines and Proposal Solicitation Package was released to the public to solicit proposals on April 7, 2020.

Proposals must be submitted to DWR’s South Central Region Office located at 3374 East Shields Ave, Fresno, CA 93726 either by postal service or via email (pdf format) at AgDrainageGrants@water.ca.gov no later than Thursday, May 7, 2020 by 5:00 p.m.

Any proposals received after that date and time will not be considered. For more information on document releases, new solicitations, upcoming workshops, and other grant-related announcements, subscribe to the Drainage Reuse Grant Program contact list by sending an email to AgDrainageGrants@water.ca.gov.