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Department of Water Resources’s LandFlex Program

Grantor:
Department of Water Resources
Portal ID:
16529
Status:
Closed
Opportunity Type:
  • Grant
Last Updated:
 | 
Categories:

Details

Purpose:

The SGM Grant Program's LandFlex Program will provide funding to GSAs and other responsible entities in critically overdrafted (COD) basins to provide block grants to farmers to limit agricultural groundwater use and reduce pumping impacts to nearby drinking water wells. Financial incentives to farmers will provide multiple community benefits such as drinking water well relief, groundwater overdraft prevention, and climate resilience.

Description:

The Legislature has provided $25 million to DWR for the LandFlex Program. DWR will solicit proposals to award funding through a competitive application process. The $25 million program provides financial incentives forgrowers to actively participate in the protection of community drinking water resources. LandFlex will also provide land use decision flexibility and greater financial certainty to growers as they adjust in response to ongoing SGMA implementation.

Eligible applicants are GSAs, member agencies of GSAs, and agencies with an Alternative to a GSP located in COD basins.

The application process, application review process, schedule, program preferences, and definitions are outlined within the funding guidance documents posted on the LandFlex Program's webpage (draft Guidelines in December 2022 and final anticipated January 17, 2023). Applicants will use the guidance provided in the final Guidelines (estimated to post on January 17, 2023).

For updated information and clarifications, please visit our website: www.water.ca.gov/landflex.

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Public Agency

Eligible applicants for LandFlex must be a GSA, a member agency of a GSA, or an agency with an approved Alternative who are located within a COD basin. Eligible applicants must have adopted and are actively implementing a groundwater pumping allocation plan that includes a quantified volume of allowed annual overdraft pumping. Lastly, the eligible applicant must have implemented a remote sensed evapotranspiration (ET) accounting method. 

Eligible Geographies:

The grant solicitation is for eligible applicants located within COD basins.

Matching Funding Requirement:

N/A

Important Dates

The date (and time, where applicable) by which all applications must be submitted to the grantmaker. Time listed as “00:00” equates to midnight.
The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
February 2023
The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized.
3 years

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
$23,300,000
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
4 – 6
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
$7,000,000 – $10,000,000
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
No
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
No
The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • State

Funding Source Notes:

The Budget Act of 2021 (Stats. 2021, ch. 240, § 80) for the State of California allocated $25million in funding ($23.3 million after DWR administrative costs and technical assistanceprovider contracts) to LandFlex. Approximately, $23.3 million is available for grant awards toGSAs, member agencies of a GSA, or an entity with an approved Alternative.

The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Advances & Reimbursement(s)

Funding Method Notes:

Funding is provided in arrears as reimbursement and can only invoice on a calendar quarter. In some instances, advanced payment can be provided to applicants who are recognized as an underrepresented community and demonstrates financial difficulties.

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
SGM Grant Program, 1-916-902-7131, sgwp@water.ca.gov

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