WASHINGTON - The Bureau of Reclamation is initiating the process for those entities interested in participating in the 2013 Basin Studies through the WaterSMART Program. To participate in the selection process, interested non-Federal entities should submit a short letter of interest to its respective regional office by Jan. 9, 2013.
Through Basin Studies, Reclamation works with state and local partners to conduct comprehensive water supply and demand studies of river basins in the western United States. Reclamation anticipates funding two-to-four studies in 2013.
Basin Studies include four main elements:
* Projections of water supply and demand, including the risks of climate change.
* Analysis of how existing water and power infrastructure and operations will perform in response to changing water realities.
* Development of options and mitigation strategies to improve operations and infrastructure to supply adequate water in the future.
* Trade-off analysis of the options identified and findings and recommendations as appropriate.
Entities must contribute at least 50 percent of the total costs as cash or in-kind services. This is not a financial assistance program and Reclamation's share of the study costs will only be used to support work done by Reclamation or its contractors.
Reclamation’s regional office staff will review the letters of interest. Those selected for consideration will then work with Reclamation to develop a joint study proposal for evaluation and prioritization by a Reclamation review committee.
The WaterSMART Program focuses on improving water conservation and sustainability and helping water resource managers make sound decisions about water use. It identifies strategies to ensure that this and future generations will have sufficient supplies of clean water for drinking, economic activities, recreation and ecosystem health. The program also identifies adaptive measures to address climate change and its impact on future water demands. Through WaterSMART and other conservation programs funded over the last three years, more than 580,000 acre-feet of water per year is estimated to have been saved.
To learn more about the WaterSMART Basin Studies please visit www.usbr.gov/watersmart/bsp.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
