Calleguas Watershed | Creating Connections

Call for Projects
2015 IRWM Implementation Grant Program
Deadline Monday, April 13, 2015, 5:00 p.m.

The State of California has announced the 2015 Integrated Regional Water Management Implementation Grant (IRWM) Program.  This final round of Proposition 84 grant funding includes $40 million designated for the Los Angeles – Ventura area.

The Watersheds Coalition of Ventura County (WCVC) is designated by the State to coordinate our planning region's grant application.  The WCVC includes the lower Santa Clara River, Ventura River, and Calleguas Creek watersheds.  Within the WCVC, project proposals are reviewed and ranked by individual watersheds, and then a final suite of projects is selected by the WCVC Steering Committee.  The selected projects will then be combined into a single, more detailed project proposal to be submitted to the state.  Project proponents will split the cost of the consultant services to develop the state project suite proposal application.  The cost to each project proponent is expected to run about $25,000 to $30,000 for the application preparation and there is no guarantee that your project will be funded.

For projects within the Calleguas Creek watershed, the deadline for submitting a project proposal is Monday, April 13, 2015, 5:30 p.m., via email to calleguaswatershed@gmail.com.  Project proponents will present their projects at the Calleguas Watershed committee meeting of April 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to noon.  Projects must be consistent with the 2015 IRWM Guidelines and WCVC IRWM Plan.  The list of previously funded IRWM projects provides examples of the type of projects that have been selected in prior rounds of funding.

2015 IRWM Implementation Project Form Instructions

How do I submit a project?

1. Fill out the WCVC Project Input Form.  (This provides detailed information about your project and will be the official proposal for your project from the Calleguas Creek watershed committee to the WCVC Steering Committee.)
2. Write a single page describing why your project best fits the PSP and Guidelines criteria. (This can be drawn from the project input form, but is the one-page summary that tells others about the significance of your project)
3. Include an 8.5"x11" location map. (People like to know where your project is located.)
4. Send all three documents to calleguaswatershed@gmail.com by 5:30 p.m. April 13, 2015.
5. Develop a 5-10 minute presentation to make at the Calleguas Creek Watershed Steering Committee meeting on April 15, 2015, 10am-12pm, at Calleguas Municipal Water District (2100 Olsen Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360).
6. Plan on attending the WCVC Steering Committee meeting on April 27, 9:30am-12pm at the Pacific Conference Room, Ventura County Government Center (800 S. Victoria, Ventura, CA 93003.  The Pacific Conference room is in the Hall of Justice building behind the cafeteria.) The WCVC Steering Committee will hear presentations from the project proponents and choose a final project suite.
7. But wait there's more!  For those projects that move ahead for the final application, here is the proposed WCVC schedule (version 3/27/15).

What if I have questions? 
Project proponents are encouraged to read the Department of Water Resources’ Guidelines and Project Solicitation Package (PSP).   Both of these documents are in draft form, but the State’s ambitious schedule requires our action in advance of final versions to prepare a competitive application.

Yes, this is a fast turnaround for project descriptions.  As a practical matter, if your project is not well enough developed at this time to complete these preliminary forms, it would be difficult for you to provide the level of detail that will be required to complete the state’s project proposal package.  There will be additional grant funding opportunities available from the State under the Prop. 1 Water Bond.  It’s not too late to be gearing up projects for these future funding opportunities; in fact, it would be just about the right time to be reading up on Prop. 1 and developing projects that meet your needs and the funding requirements.

Thank you for reading this far.  If you have any questions, please drop an email to calleguaswatershed@gmail.com.