Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) Grants

The Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) Grants support initiatives aimed at enhancing water quality across Alaska. Established over 20 years ago, ACWA fosters collaboration among state agencies to address pollution through comprehensive watershed planning. This funding opportunity encourages local governments and stakeholders to propose projects that mitigate water quality issues. Notably, this grant cycle eliminates match funding requirements, making it easier for applicants to access necessary resources for green infrastructure projects that manage stormwater runoff.

The Alaska Clean Water Actions (ACWA) was created through Administrative Order 200 over 20 years ago. This directive instructed Alaska’s resource agencies (Departments of Environmental Conservation, Fish and Game, and Natural Resources) to work together to characterize Alaska's waters in a holistic manner; sharing data, expertise and other information. ACWA creates a cooperative method to collect information and direct resources to prevent or correct water quality problems. It also provides an avenue to identify areas where pollution prevention and watershed planning efforts are encouraged to protect or improve water quality.
ACWA includes a request for proposals every other year for projects using funds that are passed through from federal monies. Local governments, citizen groups, tribes and education facilities are often the recipients of these awards. The request for proposal has detailed information on what activities are being solicited each application period.
ACWA also encourages watershed planning to help protect or restore water quality. Due to the complex and diffuse nature of nonpoint source pollution, it often takes a group of stakeholders coming together to discuss the issues and potential solutions. Watershed planning helps address water quality problems in a holistic manner by fully assessing the potential contributing causes and sources of pollution, then prioritizing restoration and protection strategies to address these problems.
DEC is requesting grant proposals to address water quality issues in Alaska!
Of special note this grant cycle:
DEC has additional funds available for grants from municipal governments that design and install green infrastructure to manage, reduce, treat, and recapture stormwater runoff.
DEC is waiving all match requirements this ACWA grant cycle!