OWEB Water Acquisition Grant Program

The OWEB Water Acquisition Grant Program aims to enhance instream flows by facilitating the acquisition of water rights from willing sellers. This program addresses critical conservation needs for habitats and species while improving water quality in Oregon's water-limited areas. Eligible applicants include tribes, non-profits, and local governments, with a focus on projects that implement strategic planning and monitoring for sustainable water use. Priority is given to partnerships that align with ecological priorities.

Background
The OWEB water acquisition program supports the planning and implementation of the acquisition of an interest in water from a willing seller across the state. Water acquisition grants can support a range of project activities from permanent transfers and temporary leases of instream water rights to incentive-based voluntary curtailments by irrigators. The purpose of this program is to increase instream flow to address the conservation needs of habitats and species and to improve water quality.
Definition of Water Acquisition Project
"Water Acquisition Project is a program or project that plans for or implements, or both, the acquisition of an interest or interests in water from a willing seller for the purpose of increasing instream flow to do either or both of the following:Address the conservation needs of habitats and species;Improve water quality in a water-quality-limited area as determined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.A water acquisition project may include the following activities:Strategic planning and development, project design, landowner outreach, and other activities associated with water acquisitions in a given basin or other defined area;Acquisition of an interest in water and associated due diligence;Monitoring and other associated activities to ensure the interest is maintained through time.
Nature of Application
In accordance with Section 4(b) of Article XV of the Oregon Constitution, OWEB may consider grant applications in partnership with other funders for projects that plan or implement the acquisition of an interest in water from willing sellers for the purpose of maintaining or restoring watersheds and habitat(s) for native fish or wildlife. Interest in water includes, but is not limited to, instream leases (including split season use instream leases), water use agreements that result in protectable instream flows, conserved water projects as determined by the Oregon Water Resources Department’s Allocation of Conserved Water Program, and permanent and time-limited instream transfers. These projects must be designed to increase instream flow to do either or both of the following:
Address the conservation needs of habitats and species; orImprove water quality in a water-quality-limited area as determined by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Applications must address the conservation and restoration needs of habitat(s) and species consistent with ecological priorities and principles identified by the Board.

Eligibility

A regular grant applicant may be any person, tribe, watershed council, soil and water conservation district, not-for-profit institution, school, community college, state institution of higher education, independent not-for-profit institution of higher education, or political subdivision of this state that is not a state agency.A state agency or federal agency may apply for funding under this section only as a co-applicant with one of the other eligible entities.Any of these applicants or co-applicants may also serve as a fiscal agent for grants.