Susquehanna River Basin Commission Now Accepting 2023 Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant Applications

On November 1, the Susquehanna River Basin Commission announced it is now accepting Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant applications for projects to improve the sustainability of streamflows and groundwater during times of drought to support both water supplies and the aquatic ecosystem. Up to $6 million in funding is available this round.

The deadline for applications is January 31. Awards will be announced in April.

Consumptive use (CU) refers to water that is used but not returned to the river basin. The 2023 Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant program is aimed at projects that will improve the watershed’s drought resilience including:

-- Water storage and release projects (e.g., impoundments, inactive quarries, and underground mine pools);

-- Projects that modify current operations or implement new practices that increase instream flows or improve flow resilience (e.g., reservoir conservation releases, aquifer storage and recovery, and coordinated use of surface water and groundwater);

-- Demand modification projects (e.g., projects that achieve water conservation, reuse and/or recycling); and

-- Environmental and water quality improvement projects that support the resiliency of water resources (e.g., groundwater recharge, restoring wetlands/streams/floodplains, improving stormwater management, and treating abandoned mine drainage).

“In our inaugural year, we were able to fund some remarkably innovative and beneficial projects,” said SRBC Executive Director Andrew Dehoff. “For example, Kline Township in Schuylkill County was awarded a grant to use cutting-edge satellite technology to find leaks in their water supply distribution system. It’s estimated that detecting and fixing these leaks will save 125,000 gallons per day in real water loss.”

Grant funds, anticipated in the range of $100,000 or more, may be used to cover a variety of project costs that reduce water use or increase water availability to help protect public health and safety, avoid water use conflicts, prevent water quality impacts, sustain economic production, and/or support ecological flow needs. 

A minimum 10% cash match of the requested funds is required, or 25% cash match for requests in excess of $500,000.

Eligible applicants include SRBC permit holders, government agencies, academia, and non-profit organizations. 

Although proposed projects generally must be located within the Susquehanna River Basin, adjacent projects may be eligible provided the mitigation will benefit watersheds and streams within this basin.

Webinars

The SRBC will host two informational webinars on November 15 from 10:00 a.m. to Noon and December 8 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. to provide an overview of the program and answer questions. 

Please email cugrant@srbc.net to register.

To apply and for all the details, visit SRBC's Consumptive Use Mitigation Grant Program webpage.

For more information on programs, training opportunities and upcoming events, visit the Susquehanna River Basin Commission website.  Click Here to sign up for SRBC’s newsletter.   Follow SRBC on Twitter, visit them on YouTube.

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[Posted: November 1, 2022]  PA Environment Digest