Applications open for 2022 flood management grants

The Idaho Water Resource Board is actively inviting applications for the 2022 State Flood Management Grant program. Applications are due by June 3.

The State Flood Management Grant program is open to flood control districts, drainage districts, irrigation districts, canal companies, municipalities, counties and other public entities that may have incurred flood damage in recent times.

The maximum budget for each project is $200,000; a 50 percent local match is required with non-state dollars. In general, eligible projects include: repairing stream channels damaged by floods; stream- channel improvement; flood-risk reduction; and flood-prevention projects.

In 2021, the Board approved 10 flood-management grant projects statewide totaling $980,936. The Board will select the 2022 grant projects for funding at its July meeting.

Board officials are encouraging applications from new water entities/communities in the 2022 grant program. New applicants will receive 5 extra points in the scoring of proposals. Projects also are scored on the basis of readiness, urgency, benefits, cost-share funding and more. Projects must be shovel-ready and under construction in the late fall of 2022, according to the grant criteria, or funds could be reallocated to other projects.

The goard’s intent is to distribute grant funds to projects well distributed around the state. No more

than 50 percent of the total budget can be spent in any single board region of Idaho.

Application guidelines and forms can be found online at idwr.idaho.gov/form/financial-program/ .