The MWCC Watershed Fund has funding from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assist our community-based watershed conservation partners with reducing and preventing nonpoint source pollution; improving water quality; and protecting watershed health, in part through the Big Sky Watershed Corps Program. This funding falls into three categories, detailed below.
2025 Professional Development Funding and BSWC Project Support funding is now open! See below for details.
Funding to help local watershed conservation organizations pay the costs of hosting a BSWC member to increase their capacity to implement DEQ-accepted WRPs and improve water quality. Funding may also go to help BSWC members pay for housing.
Typically announced in July and awarded in August, ahead of the September deadline for organizations to apply to host a BSWC member.
Awards of up to $7,500 to help offset the (estimated, TBD in August 2024) $15,500 cost share payment for hosting a member.
Award decisions based on whether proposed member activities will implement DEQ-accepted WRPs and reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution, as well as on the percentage of the member’s time dedicated to these activities.
One-to-one nonfederal match requirement that can be met through cash or in-kind contributions.
Awards of up to $8,000 to support BSWC member-led, on-the-ground projects that reduce or prevent nonpoint source pollution in water bodies listed as impaired on Montana’s 2020 List of Impaired Waters and are included in a DEQ-accepted Watershed Restoration Plan (WRP). (Scroll down to “Watershed Restoration Plans” to find your basin’s WRP on this page.)
Award decisions based on the extent to which projects directly reduce or prevent nonpoint source pollution, as well as the extent to which projects utilize the Watershed Approach to conservation and provide professional development opportunities to members.
60:40 nonfederal match requirement that can be met through cash or in-kind contributions.
Funding local watershed conservation organizations, including BSWC members and host sites, to attend trainings, workshops, and other events directly related to increasing capacity to reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution.
Awards typically $600 or less, depending on need, to support professional development opportunities directly related to improving water quality, reducing and preventing nonpoint source pollution, and implementing DEQ-accepted Watershed Restoration Plans (WRPs). (Scroll down to “Watershed Restoration Plans” to find your basin’s WRP on this page.)
Available to local watershed conservation organizations, including BSWC members and host sites, to defray the costs of attending trainings, conferences, workshops, and other opportunities.
Award decisions based on the extent to which the opportunity will help members and host sites build capacity to reduce nonpoint source pollution in their local watersheds.
The purpose of these dollars is to help our local partner organizations build their capacity to reduce nonpoint source pollution, improve water quality, and implement DEQ-accepted WRPS in their watersheds. All three types of funding must be directly related to community-led solutions and engagement using the Watershed Approach to conservation.
Who Qualifies for Support?
Watershed conservation organizations that are increasing the capacity of local communities to advance conservation using the Watershed Approach and are hosting a BSWC member are eligible to apply for these funding opportunities. Qualifying organizations include:
Watershed groups
Conservation, irrigation, water quality, and other special districts
Tribal entities and tribal government agencies
Non-profits
Forest collaboratives
Federal agencies, state agencies, individuals, and for-profit entities are not eligible.
Current Funding
Funding will be available to support professional development opportunities for members and host site personnel beginning in January 2023. This funding will be available on a rolling basis throughout 2023.
We will announce project support funding for BSWC member-led projects to reduce and prevent nonpoint source pollution in late February 2023.
Thank you to our Funders
Current
Previously
Questions?
Please contact Executive Director Amy Seaman at info@mtwatersheds.org with any questions, and to discuss your funding ideas.
