USGS Water Use Data and Research Program Announcement for Fiscal Year 2024 | G24AS00194

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00194

The USGS Water Use Data and Research (WUDR) Program Announcement for Fiscal Year 2024 is a discretionary, two-year cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) through its Water Availability and Use Science Program (WAUSP). The main purpose is to fund State water resource agencies that collect, manage, estimate, or report water-use data so they can strengthen how that information is gathered and delivered to support a more complete national picture of water use. In practical terms, the opportunity is designed to help States improve the core plumbing of water-use data work: collecting it consistently, improving its quality, making it compatible across jurisdictions, and reporting it in ways that can be integrated into USGS national datasets.

A central goal of the program is to improve the availability, quality, compatibility, and delivery of State-produced water-use data that feeds into USGS efforts to understand how water is used across the United States. USGS has produced national water-use estimates since 1950, typically published in five-year reporting cycles, and these estimates depend on reliable, comparable inputs from State partners. The WUDR cooperative agreements are meant to support the assembly and reporting of water-use information across key categories such as irrigation and public supply, which are essential for water managers and the public to understand how water demand is changing over time and across regions.

The legal authority for the opportunity comes from Public Law 111-11, Subtitle F, known as the SECURE Water Act, specifically Section 9508, "National Water Availability and Use Assessment Program." A notable requirement tied to that authority is openness and usability of the data produced with these funds: participating State agencies must make resulting water-use or water-availability datasets available in a machine-readable, open format. The intent is that USGS can directly integrate those datasets with other USGS-maintained information, which supports national-scale analysis and reduces fragmentation where each State might otherwise use different formats, definitions, or reporting structures.

Beyond general data improvement, the announcement emphasizes alignment with Department of the Interior Secretarial priorities. While the specific priorities are not itemized in the text provided, the program frames water-use data as a tool for better situational awareness and planning, especially as environmental conditions shift and competition over water increases. By improving ongoing monitoring and the ability to compare conditions over time, the program aims to help water managers anticipate stress points and reduce the likelihood of future conflicts tied to scarcity, changing demand, or evolving climate and land-use conditions.

The work is positioned within a nationwide USGS operational footprint. USGS Water Science Centers exist across all 50 States, U.S. Territories, and the District of Columbia, and water-use data efforts are described as collaborative by design. Data collection and related studies often involve coordination among State agencies, other Federal agencies, Tribes, water authorities, local governments, academic partners, corporations, and the private sector. The cooperative agreement model reflects that structure: it is not simply a pass-through grant, but a partnership mechanism intended to improve coordination and communication between USGS and State natural resource and water offices while producing datasets that can support both State decision-making and national assessments.

Key administrative details included in the source information are as follows: the opportunity number is G24AS00194, the assistance listing (CFDA) number is 15.981, and the funding instrument type is a cooperative agreement. Eligible applicants are primarily State governments (with eligibility also listing "Others" in the summary fields), and the administering agency is the U.S. Geological Survey. The original closing date listed is April 11, 2024. The award ceiling is $125,000, and the program anticipated making awards (the exact expected number is not specified in the provided text). The announcement was created on December 13, 2023.

• The Geological Survey in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "USGS Water Use Data and Research Program Announcement for Fiscal Year 2024" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.981.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-12-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-11. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $125,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, Others.

Apply for G24AS00194

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