Funding Opportunities
General Grant
The Community Funding Partnership’s flagship grant program funds multi-purpose water projects on the Western Slope across five project categories: productive agriculture, infrastructure, healthy rivers, watershed health and water quality, and conservation and efficiency.
Competitive applications will identify benefits to multiple categories and demonstrate significant local support.
Accelerator Grant
The Accelerator Grant program is designed to support West Slope water users in navigating the application requirements for federal and state water project dollars available. Grants will cover up to 85% of the funding needs to complete a federal and/or state funding application. These may include, but are not limited to, grant-writing, feasibility studies, design, preliminary environmental review, benefits analysis, and engineering. Funding cannot be used for preliminary project identification and stakeholder engagement.
Emergency Grant
The Colorado River District recognizes the need to support emergency infrastructure repair and related activities that arise from a natural hazard or unforeseen emergency through no fault or lack of action on the part of the water right holder. For projects resulting from a natural hazard or unforeseen emergency, the River District will reimburse project costs up to six months prior to the application date.
Irrigation Company Financial Sustainability Pilot Grant Opportunity
The Colorado River District Community Funding Partnership is opening a pilot, special funding round for irrigation companies. The grant opportunity will support capital improvement planning and rate studies to inform proactive financial decisions to complete infrastructure projects at an appropriate pace and scale, and ultimately to create local solutions to aging infrastructure risks.
Applicants must own and/or operate an irrigation ditch and be able to contract with an engineering firm. Applications are due February 15, 2026. Up to five applicants will be chosen for the pilot grant program.
To begin the process, schedule a call with Community Funding Partnership staff.
Community Funding Partnership Project Initial Screening Questions:
- Is your project located within the Colorado River District’s boundaries? (Reference page 1 of the CFP Guidelines.)
- Does your project help water users prepare for a hotter and drier future? (Reference page 1 of the CFP Guidelines.)
- Does your project align with at least two Community Funding Partnership categories (Productive Agriculture, Infrastructure, Watershed Health/Water Quality, Healthy Rivers, Conservation/Efficiency)? (Reference page 2 of the CFP Guidelines.)
- Does your project include financial contributions from other sources? (Reference page 4 of the CFP Guidelines.)
- Does your project demonstrate local community support and involve partnerships? (Reference page 4 of the CFP Guidelines.)
- Does your project provide public benefits and/or serve multiple beneficiaries? (Reference page 4 of the CFP Guidelines.)
Interested in learning more about the Community Funding Partnership and/or Accelerator grants? Schedule a call with one of our staff members!
All applicants must complete a 15 min inquiry call prior to applying.
A project proponent within the District’s 15-county boundaries is eligible to apply for the Community Funding Partnership. Project proponents include stakeholders such as individuals, local governments, corporations, private entities such as mutual ditch companies, non-profit corporations, and partnerships. Completed projects are not eligible for the Community Funding Partnership.
See map HERE for recent project examples.
The program seeks to advance the Colorado River District’s mission “to lead in the protection, conservation, use, and development of the water resources of the Colorado River basin for the welfare of the District, and to safeguard for Colorado all waters of the Colorado River to which the state is entitled.”
Projects should be within the River District’s boundaries and fit within the District’s Mission, Strategic Plan and the Board of Director’s policy statements. Community Funding Partnership funding may be made in the form of a grant, loan and/or investment in a project. Program funds shall not be the sole source of funding for any project. Project applicants and supporters should contribute funds and use District funds to leverage additional state, federal or private funds to the project.
The program framework prioritizes multi-use projects that meet needs in one or more of the following categories:
- Productive agriculture projects could include multiple-use storage that addresses regional priorities; developing innovative and functional water leasing; suitable agriculture efficiency and conservation approaches; technical assistance and technological innovation; and dedicated resources for increasing community literacy about irrigated agriculture and supporting agricultural market growth. The District will not utilize these funds to permanently or temporarily fallow irrigated agriculture;
- Infrastructure projects could include upgrading aging infrastructure while incentivizing new storage and delivery projects that collaboratively address multiple needs, such as improved flows to meet demands, stream and watershed health, and habitat quality; multi-purpose projects and storage methods that are supported in the Water Plan and the Basin Implementation Plans;
- Healthy rivers projects could include those identified in stream management plans or similar projects that support and sustain fish and wildlife, healthy aquifer conditions as they connect to healthy streams, economically important water-based recreation, wetland habitat, fish passage construction for new or revised water diversion structures, stream restoration projects, and environmental and recreational enhancements for new or revised water supply projects;
- Watershed health and water quality projects which could include projects identified in collaborative and science-based watershed management plans that reduce the risk from and increase resilience to fires and/or floods, rehabilitate streams, or make landscapes resilient to climate change, including, but not limited to science-based mechanical forest treatments and prescribed fire, projects that address drinking water quality for under-resourced communities, and projects that address pollutants such as selenium, salts, and others, as well as mine remediation activities; and
- Conservation and efficiency projects could include supporting agricultural water infrastructure that increases reliability and efficiency; municipal and industrial projects that promote efficiency, water conservation, green infrastructure, and outdoor landscaping to reduce consumptive use; increase leak detection for infrastructure repair and replacement; assisting communities with water-smart community development and water conservation programs; and targeting smaller, fast-growing, and communities with older infrastructure with strategic, incentive-based investments.
- Review the Community Funding Partnership Guidelines, Community Funding Partnership Framework, Application and Budget Worksheet prior to setting up an inquiry phone call.
- Contact the River District through the link above to schedule a 15-min Inquiry Phone Call to find out if your project is a good fit for our program.
- Following your Inquiry Call, Staff will review and determine whether to set-up a site visit or pre-application meeting (virtual or in-person options).
- If approved, staff will work with the applicant to complete an application and attach supporting documents via the grant portal.
The Community Funding Partnership is a rolling program, and therefore, applications and requests for partnership funding can be submitted at any time. Applicants should anticipate four to six weeks for internal applications review, analysis and funding recommendation, contingent upon receiving a complete application.
For funding requests that require Board approval, a completed application and all supporting materials must be submitted no later than six weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled District Board meeting. The River District’s regularly scheduled quarterly meetings fall on the third Tuesday of January, April, July, and October.
- For funding requests that require Board approval (typically applications over $50,000), a completed application and all supporting materials must be submitted no later than six weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled District Board meeting. The River District’s regularly scheduled quarterly meetings fall on the third Tuesday of January, April, July, and October.
To ensure sufficient time for staff review and analysis, CRD recommends the following deadlines for applications that require Board approval:
- November 15th (January Board Meeting)
- February 15th (April Board Meeting)
- May 15th (July Board Meeting)
- August 15th (October Board Meeting)
To discuss application deadlines, we encourage applicants to arrange for inquiry phone call about your proposed application.
- Please visit our grant portal to begin the application process and submit supporting documents. If you have any questions and/or would rather submit a word/pdf version of the application instead of using the portal, please contact Melissa Wills at mwills@crwcd.org.
- CFP Application Portal Instructions (.pdf)
