Rock Slough Fish Screen Corrective Action and Improvements | BOR MP 19 N019

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 19 N019

The Rock Slough Fish Screen Corrective Action and Improvements opportunity is a federal funding announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, focused on natural resources and fish protection in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region. It is tied to CFDA 15.512 and authorized under Public Law 102-575, Section 3406(b)(1), which is part of the legal framework supporting fish and wildlife protection measures associated with Central Valley Project operations. The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning the Bureau of Reclamation is expected to have substantial involvement in the project beyond simply providing funding, such as participating in oversight, coordination, technical review, or compliance activities.

The intended recipient is the Contra Costa Water District, which is a special district government and the only eligible applicant listed. This indicates the opportunity is not a broadly competed grant solicitation, but rather a targeted, discretionary action where Reclamation plans to make a specific award to a specific local water agency to address a defined infrastructure and environmental need. The funding opportunity number is BOR MP 19 N019, and the posting shows an original closing date of 2019-08-29, reflecting the administrative timeline for finalizing and processing the agreement.

Financially, the project has an estimated total agreement value of $5,327,548.00, with Reclamation providing $1,395,661.00 in Fiscal Year 2019. The listing shows an award ceiling of 1, which aligns with the expectation of a single award and reinforces that this is a project-specific cooperative agreement rather than a multi-award competitive program. While only the FY2019 amount is explicitly stated as being provided at that time, the larger total suggests a multi-year or multi-phase effort where federal support may be combined with non-federal cost share, additional federal increments, or other funding sources to reach the full project cost.

From a purpose and outcomes standpoint, the project is designed to correct and improve the Rock Slough fish screen, an important piece of infrastructure used to reduce fish entrainment and improve survival for sensitive species near water diversion facilities. The core public benefit emphasized in the description is protection of the threatened Delta Smelt and the endangered winter-run Chinook Salmon, two species that are heavily affected by Delta water operations and are central to many state and federal conservation requirements. Fish screens and related improvements typically aim to prevent fish from being drawn into diversion intakes, guide them safely back to the river system, and reduce injury or mortality caused by pumping and conveyance structures.

At the same time, the opportunity highlights a dual objective that is common in Delta water management: improving environmental protections while maintaining reliable water diversions for human use. By upgrading or correcting the fish screen, the project is expected not only to provide stronger fisheries protection, but also to support continued operation of diversions that supply the Contra Costa Canal. In practical terms, that means helping sustain water deliveries to the communities and industries that rely on that canal, while reducing ecological impacts that can trigger operational restrictions, regulatory conflicts, or long-term harm to fish populations.

In short, this grant/cooperative agreement centers on modernizing or fixing a fish protection system at Rock Slough to meet public environmental goals and regulatory needs, while also helping secure ongoing water supply operations. It is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation as a discretionary natural resources action, issued to a specific local special district government, with a defined project budget and an initial federal contribution identified for FY2019.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Rock Slough Fish Screen Corrective Action and Improvements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.512.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-08-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-08-29. (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 $1.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Special district governments.

Apply for BOR MP 19 N019

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