Lake Casitas Recreation Improvements | BOR MP 18 N006

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 18 N006

The Lake Casitas Recreation Improvements opportunity is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary grant (Funding Opportunity Number BOR MP 18 N006; CFDA 15.524) focused on keeping Lake Casitas Recreation Area operating safely and smoothly under heavy public use. The core purpose is practical, ongoing infrastructure and visitor-service upkeep in a park that sees close to 600,000 visitors each year, especially during peak summer months when roads, facilities, and equipment wear down fastest. Rather than a one-time capital project, the grant is framed as a continuation of prior improvements and a way to sustain the maintenance level needed for a high-traffic recreation site so the area can meet its planned operational standards for public use.

A central feature of the award is that it is structured as a multi-year, 50/50 cost-share arrangement between Reclamation and the local managing entity (the Casitas Municipal Water District). The District is positioned as the on-the-ground operator responsible for administering, operating, maintaining, and developing recreation facilities within the reservoir area, and the proposal builds on an earlier cost-share agreement from 2015 as well as a long-term (25-year) Resource Management Plan that guides current and future improvements. In practical terms, this means federal funds are intended to match local investment for eligible recreation improvements, with the District continuing to carry major responsibility for execution and long-term upkeep.

The funded work is organized into four main objectives. First, public safety improvements target park security and visitor confidence through the installation of security cameras and illuminated directional signage, reflecting the reality that high visitation brings higher safety and security demands. Second, road resurfacing and maintenance addresses recurring damage to the park’s circulation network, which includes roughly 11 miles of roads and trails. The stated approach is to rehabilitate about 3 to 6 miles per year (plus spot repairs where needed), using methods that fit site conditions such as grinding the existing base, applying a cape seal when added asphalt depth is not needed, or performing full resurfacing in more heavily damaged areas, typically timed before the busy season that begins around April. Third, playground maintenance focuses on yearly replenishment of playground surfacing, specifically rubber pellet material that the park has adopted as the preferred surface because it improves fall protection and has helped reduce injuries among younger visitors; pellet base additions are planned each spring for playgrounds opening around April 15. Fourth, the Quagga Mussel Inspection Program supports a state-mandated invasive species prevention effort that requires inspection of all recreation boats before launch, documentation and reporting to state fish and game authorities, and year-round staffing because the lake remains open to boating and fishing throughout the year. The request emphasizes equipment and facility needs tied to inspections (for example industrial pressure washers, protective gear and wash uniforms, data and recordkeeping computers), with a major planned expense being a new inspection station awning to protect both staff and visitors from sun and rain during inspections.

Reclamation’s role is described as limited and non-substantial, mainly covering normal federal stewardship functions such as monitoring performance and providing technical assistance if requested, rather than day-to-day project management. The award is also explicitly justified as single-source (not competed) because Lake Casitas recreation operations are governed by an existing management agreement under which Casitas Municipal Water District is designated to administer and manage recreation uses and facilities for Reclamation. The justification highlights the District’s long history managing the area since 1958, its proximity and capacity to maintain park infrastructure (including nearby maintenance yards and readily available equipment), and alignment with Reclamation’s Resource Management Plan/EIS stating that implementation actions are primarily the managing partner’s responsibility.

Key administrative details included in the source listing are: the eligible applicant type is special district governments; the funding instrument is a grant; the activity category is natural resources; the original closing date shown is 2018-04-23; and the award ceiling is $499,739. The legal authority cited for entering into and structuring the agreement comes from the Federal Water Project Recreation Act (Public Law 89-72, July 9, 1965), especially provisions that encourage non-federal public bodies to administer recreation areas and require at least a 50 percent non-federal cost share for recreation facility planning, capital costs, and associated operation, maintenance, and replacement, while limiting the federal share for expansions or modifications to no more than 50 percent of total cost.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lake Casitas Recreation Improvements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.524.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-04-09.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-04-23. (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 $499,739.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Special district governments.

Apply for BOR MP 18 N006

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