Salt Basin Assessment of Water Resources and Groundwater Withdrawal | BOR UC 19 N005

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 19 N005

The "Salt Basin Assessment of Water Resources and Groundwater Withdrawal" grant opportunity is a U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation research effort focused on a practical question with major regional implications: whether the Salt Basin area of southern New Mexico and southwestern Texas can sustainably support groundwater pumping at levels up to about 100,000 acre-feet per year. The project is designed to look beyond simple estimates and instead produce an integrated, science-based assessment of both water availability and water quality, with a strong emphasis on groundwater conditions because groundwater would be the primary source affected by large-scale withdrawals.

At the core of the work is building or improving a comprehensive water budget for the region. That means accounting for how much water is stored in the groundwater system, how much is being withdrawn and used, and how water moves into and out of the system through processes like recharge from precipitation, losses to evapotranspiration, and other inflows and outflows. By tightening up these estimates, the study aims to clarify how the basin functions hydrologically and what the realistic limits are for long-term pumping without causing unacceptable declines in water levels, reduced water availability, or degradation in water quality.

A major component of the project is identifying what information is missing or uncertain and then filling those data gaps with new data collection. In practice, this could involve targeted groundwater-level monitoring, water quality sampling, compiling pumping and use records, improving precipitation and evapotranspiration datasets, and gathering geologic and aquifer-property information needed to better describe the subsurface. The intent is to reduce uncertainty in the most decision-relevant parameters and to ensure the final assessment is grounded in current, basin-specific observations rather than relying heavily on assumptions or outdated datasets.

Using the full set of compiled and newly collected data, the study then calls for updates to the hydrogeologic framework and the basin's hydrologic (groundwater) model. Updating the framework means refining the conceptual understanding of the aquifers and confining units, their geometry and connectivity, and key properties that control groundwater movement and storage. Updating the model means recalibrating and improving the numerical representation of the system so it can more reliably simulate how groundwater levels and flows respond to changes in pumping, climate inputs, or management actions.

The final step is running and evaluating model scenarios aimed directly at the sustainability question. These scenarios are meant to test potential pumping strategies and rates, including whether sustained withdrawals near the 100,000 acre-feet/year level are feasible over time and what the likely impacts would be. Scenario results would typically be used to evaluate risks such as long-term drawdown, reduced well productivity, changes in groundwater flow directions, potential impacts to connected water resources (where applicable), and any water quality concerns that could be intensified by heavy pumping. The overall deliverable is a more defensible basis for groundwater planning and management decisions in the Salt Basin region.

Administratively, this was a discretionary funding opportunity offered as a cooperative agreement under CFDA 15.560, in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development category. Eligibility was limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The opportunity number is BOR UC 19 N005, it was created on August 23, 2019, and originally closed on September 5, 2019. The award ceiling was $436,790, with one expected award, indicating the Bureau of Reclamation intended to fund a single lead institution to carry out the full scope of assessment, data collection, modeling updates, and scenario analysis.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Salt Basin Assessment of Water Resources and Groundwater Withdrawal" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 23, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 05, 2019. (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 $436,790.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Apply for BOR UC 19 N005

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: