2021 WaterSMART Grant Completed, 2024 Grant Secured
The Upper Merced River Watershed Council's Board of Directors is pleased to announce completion of the Bureau of Reclamation's 2021 WaterSmart Cooperative Watershed Management Program Phase 1 Grant. A second grant request of $300,000 was secured in 2024, enabling the Watershed Council to hire a part time director to implement the 2024-2028 Watershed Work Plan, which was a direct result of the 2021 WaterSMART grant.
The WaterSMART Grant Program provides funding to eligible watershed groups to support capacity building and group development activities that empower local communities to engage with pressing watershed issues. The original 2-year grant in 2021 enabled the Council to engage federal partners and community stakeholders to rejuvenate the organization which struggled to recover after a fire destroyed the Council’s office in 2012.
With a second grant secured—entitled Heeding the Call to Action: Launching the Upper Merced River Watershed Council Watershed Work Plan—the Council will position itself as a community convener and clearinghouse of information regarding restoration and stewardship activities in the Wild and Scenic Merced River corridor and surrounding watershed. The Watershed Work Plan summarized the outcomes of the stakeholder engagement work from 2021-2023 and identified a strategy for implementing its recommendations.
“The Council was started in 2001 to protect and enhance the Upper Merced River Watershed through education, stewardship, and community-based projects. Over 20 years later, this federal funding allows us to hear from the community about the watershed’s unique needs of today.”
“Before the fire that destroyed our offices in 2012, the Council had several staff, a robust group of volunteers, and a slate of grants allowing us to conduct invasive plant removal, water quality monitoring, and education programs in the schools. With WaterSmart funding, we’re reigniting our efforts and hitting the ground running with the newly completed Watershed Work Plan. We see the implementation of this plan as a new chapter, an opportunity to explore new initiatives and partnerships while focusing the compelling issues facing the river and its watershed today.” says Rylands.
The scope of the work for the 2024 Phase 1 grant is twofold:
Task A - Watershed Group Development
Establish a part-time executive-level Watershed Director position. STATUS: DONE
Hire an intern from the Sierra Nevada Alliance as part of the Sierra Nevada Americorps Partnership (SNAP) program. STATUS: DONE
Establish organization chart that lays out structure for staffing and board of directors. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
Grow the capabilities and diversity of the Board of Directors. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
Complete an Annual Report for the public and collaborators on Watershed Work Plan progress. STATUS: TO BE RELEASED January 2026
Build a volunteer base of river/watershed stewards. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
Task B – Watershed Restoration Planning
Determine an annual work plan with resources needed, including future funding targets. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
Implement a community-based water quality monitoring program in the watershed. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
Establish an awareness campaign surrounding issues facing the river and watershed. STATUS: IN PROGRESS
