Section 319(h) Grant

The Section 319(h) Grant is administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD) to support projects that prevent or abate nonpoint source pollution in Georgia. GAEPD anticipates receiving federal Section 319(h) funding for the grant program and uses a competitive process to award funds to eligible projects supporting Georgia's Statewide Nonpoint Source Management Plan. Projects must identify and address nonpoint sources of pollution and implement activities suited to those sources, with the objective of producing measurable water quality improvements in impaired waters throughout the state. Eligible projects must satisfy three minimum funding requirements. Each project must implement an existing watershed-based plan that meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Nine Elements of Watershed Planning or implement a Summary of Nine Elements. The project must be located in a watershed or drainage area equal in size to a 10-digit Hydrologic Unit Code, or HUC-10, or smaller. Applicants must also commit to a minimum 40 percent non-Federal match. Eligible project activities include, but are not limited to, green infrastructure and other nature-based practices, streambank restoration and other hydromodification projects, urban stormwater controls not included in NPDES permits, agricultural best management practices, culvert replacement and other barrier removal projects, dirt road improvements following practices from the Georgia Better Back Roads Manual, and septic system repairs and replacements. Funding is subject to a cost-share ratio under which Federal dollars may constitute a maximum of 60 percent of total project costs and non-Federal match must constitute at least 40 percent. The non-Federal contribution may consist of local funds, in-kind services, or other non-Federal sources. The source explicitly states that there are no maximum or minimum Federal award amounts for individual projects, and it does not provide a total program funding amount or anticipated number of awards. Proposed project schedules should be completed within three years. Eligible applicants are public entities in Georgia. These include city and county governments with Qualified Local Government Status as defined in paragraph 18 of subsection (a) of O.C.G.A. 50-8-2, state agencies, local, regional, or state authorities operating jurisdictional services and/or delivery programs, Regional Commissions, Resource Conservation and Development Councils, local and regional school systems, and state colleges and universities. In addition to meeting the organizational eligibility requirements, every proposed project must address nonpoint source pollution to improve water quality and satisfy the watershed planning, geographic scale, and non-Federal matching requirements. Applications are submitted online through the 319(h) Grant Administration Portal, or GAP. Applicants are directed to review the Section 319(h) Grant Guidelines for detailed portal instructions, and a step-by-step instructional video is also available. A project schedule is a required component of the application and must be uploaded into GAP. The source provides example application sections and example project schedule templates in Word and Excel formats. An online application workshop was scheduled for February 24, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. EST. The workshop is an applicant resource rather than a stated pre-application gating requirement. The application portal opened January 31, 2026, and the deadline for applications was April 30, 2026. The source states that in late summer 2026 a Scoring Committee reviews and scores all applications and notifies selected applicants. Once the federal funds are received from USEPA, GAEPD and the selected grant recipients finalize the project scope of work and execute a sub-grant agreement. The source does not explicitly state that the grant recurs annually or on another regular schedule, so recurrence is not assumed. The program contact is FY2026 Grant Coordinator Mary Gazaway at mary.gazaway@dnr.ga.gov or 470-524-0556. Grants Unit Manager Joy Hinkle is also identified at joy.hinkle1@dnr.ga.gov or 470-524-0692.

Demonstrate measurable water quality improvements; clearly identify the nonpoint sources of pollution and the activities and practices best suited to address them; implement an eligible watershed-based plan or Summary of Nine Elements; locate the project within a HUC-10-sized or smaller watershed or drainage area; document at least 40% non-Federal match; develop a project schedule that can be completed within three years.