Water Quality Assessment Grants

The Water Quality Assessment Grants are administered through the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality Watershed Management Program and Nonpoint Source Program. These assessment projects are strictly voluntary and non-regulatory, and data collected through the projects will not be used for regulatory or enforcement purposes. Projects generally begin with an observed water quality concern, such as elevated nutrients, harmful algal blooms, or declining biological condition. The assessment process is intended to confirm and quantify the problem, identify likely pollutant sources, understand the timing and conditions driving impacts, and provide the technical foundation needed for effective watershed planning and implementation. Assessment projects are typically the first phase of a broader watershed-based effort and are developed in coordination with an eligible local project sponsor and NDDEQ watershed management program staff. Before proposing new monitoring, NDDEQ reviews available state, federal, and local water quality datasets for the area of interest. Existing information is considered based on whether it is recent, generally within the previous five to ten years, spatially representative, and sufficient to characterize water quality conditions and trends. Existing data may fully meet project needs in some cases or may help determine where additional monitoring would be most valuable. Applicants then coordinate with an NDDEQ environmental scientist to develop a Sampling and Analysis Plan. The plan must follow approved methods and quality assurance requirements, align with statewide data needs and assessment frameworks, and produce information that can be used for reporting purposes, including the Integrated Report. The plan identifies monitoring objectives, sampling locations, parameters, sampling frequency and timing, and the roles of participating project partners. Most assessment projects have a typical duration of two years and conduct sampling from April through October. Streams are typically sampled weekly and lakes every two weeks, although frequency and duration may vary according to project goals, watershed size, and the parameters of concern. Grant funds may support personnel time or contractual fees for sampling, attendance at required trainings, preparation of samples for analysis and their shipment or delivery to Bismarck, fringe benefits associated with personnel time, mileage reimbursement at the current federal rate, small water quality sampling equipment and supplies, shipping supplies, postage, stakeholder outreach and engagement, and administrative overhead at the deminimus 15 percent or negotiated federal rate, subject to the stated cap. The average two-year water quality assessment grant is under $20,000. Grants provide 100 percent funding, and no cost share is required. Projects must be led by an eligible local sponsor rather than an individual. Examples of local sponsors identified by the program include conservation districts, watershed groups, and local governments. Individuals are not direct grant recipients and are instead encouraged to connect with local sponsors concerning projects in their area. Data collected under an assessment project must meet state and EPA quality standards. Sponsors are also strongly encouraged to conduct watershed planning and coordination during the assessment period. These activities may include identifying and engaging stakeholders, forming local watershed groups or advisory committees, conducting outreach and education, reviewing land use and potential pollutant sources, preliminarily identifying Best Management Practices, coordinating with organizations such as NRCS, local governments, and conservation districts, securing landowner interest, exploring additional funding, and reviewing past or current watershed projects. Successful assessment projects result in water quality summaries that may be presented through presentations, handouts, reports for local stakeholders and project sponsors, or more technical documents such as Total Maximum Daily Loads or Watershed Based Plans. Regardless of format, the resulting work is expected to include analysis of the collected data, including trends and comparisons with water quality standards or targets, a robust dataset suitable for decision-making, and readiness to pursue implementation funding. The program specifically states that early coordination with NDDEQ is critical and that strong projects integrate assessment and planning rather than conducting assessment alone. The source does not identify a numerical scoring system, formal competitive evaluation rubric, or a fixed number of awards. Applications are accepted and funds are awarded on an ongoing basis. Grant applications received after February 1 of a calendar year will generally not begin sampling until the following calendar year, making February 1 a practical scheduling threshold rather than a final application deadline. To apply, prospective sponsors should contact Emilee Novak, NPS Program Coordinator, at 701-328-5240 or ejnovak@nd.gov. Applicants should be prepared to identify the waterbody of concern and the type of concern, provide the name of the local sponsor and explain how it meets eligibility criteria, describe how assessment results will support future planning, and identify project partners. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, portal submission deadline, award notification date, or fixed application closing date is specified in the provided material.

Coordinate with NDDEQ early; use existing data review to determine whether and where additional monitoring is needed; develop the Sampling and Analysis Plan with an NDDEQ environmental scientist; ensure data meet state and EPA quality standards; integrate assessment with watershed planning rather than assessment alone.