Real-Time Data Direct Grant Program

The California Department of Water Resources administers the Real-Time Data Direct Grant Program to enhance California's readiness to respond to flood disasters identified in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan. The program is funded through the General Fund and Proposition 68, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access for All Act of 2018. The Department of Water Resources may use program funds for direct expenditures or directed action activities that fulfill the intent of the applicable funding source. Direct expenditure projects may be proposed by the Department of Water Resources on its own initiative or in response to a solicitation from a California public agency. Additional projects may be added as funding becomes available. The first project under the program is the Reservoir Gaging at Ungated Spillways Project. This project was created to increase communication between dam or reservoir owners and operators and downstream flood and emergency managers before and during high water events. The project plans to install real-time reservoir elevation gages at 20 or more dams with ungated spillways. Intended outcomes include reducing flood risks to downstream communities, improving early notification and warning, improving river and reservoir inflow forecasting, improving data used to calibrate hydrologic models and develop flood frequency studies, improving early warning of potential dam failures, and expanding the real-time reservoir gaging network. Funding for the Reservoir Gaging at Ungated Spillways Project is limited by $3.5 million in available program funds. The source does not specify a minimum or maximum individual award amount, a fixed number of grants or awards, or an applicant matching or cost-share requirement. Dam or reservoir owners meeting the program criteria are encouraged to contact the California Department of Water Resources for inclusion in this directed funding action and future opportunities. Program funds are associated with direct expenditures or directed action activities that fulfill the intent of the funding source used. Priority is given to dams with ungated spillways; dams that do not have real-time hourly or sub-hourly elevation data above and below the spillway transmitted to the California Data Exchange Center; and dams not owned by State, federal, or private entities. Priority also considers dams with a downstream hazard status of Extremely High, High, or Significant as designated by the Division of Safety of Dams. Dams with reservoir capacity of 5,000 acre-feet or greater are prioritized, although dams below that threshold may qualify when recommended by Division of Safety of Dams Area Engineers. The broader program description states that direct expenditure projects may be developed in response to solicitations from California public agencies. The proposal solicitation period opened March 3, 2026. The application period has been extended until all $3.5 million in funding has been awarded, rather than being assigned a stated calendar closing date. Applicants may submit proposals electronically to RDDGprogram@water.ca.gov or submit a hard copy by U.S. Mail to Reservoir Gaging at Ungated Spillways Project, Attn: Boone Lek, Department of Water Resources, 3310 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821. The source directs prospective applicants to the final Guidelines and final proposal solicitation package for program and application materials. Boone Lek of the California Department of Water Resources is identified as the program contact at 3310 El Camino Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95821, and the program email is RDDGprogram@water.ca.gov. The Department of Water Resources hosted three hybrid workshops covering the grant program, guidelines, and application process on March 25, March 26, and April 2. No separate pre-application gating deadline, award notification date, performance period, or recurring annual or other regular solicitation cycle is stated in the supplied program information. As of August 28, 2026, the solicitation remains open under the stated extension until the available $3.5 million has been awarded.

Demonstrate alignment with the stated RGUS priority criteria, including an ungated spillway, lack of real-time hourly or sub-hourly elevation data transmitted to CDEC, qualifying ownership, Extremely High, High, or Significant downstream hazard status, and reservoir capacity of at least 5,000 acre-feet unless recommended by DSOD Area Engineers.