Cost-share project applications accepted Jan. 4 – Feb. 18

The District’s cost-share funding programs help communities complete water quality improvement projects, such as the oyster reef living shoreline cost-share project in Brevard County.

Stretch local dollars to protect water resources

PALATKA, Fla., Jan. 6, 2022 — The St. Johns River Water Management District is accepting applications Jan. 4–Feb. 18 for both its Fiscal Year 2022–2023 Districtwide Cost-Share Program and its FY 2022–2023 funding program for Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) communities and innovative projects. Through its cost-share programs, the District partners with communities on projects that stretch local dollars to support water resource protection.

The Districtwide Cost-Share Program is open to any applicant with a project that benefits one of the four District core missions but is not an operations and maintenance or innovative project.

Through this cost-share program, the District will fund up to 25% of construction costs for selected alternative water supply, water quality, flood protection and natural systems projects, and up to 50% for water conservation projects. The program will fund up to $3 million per project or per applicant.

Project criteria, application instructions and additional information about the program are available on the District’s website at www.sjrwmd.com/localgovernments/funding.

For the REDI/Innovative program, REDI communities are economically disadvantaged with an employment base dominated by traditional agriculture or resource-based industries and a population of 25,000 or less. REDI-designated communities within the District are Baker, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and Okeechobee counties, all communities within those counties, and the communities of Astatula, Fellsmere, Hawthorne, Pierson and Umatilla.

An innovative project is one that uses emerging or proven technology in a unique way to provide alternative water supply quantities or to expand available quantities to offset groundwater withdrawal, or to otherwise improve the water resources of the District in support of the core missions.

REDI community projects and innovative projects are eligible for a maximum District cost-share of $500,000 per project and per entity and a limit of $3 million for all cost-share opportunities (Districtwide and REDI/Innovative programs combined) per fiscal year.

The District will fund up to 50% of construction costs for selected REDI/Innovative projects. REDI communities can submit a waiver of matching funds letter, which allows for up to 100% reimbursement of construction costs within the maximum funding constraints.

Over the past seven years, 276 Districtwide and REDI/Innovative cost-share projects have been completed. By the end of the current fiscal year on Sept. 30, the District will have invested $162.1 million in local communities on beneficial, cost-effective partnership projects to protect water resources.

Staff anticipate recommending projects for board consideration at the April 2022 Governing Board meeting.