Cachuma Lake Water Transmission Line Project | BOR MP 17 N011

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 17 N011

The Cachuma Lake Water Transmission Line Project is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, focused on replacing a key water transmission and distribution line within the Lake Cachuma Recreation Area. The project sits under a broader long-term relationship between Reclamation and the local managing partner established through a 25-year agreement (Agreement No. 11-LC-20-0223, executed March 14, 2012). That managing partner agreement authorizes the recipient to help administer, operate, maintain, and further develop recreation lands and facilities associated with the Cachuma Project, including upgrades and rehabilitation of existing infrastructure in the reservoir area.

At its core, the funded work is a straightforward but important infrastructure replacement: the main distribution line through the Lake Cachuma Recreation Area will be replaced. The purpose is threefold: first, to improve and modernize the existing fire suppression system that relies on the line; second, to address aging infrastructure that likely poses reliability and maintenance concerns; and third, to support future site planning by enabling the eventual relocation of the water treatment facility. In practical terms, this is the kind of behind-the-scenes utility investment that helps keep a heavily used public recreation area safe, functional, and ready for future facility changes without repeated emergency repairs.

The recipient, identified as a county government (the eligible applicant type for this opportunity), is responsible for the day-to-day and on-the-ground aspects of public use management at Cachuma Lake. That includes visitor services, public health and safety responsibilities, and the management of recreation use and facilities. For this specific project, the county will procure and hire a contractor to perform the construction work required to replace the main transmission waterline. The grant is therefore designed to support a local implementing entity that already manages the site and has the operational role, staffing context, and familiarity with the recreation area needed to carry out construction while maintaining public access and safety.

Reclamation indicates it does not expect to have substantial involvement in executing the project beyond normal federal stewardship. That typically means oversight functions like monitoring performance, ensuring compliance with grant terms, and offering technical assistance if requested by the recipient, rather than actively directing construction or providing intensive day-to-day project management. This framing signals that the recipient is expected to lead implementation and that federal involvement will remain at a standard grant-administration level.

A notable feature of this opportunity is that it is single-source (not competed through full and open competition). Reclamation justifies this on the basis of unique qualifications tied to the existing managing partner agreement: the recipient has been the only managing partner for the Cachuma Lake Recreation Area and has an established role administering recreation activities on federal lands and waters associated with the Cachuma Project. Because the partner is already designated to manage the area and plan for both current maintenance needs and future development (including facility upgrades, deferred maintenance, and recreation site improvements), Reclamation treats this entity as uniquely positioned to administer the financial assistance and complete the work in a way that aligns with the approved development and management framework for the site.

The statutory authority for the award comes from Public Law 89-72, the Federal Water Project Recreation Act (July 9, 1965), especially Sections 1, 3(b)(1), and 3(c)(1). In plain terms, that law sets a federal policy that water resource projects should consider and, where feasible, support outdoor recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement. It also encourages federal agencies to work with non-federal public bodies (like counties) to administer recreation areas and to share costs for recreation-related lands, facilities, planning, and ongoing operation and maintenance. The cited provisions emphasize that when a non-federal public body agrees to administer facilities and cover at least half of certain costs (including planning and capital costs for expansions or modifications, plus at least half of operation, maintenance, and replacement costs), the federal share is limited and generally may not exceed 50 percent for expansion or modification of recreational facilities. This grant opportunity fits that model by funding an infrastructure upgrade tied to safe and manageable recreation use, while relying on a non-federal managing partner to administer and maintain the area.

Key posting details included in the source data are: Funding Opportunity Title: Cachuma Lake Water Transmission Line Project; Funding Opportunity Number: BOR MP 17 N011; Agency: Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation; Assistance Listing (CFDA) Number: 15.524; Opportunity Category: Discretionary; Funding Instrument Type: Grant; Funding Activity Category: Natural Resources; Eligible Applicants: County governments. The opportunity was created March 16, 2017, with an original closing date of March 30, 2017. The expected number of awards is one, and the award ceiling is $388,080, reinforcing that this is a targeted, site-specific award intended for the designated managing partner rather than a broad, multi-recipient competitive program.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cachuma Lake Water Transmission Line Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.524.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 16, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 30, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $388,080.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments.

Apply for BOR MP 17 N011

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