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About the Partnership

Geos Institute DWWP Initiative Guide

The Drinking Water Providers Partnership is a collaboration of the Geos Institute, USDA Forest Service, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the Washington Department of Health, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, The Freshwater Trust, and WildEarth Guardians.

Together, we coordinate an annual, competitive grant solicitation and award program for habitat conservation and restoration projects in municipal watersheds across the Northwest. 

The Partners share a common vision that watershed restoration is an important and effective way to provide clean, inexpensive drinking water to communities and protect native fish populations, particularly when downstream and upstream users work together.

Download the DWPP flyer

The 2023 call for proposals is now open

Scroll down to see more details and download the application materials.

Proposals are due January 7, 2023.

Recorded Information Sessions

The Partnership hosted two informational sessions. Each session provided a review of the program and an opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the agency representatives. 

  1. Monday November 14, 9-11am PT – Watch the recording of this session
  2. Wednesday November 30, 10-11am PT – Watch the recording of this session

Our goals are to:

  • Restore and protect the health of watersheds which communities depend upon for drinking water while also benefiting aquatic and riparian ecosystems, including the native fish that inhabit them.
  • Support local partnerships between drinking water providers, landowners, and restoration practitioners.

Annual Solicitation Information:

  • Current Solicitation

    The 2023 call for proposals is OPEN!

    Proposals are due January 7, 2023.

    High-resolution map of source watersheds in Oregon and Washington (and combined)

    On November 22, the Council of Environmental Quality released version 1.0 of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool which can be used to help implement the Justice 40 Initiative: https://screeningtool.geoplatform.gov/en/#3/33.47/-97.5

    If you have questions, please contact a member of the Partnership

    Current Solicitations

  • Application FAQ

    Can I apply for just habitat restoration?
    Yes, as long as the project benefits drinking water and native fish habitat in municipal watersheds.

    Do I need to answer every question?
    Yes. Each participating agency has their own set of criteria for distributing funding and the application is designed to provide all the information necessary for the Partners to determine the best source of funding for your project. If there are questions that don’t apply or are confusing, please contact us.

    Do I need to know which agency I’m requesting money from?
    No. The application is designed to minimize the work required from applicants by only requiring one application form. In the review process, the Partners work to determine the best match for funding selected projects.

    How do I know if my project serves “disadvantaged or underserved communities”?
    This question arises from the Justice40 Initiative issued by President Biden in 2022. You can use the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to search for information about communities that benefit from your project. If you believe your project serves communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution, explain why in the application. You can look to factors such as race, age, income levels, housing, health indicators, etc.

    What if my project budget is larger than $50,000?
    That’s ok! Just tell us how you plan to raise the additional funds for your project.

    What if my project will take longer than 18 months?
    Projects supported by DWPP funding must be completed within 18 months of the award start date. If you have a longer-term project in mind, think about ways you might break it into phases that could be completed in 18 months. Strong proposals for phases of larger projects are welcome!

    What if I have more questions?
    Contact us! Seriously. The Partners want this program to succeed and showing lots of strong proposals is part of that. We are happy to help answer your questions so you can submit the best proposal for your project. Click on the “Contact Us” tab on the right side of this page.

  • Funded Projects

    Download a map of projects funded from 2016-2020

    Download the reporting template

    Read more about some of the featured projects funded by the Partnership over the years.

    The Finn Rock Project on the McKenzie River, funded by the Drinking Water Providers Partnership. Photo by J. Capurso, USFS. Used with permission.

  • Past Solicitations

    We ran our first solicitation in 2015 and made our first awards in 2016.

    Past Solicitations

  • Contact Us

    The members of the DWPP look forward to working with you to foster working partnerships between water providers and restoration practitioners throughout Oregon and Washington. Please don’t hesitate to contact any of the following individuals with questions:

    • U.S. Forest Service: James Capurso, Regional Fisheries Biologist, 503‐808‐2847, jcapurso@fs.fed.us
    • Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: Julie Harvey, Drinking Water Protection Coordinator, 503‐229‐5664, Julie.HARVEY@state.or.us
    • Washington Department of Health: Corina Hayes, Source Water Protection Manager, 360‐236‐3114, corina.hayes@doh.wa.gov
    • U.S. Bureau of Land Management: Scott Lightcap, Fisheries Program Lead for OR & WA, 541‐464‐3325, slightca@blm.gov
    • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Dan Brown, Natural Resource Advisor – Forest Sector, 503-326-6832, brown.dan@epa.gov
    • WildEarth Guardians: Ryan Talbott, Pacific Northwest Conservation Advocate, 503-329-9162, rtalbott@wildearthguardians.org
    • The Freshwater Trust: Mark McCollister, Habitat Restoration Director, 503-222-9091
    • Geos Institute: Tonya Graham, Executive Director, 541-261-6479, tonya@geosinstitute.org
    Contact Us DWPP
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  • “Starting with the highest quality source water possible is the best assurance that treated drinking water will reliably and continually meet public health standards.”

    – Dave Leland, former Manager of Oregon Health Authority’s Drinking Water Services

  • “One of the USDA Forest Service’s primary missions is to help ensure the abundant clean water critical to individuals and industries across the U.S. through our work in sustaining national forests and grasslands. The Drinking Water Providers Partnership is an example of how we, in partnership with others, fulfill this purpose. By pairing Forest Service watershed restoration experts with drinking water providers, we can protect and restore municipal watersheds across on National Forest and other lands.”

    – Jim Pena, Regional Forester

84 Fourth St. Ashland OR 97520
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