Surface Water Grants

Organization Eligibility

Counties, municipalities, natural resource agencies, tribal governing bodies, other local units of government, accredited colleges, universities, technical schools, lake districts and town sanitary districts are automatically eligible to apply for a Surface Water Grant.

Qualified lake associations, qualified surface water management organizations, qualified river management organizations, nonprofit conservation organizations and qualified school districts must apply for eligibility before applying for a surface water grant.

By May 1 of each year, applicants who need to apply for eligibility should  submit Grant Eligibility Application Form 8700-380 and supporting documentation to their regional environmental grant specialist. An organization’s eligibility needs to be reviewed every 10 years or when the bylaws are changed.

Determination of Eligibility for Management Grants

A request for Determination of Eligibility is required for applications submitted to the Management Plan Implementation and AIS Population Management grant categories. The Determination of Eligibility process is used to review specific activities/recommendations that are seeking grant funds.

The request needs to include specific information about the management plan and the activities/recommendations:

1. Description of the activities/recommendations proposed for grant funding.
2. Complete copy of (or hyperlink to) the management plan.
3. Citation of the supporting activity/recommendation in the management plan. The citation should list specific page numbers, activity/recommendation numbers/identifiers, table/figure numbers, and the location of data and information [in the management plan] to support the activity/recommendation.
4. Description of the process used to provide the public the opportunity to review and comment.
5. Summary of any comments received.

The example memo template  can be used to make a request for Determination of Eligibility. The request should be submitted to the regional DNR Biologist any time between January 1 and September 15 of the year the applicant plans to submit a grant application.

Grants

The Surface Water Grant Program supports surface water management from start to finish. Whether your organization is looking for help with outreach, data collection, planning, project design or implementation, we have a grant to help you. Your regional lake, streams or AIS biologist can help determine which program(s) might be best for your project.

Education and Planning Grants

Surface Water Education

Surface Water Education projects reach people with information about how surface waters work, their importance, and how we can protect them. Eligible projects might focus on the quality of aquatic ecosystems, their beneficial uses, ecological condition, and the threats or challenges they face.

Surface Water Planning

Surface water planning grants can be used to assess surface water quality or to create a plan outlining future management actions for the benefit of surface water. Planning projects must lay the groundwork to protect or improve surface water, prevent pollution, prevent aquatic invasive species, or protect or improve aquatic ecosystems, including biological populations and habitat.

Comprehensive Planning

A comprehensive management planning project will take a hard look at a waterbody or watershed to determine condition and quality. It will determine goals and recommendations to improve, protect, or restore conditions while providing strategic direction for selecting management actions and timelines for implementation. The plan will strive to understand your community, its goals, and suggest actions to accomplish them.

County Lake Grants

County lake grants help counties and tribes carry out a lake protection planning and implementation program. Counties should first apply for a grant to design a lake protection strategy. Subsequent grants can be used to implement the protection plan.

AIS Prevention and Management Grants

Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention 

AIS Prevention grants further reduce the spread or risk of introduction of AIS. While the CBCW program is the departments flagship AIS prevention education program, there are additional (“supplemental”) prevention efforts that may bolster this effort.

AIS Population Management (Small- or Large-Scale)

When an established population of aquatic invasive species is having adverse effects on a waterbody or wetland, funding is available for control activities. Managing aquatic invasive species can be challenging, but adaptive and integrated pest management can help. Participation in the large- or small-scale control program requires an approved recommendation in an aquatic plant or aquatic invasive species management plan.

Early Detection & Response

Early Detection & Response projects should focus on education, population monitoring and early planning steps for any population of ch. NR40 classified prohibited species, or pioneering populations of ch. NR40 restricted species. Because projects occur without the guidance of a management plan, projects must be conducted in coordination with the department.

AIS Research & Demonstration

Aquatic invasive species research and development projects should have the goal of increasing scientific understanding of the ecological and economic implications of AIS and management, and to assess innovative techniques for prevention, containment and control. Projects should be cooperative activities between a grantee and the department.

Surface Water Restoration and Management Grants

Healthy Lakes & Rivers

Healthy Lakes & Rivers grants support five simple and inexpensive best practices that may be installed in the littoral, transition/buffer, and upland zones of shoreland properties. Practices must follow department guidelines published in the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Action Plan and supporting technical guidance. Detailed information is available at Healthy Lakes & Rivers.

Surface Water Restoration

Surface water restoration grants support implementation. Choose from a set of best practices to make a difference right away. Unlike plan implementation grants, these projects don’t require a comprehensive management plan.

Management Plan Implementation

Management plan implementation projects will implement an approved recommendation found in a surface water management plan. Projects will improve or protect surface water or aquatic ecosystems. Eligible activities include the actions necessary to implement the recommendation.

Ordinance Development

Ordinance Development projects help a grantee develop local regulations to support water quality, aquatic life, and habitat. Ordinances include lake use, boating, conservancy, wetland, shoreland, floodplain, construction erosion control and others.

Fee Simple Land Easement & Acquisition

Grants under this subprogram provide funding for permanent protection of land associated with lakes and rivers. Grants may be used for the acquisition of property or some property rights (also called easements) to protect lakes, rivers, and their ecosystems in perpetuity.

Wetland Restoration Incentives

Wetland Incentives are available for grantees that have completed a comprehensive land use plan that includes a recommendation for wetland enhancement or restoration. Incentive grants are for $10,000 each with no cost-sharing required and must demonstrate connection or benefit to a lake(s).

Grant cycle timeline

Developing a project and budget

Successful applicants must identify project goals and objectives, as well as begin to define activities, methods and costs, prior to the pre-application submittal deadline, September 15. Section 3 of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance provides helpful tips for developing and refining a project.

Section 4 of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance provides important information regarding eligible costs, cost-containment and local cost-share requirements.

Is your project competitive?

Funding priorities vary depending on the grant type. In general, strong projects will include specific details and be well thought out. You should strive to describe your project richly, but concisely. As you develop your project, be sure to review and consider tips listed on appropriate grant category ranking sheet. Ranking sheets can be found in Appendix A: Application Ranking Sheets of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance.

Preparing your application

To ensure eligibility for consideration of funding, you must follow all application instructions outlined in guidance. Refer to Section 5 of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance for details on how to apply.

Application forms

Note: If you are having problems opening forms, visit PDF Help.

• Surface Water Grant Application Form 8700-284
• Surface Water Grant Application Instructions 8700-284i
• Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant Application Form 8700-035
• Clean Boats, Clean Waters Grant Application Form 8700-337
• Lake Monitoring and Protection Network Application (Form 8700-284L)

Other application materials

• Surface Water Grant Project Lab Costs Form 8700-360
• Professional Service Agreement Form 8700-379
• Environmental Hazards Assessment Form 1800-001 (Acquisition Projects Only)
• Grant Project Authorizing Resolution (Form 8700-388)
• Sample School District Authorizing Resolution

Submitting an application

All emailed grant applications must be sent to the department by 11:59:59 p.m. on November 15. Mailed applications must be postmarked by November 15. If an application is received after the deadline, the application will be deemed ineligible and will not be considered for funding. If November 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will fall on the following Monday. (Exception: Healthy Lakes and Rivers and AIS early detection and response grant applications are accepted year-round).

The preferred method of application submittal is via email to DNRSurfaceWaterGrants@wisconsin.gov. In the subject line of the e-mail, enter the type of grant you are applying for, the county where the project is located and the applicant’s name (e.g., Surface Water Planning, Oneida Co., Eagle River Lake Association). All application materials should be saved in PDF format and should not exceed 15 megabytes (MB) in size. If e-mail size (including attachments) exceeds 15 MB, send documents in multiple e-mails. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application has been submitted by the deadline. The applicant will receive a confirmation email when the application has been received or if any additional materials are required.

If using the electronic signature option when submitting the application, the authorized representative must be the person to email in the application. If sending in an application with a wet/handwritten signature, any representative of the organization can submit the application.

If you are not able to submit an application by email, you may send the application to:

DNR Surface Water Grants — WY/3 101 S. Webster St., PO Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921

Project management & financial administration

Claims for payment of project expenditures are made on a reimbursement basis. To be eligible for reimbursement, you must adhere to all conditions within your grant agreement and all generally accepted accounting principles as defined in Section 7 of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance.

Partial & final payments

Eligibility for advance payments, partial payments, the maximum frequency of payments, the maximum number of partial payments allowed during the life of a grant, and the percentage of the grant award that is required to be retained for final payment vary depending upon the type of grant you received. For more information on reimbursement, refer to Section 8 of the Surface Water Grant Program Applicant Guide and Program Guidance.

Forms

• Grant Payment Request and Worksheet Form 8700-001 * Required
• Volunteer Labor Worksheet and Summary Used as Grant Match Form 8700-349A
• Volunteer Labor Worksheet Used as Grant Match Form 8700-349B
• Volunteer Labor Summary Used as Grant Match Form 8700-349C
• Donated Professional Services Worksheet Form 8700-350
• Donated Equipment or Equipment Usage Worksheet Form 8700-362
• Surface Water Grant Professional Service Provider Agreement Form 8700-379
• Grant Partner Cost Sharing or Matching Report Form 9300-230 (federally funded grants only)
• Local Government Force Account Report Form 8700-352
• Mileage Log Form 8700-012

Your local lake, streams or AIS biologist is your best contact for support and technical assistance. Email or call if you are interested in starting a project.

Resources

You might find these companion documents or partner links helpful.

Aquatic invasive species projects

Outreach and education

• Outreach and education information
• Best management practices to prevent and minimize the spread of invasives
• How to order AIS boat landing signs
• Clean angling practices for rivers
• How to begin a bait dealer outreach campaign
• How to participate in “Landing Blitz”
• AIS Drain Campaign
• Invasive Species rule - NR 40 Information
• Reporting invasive species

Management

• Wisconsin Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan
• Aquatic Plant Management in Wisconsin (2010)
• Strategic Analysis of Aquatic Plant Management in Wisconsin (2019)
• Phragmites Statewide Management Strategy

Planning projects

Water quality

• Wisconsin Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (WISCALM)

Wetlands

• How wetlands benefit your community
• Wetland assessment & monitoring tools
• Wetland assessment reports and maps

Protection & restoration

• Wetlands restoration & management
• Wetland Restoration Handbook for Wisconsin Landowners (2004)

  **Good general info on restoration practices, but please contact DNRWMSPublicInquiry@wisconsin.gov for information on current regulations and policies.

  • Wetlands by Design Tool
  • DNR Wetland Rapid Assessment Methodology — User Guidance Document
• Permitting for wetland restorations
• Floristic quality report for restored wetlands
• Wetland restoration permits

Land/Easement Acquisition

• Land Acquisition Information for DNR Grant Applicants
• Land Acquisition Guidelines for Local Governments
• Creating conservation easements
• Real Estate Contract and Appraisal Report Guidelines

Financial

• Choosing a Contractor
• Procurement Guide for Local Governments Receiving DNR Grants
• Prevailing wage handout

Helpful websites

• Healthy Lakes & Rivers website
• University of Wisconsin Extension Lakes Program
• Wisconsin Lakes
• River Alliance of Wisconsin

Clean Boats, Clean Waters

Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) is a streamlined aquatic invasive species (AIS) grant through which volunteer or paid staff conduct boat and trailer inspections and educate boaters on how to prevent the spread of AIS at boat landings. CBCW grants provide funding to eligible sponsors to help with the cost of running a CBCW program that helps prevent the introduction of aquatic invasive species in Wisconsin’s surface waters or limits the spread of aquatic invasive species that may already be present.

• Clean Boats, Clean Waters Fact Sheet in Appendix F of guidance document
• Extension Lakes CBCW Watercraft Inspection website

Application

• Clean Boats, Clean Waters Grant Application (Form 8700-337)

CBCW grant applications are due November 15. Repeat CBCW applicants do not need to notify DNR staff of intent to apply, but new CBCW grant applicants must notify DNR staff by September 15. The preferred method of application submittal is via email to DNRCBCWGrants@wisconsin.gov. Alternatively, you can mail your application to CBCW Grant Manager WY/3, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, WI 53703. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application has been submitted by the deadline and to follow up in a timely manner.

Grant Cycle Timeline

Reimbursements

• Grant Payment Request & Worksheet (Form 8700-001)
• Clean Boats, Clean Waters Financial Administration Fact Sheet

Eligible expenses are strictly limited to the following:

• Payment to inspectors or in-kind donation of volunteer inspector hours
• Time spent on the administration of the program or entering hours into the Surface Water Integrated Monitoring System (SWIMS) database.
• Time spent at CBCW workshops or training
• CBCW clothing or supplies from UW-Extension Lakes
• Workers compensation insurance

Note: Mileage, signage, trash management, port-a-potties, association dues, conference attendance, food, beverages, and supplies for decontamination are not eligible expenses and cannot be used as match.

Contact

DNRCBCWGrants@wisconsin.gov

Healthy lakes & rivers

Healthy Lakes & Rivers is a subprogram of the Surface Water Management grant program that focuses on shoreland landowners that want to install practices on their property to improve habitat and water quality. Healthy Lakes & Rivers grants support five simple and inexpensive best practices that may be installed in the littoral, transition/buffer, and upland zones of shoreland properties. Practices must follow department guidelines published in the Healthy Lakes and Rivers Action Plan and supporting technical guidance. A variety of technical and financial resources are available to assist Healthy Lakes & Rivers grant applicants and managers.

Project planning

• The 5 best practices (Factsheets, Technical Guidance, and Photos)

Applying for a grant

• Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant Application (Form 8700-035) 
• Healthy Lakes and Rivers Grant Application Video Tutorial

Project management and reporting

• Financial Administration Fact Sheet
• Healthy Lakes and Rivers Amendment Request (Form 8700-381)
• Example Report (download fillable Word document)

Requesting reimbursement

• Grant Payment Request and Worksheet (Form 8700-001)
• Volunteer Labor Worksheet and Summary Used as Grant Match (Form 8700-349A)
• Volunteer Labor Worksheet Used as Grant Match (Form 8700-349B)
• Volunteer Labor Summary Used as Grant Match (Form 8700-349C)
• Donated Professional Services Worksheet (Form 8700-350)
• Donated Equipment or Equipment Usage Worksheet (Form 8700-362)

More information

• Healthy Lakes & Rivers Website

Lake monitoring & protection network

The Lake Monitoring & Protection Network (LMPN) provides annual support to counties, tribes, and designated agents to perform services and activities to assist in AIS prevention and lake monitoring activities.

Annual funding is allocated to each county based on a statistical model with variables that include resource quantity, resources condition, network activity, and people and economy.

If more than one county partners with the same designated agent, the combined funding allocation will be reflected in a single agreement to the designated agent. Allocations are intended to fund one year of work and may be pro-rated for shorter terms if necessary.

See LMPN Allocation Amounts by County

Application

• Lake Monitoring and Protection network Application (Form 8700-284L)

All LMPN applicants must notify the regional AIS Biologist of their intent to participate before Sept. 15 of each year and schedule a pre-application meeting. New LMPN applicants must submit a pre-application with a draft scope of work by Sept. 15.

All final applications are due Nov. 15 and need to include the application, scope of work, and an authorizing resolution or substantially similar document demonstrating the approval of the governing board.

• LMPN Scope of Work / Cooperative Agreement (Download)

The preferred method of application submittal is via email to DNRSurfaceWaterGrants@wisconsin.gov. If you are not able to submit an application by email, you may send the application to: DNR Surface Water Grants — WY/3 101 S. Webster St., PO Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the application has been submitted by the deadline and to follow up in a timely manner.

Grant Cycle Timeline

Reimbursements

• Grant Payments Request & Worksheet (Form 8700-001)