Tribal Clean Water Act Programs and Grants in EPA's Pacific Southwest (Region 9)

EPA’s Pacific Southwest (Region 9) implements and enforces federal environmental laws in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands, and 148 Tribal Nations.

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About Tribal Clean Water Act Programs and Grants in EPA's Pacific Southwest

The objective of the Clean Water Act (CWA) is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters. CWA programs support monitoring, assessment, protection, prevention of polluted runoff in waterways and wastewater infrastructure.

EPA's Region 9 Tribal Water Office manages all grants related to the Clean Water Act for over 100 federally recognized Tribes within Region 9. The Tribal Water Office also provides programmatic and technical assistance for water quality standards and for the CWA grant programs. View CWA Project Officers.

Events

  • 2025 Tribal Clean Water Act Workshop

    Attendees will gather in-person to share knowledge, resources, and experiences to better implement Tribal CWA programs and to protect Tribal water resources for future generations.

    • Date: May 19 - 23, 2025

Public Notice

Funding

CWA Section §106 Water Pollution Control Grants

Fort McDowell Indian Tribe water quality sampling
Fort McDowell Indian Tribe water quality sampling at the Verde River funded through the Clean Water Act Section 106 program.

Purpose

To assist Federally-recognized Indian Tribes develop institutional capacity to administer water quality programs and protect natural resources.

Eligible Activities (not limited to this list)

  • Performing water quality monitoring and assessments
  • Carrying out activities to meet the three reporting requirements (for more information, see below)
    1. Develop a monitoring strategy
    2. Submission of data is a WQX/STORET-compatible format
    3. Annual Water Quality Assessment Report
  • Hiring qualified staff to identify and prioritize water quality issues
  • Leasing/renting office space and purchasing water quality monitoring equipment and supplies
  • Developing a Nonpoint Source Assessment Report and Management Program Plan
  • Conducting studies related to water pollution control
  • Implementing and enforcing water pollution control measures
  • Developing and implementing ground water quality monitoring programs
  • Developing Tribal-approved Water Quality Standards (WQS)
  • Developing a 305(b) Report
  • Training and travel

Funding

EPA typically awards grants between $40,000 and $200,000; first time applicants may receive grants for $40,000.

Eligibility Requirements

Federally recognized Tribes must be determined eligible to apply for CWA Section 106 funding before applying.

Contacts

Guidance and Application Information

Region 9 Resources

Cover of Cover Clean Water Act Section 106 Tribal Guidance Document
Clean Water Act Section 106 Tribal Guidance

National Resources

Fact Sheet

CWA 106 Reporting Requirements

STORET WQX Spreadsheet Image

Managing and analyzing water quality data effectively is integral to the CWA Section 106 program. The program contains 3 reporting requirements that Tribes must fulfill while implementing their water quality programs: Follow these links to obtain detailed information about each reporting requirement.

  1. Monitoring Strategy
  2. Water Quality Assessment Report
  3. Data submitted into WQX

Clean Water Act Section §319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Program Grants

Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community
Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community streambank restoration and erosion control project funded through the Clean Water Act Section §319 program to reduce sedimentation by laying out rocks along the banks to hold down dirt.

Purpose

The purpose of the Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution Control Program is to assist Tribes develop and implement polluted runoff control programs that address critical water quality concerns at a watershed level.

What is Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution?

NPS pollution - polluted runoff - occurs when rainfall, snow melt, or irrigation water runs over land or through the ground, picks up pollutants, and transports them into surface waters or ground water. Major nonpoint sources of pollution include agricultural practices; unrestricted livestock grazing; poor siting and design of roads, highways, and bridges; forestry; urban runoff; abandoned mines; construction sites; channelization of streams; and hydromodification, such as building and maintaining dams and levees.

Eligible Activities (not limited to this list)

Cover of the Tribal NPS Handbook
Tribal NPS Handbook
  • Road stabilization/removal;
  • Riparian planting;
  • Stream channel reconstruction;
  • Low impact development projects/storm water management;
  • Livestock exclusion fencing;
  • Springs protection;
  • Septic system rehabilitation;
  • NPS ordinance development;
  • Project monitoring (pre-project, during project, post-project);
  • Development of a watershed-based plan;
  • Training which assists the applicant in development NPS implementation projects;
  • Staff time and materials towards implementing projects;
  • NPS education and outreach relevant to successful implementation of NPS projects; and
  • Post-wildfire restoration

Funding

  • Base Funding: Funds are allocated based on Tribe’s land area. For Tribes with less than 2 square miles, the base allocation is $45,000; for Tribes with 2-50 square miles, the base allocation is $50,000; for Tribes with 50-500 square miles, the base allocation is $55,000; and for Tribes with 500 square miles or greater, the base allocation is $70,000.
  • Competitive Funding: After all base allocations are made to Tribes, the remaining amount from overall national allocation is up for competition to all eligible Tribes, regardless of land size. Tribes applying for competitive funds can request up to $125,000 of federal funding.

Eligibility Requirements

Federally recognized Indian Tribes must be determined eligible to apply for CWA Section §319 funding before applying.

Contacts

Guidance and Application Information

Resources

CWA Section §104(b)(3) Wetlands Program Development Grants

Related Resources

The goals of EPA's wetland program include increasing the quantity and quality of wetlands in the U.S. by conserving and restoring wetland acreage and improving wetland condition. In pursuing these goals, EPA seeks to build the capacity of all levels of government to develop and refine effective, comprehensive programs for wetland protection and management.

Purpose

The wetlands program development grant (WPDG) provides states, Tribes, local governments, interstate agencies, and inter-Tribal consortia an opportunity to carry out projects to develop and refine comprehensive wetland programs. WPDGs provides eligible applicants an opportunity to conduct projects that promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water pollution.

Funding

EPA typically awards between $50,000 to $350,000 per project grant. Funding is dependent upon amount requested and the overall size and need of the project.

Starting to think about developing a Tribal wetlands program?

Wetlands at 12 Mile Lake on the Colorado River Indian Tribe's Reservation.
Experience with many Tribes and states have distilled a set of core elements, actions, and activities that together comprise a comprehensive wetland program. EPA has summarized these common core elements, actions, and activities in the Core Elements of an Effective State and Tribal Wetlands Program Framework, also called the Core Elements Framework (CEF). The CEF describes in greater detail each of the four core elements that make up an effective state/Tribal wetland program. The four core elements are:
  • Monitoring and assessment
  • Regulation
  • Voluntary restoration and protection
  • Wetland WQS

Each of these four core elements is comprised of several broad "actions" that if collectively carried out would complete that core element. In addition, each action is made up of several more specific "activities" which are the actual steps a state/Tribal/local government would carry out to achieve each option. The four core elements, the set of development or refinement activities and the specific actions under the four core elements that are eligible for funding are listed at Wetland Program Development Grant.

Further Information

Tribal Marsh

The full CEF can be found at Core Elements of an Effective State and Tribal Wetlands Program Framework. Some of the activities outlined in the full CEF are not eligible for the WPDG funding. The CEF provides a menu of activities for wetland program development, regardless of whether such activities are eligible for WPDG funding.

Eligibility Requirements

There are no eligibility requirements for Tribes except the Tribe must be federally recognized.

Contacts

Sarvy Mahdavi
mahdavi.sarvy@epa.gov
(213) 244-1830

Resources

Clean Water Act Tribal Set-Aside Program Wastewater Infrastructure Grants

Related Resources

EPA utilizes the Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Deficiency System (SDS) list to select projects that are eligible for funding. Tribes have an option of receiving a direct grant or receive an Interagency Agreement (IAG) with their corresponding IHS area office. EPA contacts the selected Tribe directly and requires a written response on the selected option to receive funds.

Examples of Eligible Activities

  • Interceptor sewers
  • Wastewater Treatment Facilities (conventional or alternate)
  • Infiltration/Inflow correction
  • Collector sewers
  • Major sewer rehabilitation
  • On-site systems (e.g., septics)

Annual Funding Levels

EPA Region 9 receives approximately $10 million and funds more than 30 wastewater projects each year.

  • The average award amount for individual projects is $300,000. In recent years, award amounts have ranged from less than $20,000 to over $1 million. Award amounts will vary depending on the type of project.
  • No matching funds are required.

Contact

Performance Partnership Grants

CWA 106, CWA 319, and Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDGs) are all eligible to be combined into a single Performance Partnership Grant (PPG). To find out more, visit the national PPG website and view the latest Best Practices Guide for Performance Partnership Grants with Tribes and Intertribal Consortia (pdf) (959.21 KB) .

Tribal Consultation Resources

Additional Resources

Workshop Presentations

Reports

Cover of the August 2019 Tribal Nonpoint Source Programs highlights document

This report illustrates the diverse work and accomplishments of Tribal NPS programs supported by §319, including spotlights on Pacific Southwest Tribal staff and projects contributing to NPS successes.

Related
Technical Memo: Investigation of Abandoned Wells on Navajo Nation (pdf) (39.82 MB, March 11, 2019)

Tribal Programs in the Pacific Southwest

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Last updated on October 24, 2024