Water

The program aims to support efforts that combine community services and physical improvements to protect the health of Californians who are most vulnerable to extreme heat.

The California Department of Conservation’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program supports regional efforts to strategically repurpose agricultural land to reduce reliance on groundwater while providing community health, economic wellbeing, water supply, habitat, and climate benefits. Up to $200 million is appropriated for the next round. The previous round had $2.44 million in Tribal funding for projects including land acquisitions. The application window is expected to open in Fall 2026.

The 2024 Climate Bond invests $10 billion in local projects that strengthen communities — protecting drinking water, reducing wildfire and flood risks, restoring natural places, supporting healthy working lands, and expanding access to parks and outdoor spaces. The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) published a comprehensive list of all Prop 4 Climate Bond Programs. You can skim the list for potential funding that is relevant for your Tribe and visit the program pages for details. The TECC Team is checking each program for forecast opportunities and will be updating this tracker with them.

In response to a call for improved practices in philanthropy, The Campbell Foundation offers a broad range of grants, including unsolicited, multi-year, general support, and capacity building grants for community-based work.

The Coastal Conservancy funds a wide variety of projects along the California coast, San Francisco Bay, and in coastal watersheds to increase availability of beaches, parks and trails for the public, protect and restore natural lands and wildlife habitat, preserve working lands, and increase community resilience to the impacts of climate change.

This program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.

To promote water recycling by providing technical and financial assistance to local agencies and other stakeholders in support of water recycling projects and research.

The California Riparian Habitat Conservation Program was created in 1991 by Senate Bill 906 and is generally funded through the state’s Habitat Conservation Fund. The program’s basic mission is to develop coordinated conservation efforts aimed at protecting and restoring California’s riparian ecosystems. Riparian systems look and function differently across the state but possess some common ecological and hydrological characteristics such as fish and wildlife habitat, water storage, flood control, nutrient cycling, water quality protection, and recreational and economic benefits.

To help very small, financially distressed rural communities with predevelopment feasibility studies, design and technical assistance on proposed water and waste disposal projects.

To fund projects that enhance stream flows across the state of California. The Stream Flow Enhancement Program (SFEP) defines enhanced streamflow to mean: a change in the amount, timing, and/or quality of water flowing down a stream, or a portion of a stream, to benefit fish and wildlife. Funded projects are also consistent with the objectives and actions outlined in the California Water Action Plan, with the primary focus on enhancing flow in streams that support anadromous fish; support special-status, threatened, endangered, or at-risk species; or provide resilience to climate change.