Continuous Stream Flow Monitoring and Water Quality Analysis | BOR PN 18 N014

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 18 N014

Continuous Stream Flow Monitoring and Water Quality Analysis (Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 18 N014) is a discretionary grant offered by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Pacific Northwest Region, under CFDA 15.519. The opportunity is intended specifically for federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and in this case it supports the Kalispel Tribe through work carried out by the Kalispel Natural Resources Department (KNRD). The grant continues a multi-year pattern of Reclamation assistance aimed at keeping long-term hydrologic and water quality monitoring operating in and around the Kalispel Reservation and within Kalispel ceded lands. The award ceiling listed for this opportunity is $58,575, with one expected award.

The core purpose of the funding is to sustain a continuous streamflow monitoring network and an associated water quality sampling and analysis program that KNRD already has in place. KNRD operates roughly 65 water quality monitoring locations overall, with continuous flow recording maintained at about 9 to 12 core sites in alignment with the Kalispel Water Monitoring Strategy. The grant is structured to cover ongoing operational needs rather than launching a brand-new program, emphasizing continuity of data collection and the routine technical work required to keep monitoring stations functioning and the resulting datasets usable for resource management.

A major component of the budget is support for laboratory expenses tied to water sample analysis. In addition, the grant provides partial funding for a hydrologic technician who is needed to operate and maintain the streamflow monitoring sites and to carry out the technical tasks that make continuous measurements reliable over time. Those tasks include routine site visits, equipment checks, and the annual development or refinement of flow rating curves for stations that continuously record stage (water level). Rating curves are critical because they translate continuously recorded stage data into stream discharge (flow) estimates, which are typically the most decision-relevant output of a stream gaging program.

On the monitoring side, KNRD will continue collecting both continuous and instantaneous measurements. For streamflow, this includes operating continuous streamflow monitoring sites and performing streamflow transect measurements, which are used to verify conditions in the channel and provide the discharge measurements needed to build and validate rating curves. Field monitoring also includes measuring standard water quality parameters such as turbidity, pH, temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen. These parameters help characterize day-to-day and seasonal variability, identify potential impairment signals, and provide context for laboratory results.

The grant also supports sampling in the Pend Oreille River and other waters in the monitoring area to evaluate a range of water quality constituents that generally require lab analysis. The described sample analyses include nutrients, suspended solids, bacteria, and dissolved metals. Together, these indicators help track issues like sediment transport, nutrient loading, potential public health concerns associated with microbial contamination, and metal concentrations that can affect aquatic life and human uses.

Operationally, KNRD will continue several routine but essential data management and quality assurance steps at the stream gaging sites. These include checking pressure transducer calibration (to ensure stage readings remain accurate), downloading recorded stream stage data (to prevent data loss and support timely analysis), and maintaining the infrastructure needed for continuous monitoring. The annual preparation of flow rating curves will be completed using Aquarius Hydrometric Workstation software, which is commonly used for hydrometric data processing and helps ensure consistent calculation and documentation of discharge records.

Key administrative details included in the posting are that the opportunity was created on June 26, 2018, with an original closing date of July 9, 2018. Overall, the grant is designed to keep a technically robust, strategy-driven monitoring program operating: sustaining field station operations, supporting staff capacity, paying for lab analyses, and ensuring that the resulting streamflow and water quality data remain accurate, continuous, and usable for resource management and long-term environmental tracking.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation - Pacific Northwest Region in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Continuous Stream Flow Monitoring and Water Quality Analysis" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.519.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 26, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 09, 2018. (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 $58,575.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for BOR PN 18 N014

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