Water Acquisition Grants
Water Acquisition Grants support organizations acquiring water interests in Oregon through voluntary purchases and leases to protect instream flows for habitat, native fish and wildlife, and water quality.
Funder: Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
Due Dates: October 14, 2026, at 5 pm (Application deadline) | August 19, 2026 (Applications opened)
Funding Amounts: No maximum award amount; match of at least 25% of the OWEB request
Summary: Supports voluntary water acquisitions that protect instream flows for Oregon habitat, native fish and wildlife, and water quality.
Key Information: Projects must include on-the-ground implementation; planning-only or outreach-only applications are ineligible.
Description
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funds acquisition of interests in water from willing sellers or lessors across Oregon. The program maintains or restores legally or contractually protected instream flows to address habitat and species conservation needs identified by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, or improve water quality in water-quality-limited areas identified by the Department of Environmental Quality.
Supported approaches include temporary leases, split-season leases, time-limited and permanent instream transfers, conserved-water projects, and water use agreements such as forbearance and minimum-flow agreements. Irrigation efficiency improvements may qualify when they produce protected instream flows through Oregon Water Resources Department programs. OWEB encourages coordination with state, Tribal, and federal agencies and consultation with program staff before applying. OWEB funds other entities to acquire water interests; it does not hold those interests itself.
