The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) is accepting funding proposals until May 29 for projects seeking to restore impaired waterways impacted by nonpoint source pollution, which is caused by water runoff that carries pollutants into waterways. 

The state expects to be able to award $1.5 million in funding for watershed restoration projects through the Clean Water Act-Section 319 (h) Nonpoint Source Grant Funding Program from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in fiscal year 2026. Projects can include restoration of riparian buffers, or vegetation along streambanks, as well as stormwater management efforts, wetland and floodplain restoration, targeted nutrient and sediment reduction projects or stream restoration. 

Eligible applicants include state and local governments, councils of government, interstate and intrastate agencies, public and private nonprofit organizations and institutions — including academic institutions — as well as federally recognized tribal groups with an up-to-date U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-approved Tribal Nonpoint Source management program plan. 

Specifically, DWR is seeking proposals for projects from applicants that would implement a DWR-approved watershed restoration plan to restore waterways that are impaired, or not meeting water quality standards, due to nonpoint source pollution. 

Eligible waterways are considered to be impaired when they are listed as either Category 4 or 5 in either of the two most recent Integrated Reports published by the DWR Modeling and Assessment Branch. For this request for proposals, the 2020 and 2022 Integrated Reports are the two most recent. DWR will also consider proposals for waters included in Category 4 or 5 of the latest draft Integrated Report. 

Applicants may submit a draft application no later than April 6 to obtain preliminary review and comments from DWR staff. Final applications shall be received by DWR no later than 11:59  p.m. May 29.  

The award and amount of grant funds are conditioned on availability of funding. DWR reserves the right to wholly fund, partially fund or not fund any proposal or any component of any Section 319 grant proposal. 

For additional questions regarding the FY 2026 319 Grant Program request for proposals, contact Rishi Bastakoti at rishi.bastakoti@deq.nc.gov.