Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 18 N002
The Lake Powell Evaporation Study is a Bureau of Reclamation research cooperative agreement focused on improving how evaporation is measured and estimated at Lake Powell, a key reservoir in the Colorado River system. Because evaporation losses affect water accounting and operational decisions at Glen Canyon Dam, better evaporation estimates feed directly into how Reclamation plans releases and meets delivery obligations tied to the Colorado River Compact. The core purpose of the project is to update and strengthen the evaporation estimation methods used for Lake Powell so that operational decisions are based on more accurate, defensible, and modern measurements.
The award is issued under Funding Announcement BOR-UC-18-N002 through the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, as a discretionary opportunity in the Natural Resources category. It is associated with CFDA 15.560 (Secure Water Act) and authorized under Public Law 111-11, Section 9509, which gives the Secretary authority to enter into research agreements (including cooperative agreements) for up to five years to carry out research within Reclamation. The anticipated federal funding amount is $289,876 with no non-federal cost share, structured as a new award with an anticipated period of performance from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2022. The opportunity listed an expected single award and identified eligible applicants as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
The recipient identified for this work is the Nevada System of Higher Education doing business as the Desert Research Institute (DRI), with Dr. Justin Huntington serving as the Principal Investigator/Program Manager. The project is intentionally set up as a cooperative agreement rather than a standard grant, meaning Reclamation expects to be substantially involved in technical direction and execution, not simply receiving a final deliverable at the end. Reclamation also provided a point of contact for the opportunity: Deborah Chorlton (801-524-3734).
On the technical side, the study centers on direct, in-situ evaporation measurement using eddy-covariance methods, which are widely used in hydrometeorology to estimate exchanges of water vapor and energy between a water surface and the atmosphere. DRI is responsible for providing a substantial portion of the eddy-covariance equipment for the duration of the project and for manufacturing and installing the equipment over the water at Lake Powell. Early in the project, DRI leads hands-on activities such as initial measurements, data processing workflows, and evaluation of how well the equipment performs in Lake Powell conditions, and then produces the final project report summarizing methods, performance, and resulting evaporation estimates.
A central feature of the agreement is capacity building for Reclamation staff. For each task DRI initially performs (installation, maintenance, data collection, post-processing, analysis, and translating measurements into evaporation estimates), DRI also trains Reclamation personnel so those same functions can be replicated and sustained by Reclamation on future projects. Over time, the routine operational components that DRI starts out handling are expected to transition to Reclamation once staff are trained, allowing Reclamation to take ownership of similar measurement programs going forward.
The award was justified as a single-source action based on DRI's unique qualifications. The justification emphasizes DRI's specialized experience with evaporation measurement equipment, particularly eddy-covariance systems, and their track record with installing evaporation stations, processing complex datasets, and producing evaporation rate estimates. It also notes DRI's prior work with Reclamation's Technical Service Center on evaporation studies at other Reclamation reservoirs and on eddy-covariance tower installations for agricultural water-use studies. Beyond technical capability, DRI was selected in part because they committed to training Reclamation staff on installation practices and data processing and analysis, which aligns with the cooperative agreement model and the longer-term goal of improving Reclamation's internal capability.
In practical terms, the study is positioned as an operationally important research effort: Lake Powell evaporation estimates influence how water is accounted for and how Glen Canyon operations are optimized under long-standing legal and operational frameworks (including the Colorado River Storage Project Act authorization for Glen Canyon and the Reclamation Act foundation for federal water projects). By modernizing and improving evaporation estimation at Lake Powell, the project aims to reduce uncertainty in one of the key components of the reservoir water budget, strengthening the technical basis for decisions that have real downstream implications for water deliveries and system management.Apply for BOR UC 18 N002
- The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lake Powell Evaporation Study" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 20, 2017.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 03, 2017. (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 $289,876.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
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Lake Powell Evaporation Study (BOR-UC-18-N002) FAQs
1) What is the Lake Powell Evaporation Study?
The Lake Powell Evaporation Study is a Bureau of Reclamation research cooperative agreement focused on improving how evaporation is measured and estimated at Lake Powell, a major reservoir in the Colorado River system. The work is intended to update and strengthen the methods used to estimate evaporation so reservoir operations can rely on more accurate and defensible information.
2) Why is evaporation at Lake Powell important?
Evaporation losses affect reservoir water accounting and operational decisions at Glen Canyon Dam. Better evaporation estimates help Reclamation plan releases and support delivery obligations connected to the Colorado River Compact and related operational frameworks.
3) What is the main purpose of this funding opportunity?
The core purpose is to modernize and improve the evaporation estimation methods used for Lake Powell by using updated measurement approaches and producing improved evaporation estimates that can be used for operational decision-making.
4) Which agency is sponsoring and issuing the award?
The award is issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
5) What is the funding announcement number for this opportunity?
The funding announcement is BOR-UC-18-N002.
6) What type of award is this?
This is a discretionary research cooperative agreement (not a standard grant). The cooperative agreement structure indicates Reclamation expects substantial involvement in technical direction and execution during the project.
7) How is a cooperative agreement different from a standard grant in this project?
Under this cooperative agreement, Reclamation is expected to be substantially involved in the technical direction and execution of the work rather than simply receiving a final deliverable at the end. The project is also structured to train Reclamation staff so the work can be sustained internally in the future.
8) What is the program or CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is associated with CFDA 15.560 (Secure Water Act).
9) What is the legal authority for the award?
The authorization is Public Law 111-11, Section 9509, which provides authority for the Secretary to enter into research agreements (including cooperative agreements) for up to five years to carry out research within Reclamation.
10) What is the category of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is listed in the Natural Resources category.
11) How much federal funding is anticipated?
The anticipated federal funding amount is $289,876.
12) Is a non-federal cost share required?
No. The opportunity indicates no non-federal cost share.
13) What is the anticipated period of performance?
The anticipated period of performance is October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2022.
14) Is this a new award?
Yes. The opportunity is structured as a new award.
15) How many awards were expected under this opportunity?
The opportunity listed an expected single award.
16) Who was eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants were identified as public and state-controlled institutions of higher education.
17) Who is the recipient identified for this work?
The identified recipient is the Nevada System of Higher Education, doing business as the Desert Research Institute (DRI).
18) Who is the Principal Investigator/Program Manager?
Dr. Justin Huntington is identified as the Principal Investigator/Program Manager.
19) What is the main technical approach used in the study?
The study centers on direct, in-situ evaporation measurement using eddy-covariance methods, which are commonly used in hydrometeorology to estimate exchanges of water vapor and energy between a water surface and the atmosphere.
20) What are eddy-covariance methods (in the context of this project)?
In this project, eddy-covariance refers to an in-situ measurement approach used to estimate water vapor and energy fluxes between Lake Powell's water surface and the atmosphere. These measurements are used to derive evaporation estimates.
21) What equipment responsibilities does DRI have?
DRI is responsible for providing a substantial portion of the eddy-covariance equipment for the duration of the project, manufacturing and installing the equipment over the water at Lake Powell, and supporting early measurement and evaluation activities.
22) What activities does DRI lead early in the project?
Early in the project, DRI leads hands-on activities including initial measurements, establishing data processing workflows, and evaluating equipment performance under Lake Powell conditions.
23) What deliverable is specifically mentioned?
The project includes a final report produced by DRI summarizing the methods used, equipment performance, and the resulting evaporation estimates.
24) How does the project build capacity within Reclamation?
Capacity building is a central feature. For each task DRI initially performs (installation, maintenance, data collection, post-processing, analysis, and translating measurements into evaporation estimates), DRI also trains Reclamation personnel so Reclamation can replicate and sustain the work for future projects.
25) Which tasks are included in the training and knowledge transfer component?
The agreement describes training tied to installation, maintenance, data collection, post-processing, analysis, and translating measurements into evaporation estimates.
26) Will Reclamation eventually take over routine operational components?
Yes. Over time, routine operational components that DRI initially handles are expected to transition to Reclamation once staff are trained, enabling Reclamation to take ownership of similar measurement programs in the future.
27) Why was this award justified as a single-source action?
The award was justified as single-source based on DRI's unique qualifications, including specialized experience with eddy-covariance evaporation measurement equipment, experience installing evaporation stations, handling complex data processing, and producing evaporation rate estimates. The justification also notes DRI's prior work with Reclamation's Technical Service Center on related evaporation and installation efforts, plus DRI's commitment to training Reclamation staff.
28) How does this project relate to reservoir operations at Glen Canyon Dam?
Because evaporation affects water accounting and operational decisions at Glen Canyon Dam, improved evaporation estimates feed into how Reclamation plans releases and supports delivery obligations and operational needs tied to the Colorado River system.
29) What broader operational or legal frameworks are mentioned as relevant to the study?
The description notes connections to the Colorado River Compact and also references the Colorado River Storage Project Act authorization for Glen Canyon and the Reclamation Act as part of the broader foundation for federal water projects.
30) What is the main expected benefit of modernizing evaporation estimation at Lake Powell?
The project aims to reduce uncertainty in a key component of the reservoir water budget (evaporation), strengthening the technical basis for operational decisions with downstream implications for water deliveries and system management.
31) Who is the Bureau of Reclamation point of contact listed for the opportunity?
The point of contact listed is Deborah Chorlton, reachable at 801-524-3734.
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