Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit | G24AS00307

Opportunity Information: Apply for G24AS00307

This grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number G24AS00307) is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), specifically through the Nebraska Water Science Center. The project focuses on improving understanding of groundwater and surface-water interactions along the Niobrara National Scenic River (NIOB) in north-central Nebraska. The NIOB is a federally designated 76-mile National Scenic River corridor, running from near Valentine at Borman Bridge downstream to near Mariaville at the Highway 137 Bridge. Because the river is valued for its scenery, geology, recreation, and fish and wildlife resources, the agencies involved have a strong interest in protecting the hydrologic conditions that support those features.

A central reason for the project is that the Niobrara River is heavily supported by groundwater from the High Plains aquifer, with earlier studies estimating that groundwater discharge provides roughly 70 percent of the river's total flow. That dependence makes the river system especially sensitive to shifts in groundwater levels. At the same time, the High Plains aquifer is the primary irrigation water source in Nebraska, and agricultural pumping can change groundwater storage and gradients over time. Prior research has shown that the Niobrara and nearby tributaries are strongly affected by groundwater inflow and outflow, but the current monitoring network in the area is limited. In practical terms, there are not enough dedicated groundwater measurements to clearly link changes in river stage (stream water levels) to changes in nearby groundwater levels, which makes it harder for managers to detect emerging impacts or separate natural variability from human-driven change.

The work to be supported includes test-hole drilling, geophysical well logging, and installation of monitoring wells, along with the placement of water-level sensors at selected locations. These activities are aimed at characterizing subsurface conditions and building a monitoring foundation that can track groundwater levels and how they relate to adjacent river conditions. The monitoring data are intended to support long-term management needs for the National Park Service (NPS), which wants better tools to evaluate how future system changes, including new or expanded groundwater irrigation, could affect groundwater levels and water quality near the river corridor. If monitoring shows measurable impacts to the groundwater system that could threaten river resources, NPS managers would be in a stronger position to decide what protective actions or management responses are appropriate.

The award is issued under the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) framework, meaning it is structured as a cooperative agreement and is intended for collaborative research and technical assistance. Eligibility is limited to organizations that are already participating partners of the Great Plains CESU (GP CESU). The funding activity aligns with Science and Technology and other Research and Development (CFDA 15.808). The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $90,000. The posting was created on March 21, 2024, and the original closing date was April 24, 2024.

• The Geological Survey in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Cooperative Agreement for CESU-affiliated Partner with Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.808.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-04-24. (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 $90,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for G24AS00307

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