Project Development for the Sheep Creek Habitat Improvement Project | BOR PN 18 N006

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 18 N006

Project Development for the Sheep Creek Habitat Improvement Project (Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 18 N006) is a Bureau of Reclamation grant opportunity under the Department of the Interior focused on natural resources restoration work in Sheep Creek, a tributary of the upper Grande Ronde River. The targeted project reach covers roughly 4.5 miles of stream (river miles 7.5 through 12.5). The opportunity is structured as a mandatory cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency expects to be actively involved in the project rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. The program is associated with CFDA 15.517 and was posted on January 29, 2018, with an original closing date of February 12, 2018.

The underlying problem the project aims to address is that Sheep Creek and its connected meadow habitats are not in proper functioning ecological condition. The description highlights multiple forms of degradation across hydrology, channel shape and processes (geomorphology), and riparian and meadow vegetation composition. These issues are tied to long-term human impacts, including historic beaver trapping (which reduced natural dam-building and water storage functions), overgrazing, logging, road building, and changes to the natural fire regime. Collectively, these stressors have altered how water moves through the valley bottom, reduced floodplain connectivity, and simplified habitat features that fish depend on.

The overall goal is to restore the creek and meadow system toward proper ecological form and function within the target reach, with a strong emphasis on rebuilding spawning and rearing habitat for priority fish populations. The species specifically called out are Snake River Basin Spring/Summer Chinook, Snake River Basin Steelhead, and resident redband trout. In practical terms, the work is intended to improve conditions that support successful reproduction, juvenile growth and survival, and year-round habitat complexity, especially in a stream-meadow setting where floodplain access and stable, well-watered riparian vegetation are key to resilience.

Implementation is led by Trout Unlimited Washington Water Project in partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. The core restoration approach includes installing instream wood structures across about 4 miles of the stream. These wood features are designed to help raise and stabilize the hydraulic grade of the system, which supports reconnecting the channel to its historic floodplain and improving how water is stored and distributed across the meadow. At the same time, the wood structures are intended to directly enhance fish habitat by increasing cover, improving the number and quality of pools, and promoting recruitment and retention of spawning gravels. This reflects a process-based restoration strategy where structural complexity and floodplain reconnection drive long-term habitat improvements rather than relying on short-lived fixes.

A second major component is livestock management through riparian protection. The project includes installing or adjusting approximately 5.25 miles of cattle exclosure fencing to keep cattle out of sensitive floodplain and riparian areas. By reducing trampling and grazing pressure near the creek, the fencing is meant to allow vegetation recovery, stabilize streambanks, improve shading and organic inputs, and support the broader goal of restoring meadow hydrology and channel stability.

From a funding standpoint, the opportunity anticipates a single award with a maximum (ceiling) amount of $68,000. Eligibility is limited to nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education). Overall, the grant supports project development and implementation planning/actions that advance a partner-driven restoration effort aimed at improving floodplain function and fish habitat conditions in a degraded, historically impacted stream-meadow system.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Project Development for the Sheep Creek Habitat Improvement Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 29, 2018.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 12, 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 $68,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for BOR PN 18 N006

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