Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program

Through our partnership, we will revitalize urban waters and the communities that surround them, transforming overlooked assets into treasured centerpieces and drivers of urban revival.

On this page:

• About the Program
• Types of Assistance
• How This Program Helps Build Resilience
• Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts

About the Program

The Urban Waters Federal Partnership Program (UWFP), led by the EPA, reconnects urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led revitalization efforts. These activities improve our nation's water systems and promote their economic, environmental, and social benefits. This program is supported by over 15 federal agencies and more than 28 non-governmental organization partners working in 21 designated locations.

Specifically, the UWFP can:

• Break down federal program silos to promote more efficient and effective use of federal resources through better coordination and targeting of federal investments.
• Recognize and build on local efforts and leadership, by engaging and serving community partners.
• Work with local officials and effective community-based organizations to leverage area resources and stimulate local economies.
• Learn from early and visible victories to fuel long-term action.

Types of Assistance

The UWFP can work directly with state, local, watershed-wide, and Tribal partners to offer a variety of assistance that can help build climate resilience.

Financial Assistance

• Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grants are administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's (NFWF) Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program which supports projects that develop community stewardship of natural resources and address water quality issues. This program seeks to develop community capacity by providing modest assistance to diverse local partnerships for river, wetland, riparian, forest and coastal restoration, and wildlife conservation also bolstering climate resilience. Major funding is provided by: the EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, FedEx, Southern Company, and Salesforce.
• U.S. Geological Survey annually makes cooperative matching funds available to support water-quality related projects in Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations. Activities include water quality related monitoring assessment, management and practice evaluation, and educational activities.

Technical and Convening Assistance

• In collaboration with the EPA, the many non-governmental organizations (pdf) supporting the UWFP and other partners provide technical assistance to local partners through local convening, national workshops, and online resources.

Outreach and Education Assistance

• The EPA partnered with Groundwork USA and the River Network to establish the Urban Waters Learning Network to provide networking, technical assistance, and learning opportunities to over 580 organizations.

How This Program Helps Build Resilience

The UWFP works with stakeholders that are interested in preserving and protecting urban watersheds and waterways. This includes helping stakeholders prepare for different types of natural hazards and adapt to climate change. To date, assistance has been provided for responding to hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding events. The UWFP supports resilience building activities including:

• Planning for multi-jurisdictional mitigation and recovery.
• Providing a forum for stakeholders to consistently convene to build trust.
• Identifying opportunities for collaboration to solve complex resilience challenges.

The UWFP also helps support and identify funding for on-the-ground risk reduction activities and inclusive community-based projects that protect water resources and offer community improvements to build resilience. The UWFP supports recovery and resilience efforts in locations around the country. To learn about community projects happening across the country, see the online map.

Connections to Other EPA, Federal, or Non-Governmental Efforts

The EPA has bolstered the UWFP’s response to natural disasters with funding from the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program to provide technical assistance with incorporating low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure into regional hazard mitigation plans developed by UWFP partner organizations. Multiple Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations have also received funding to provide technical assistance to identify suitable sites for green infrastructure and LID, methods to incorporate these approaches into multi-jurisdictional planning activities, and training workshops for local communities. These efforts enable partnership communities to strengthen their response to future natural disasters.

Support offered by the Partnership can be used as non-federal match funding to supplement the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant and National Flood Insurance Programs, as well as to support projects under several credit areas for the Community Rating System. Combining sources of funding and assistance can help scale up large projects requiring the input and expertise of various federal partners to implement more effective, resource-rich, and successful projects on the ground.

Other federal agencies in the UWFP include U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Department of the Interior; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; AmeriCorps; NIH National Institute for Environmental and Health Sciences; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Department of Transportation; Economic Development Administration; Department of Education; and the Community Development Financial Institutions.