Grants to California nonprofit organizations, government agencies, for-profits, schools, IHEs, and public water and conservation districts for waterway stewardship projects in eligible regions. Funding is intended to support education and outreach initiatives as well as cleanup activities that aim to reduce water pollution. Funded projects must take place in Santa Clara County.

Proposed projects must be located within Santa Clara County and meet the following:

Water Conservation Research Grants must provide one or more of the following benefits: 

• Help identify potential water reduction devices, technologies, strategies, and/or methods
• Research studies that determine potential cost-effectiveness of water conservation related projects

Pollution Prevention Grants must provide one of the following benefits: 

• Help prevent contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, household hazardous waste (such as auto products and fuels, yard and garden products, cleaning products, paints, light bulbs, batteries, and electronic waste) and trash from entering our waterways
• Help meet regulatory requirements as listed under the impaired water bodies listing of the federal Clean Water Act
• Reduce contaminant source loads in groundwater and surface water, and protects local watersheds
• Provide public education to reduce contaminants in our waterways
• Leverage community resources for efficient use of funds

Support Volunteer Cleanup Efforts and Education Grants must be focused on creek cleanup, education, outreach, or watershed stewardship activities resulting in one or more of the following benefits:

• Reduce contaminants entering Santa Clara County waterways and groundwater
• Engage community and support watershed stewardship
• Leverage volunteer community resources for efficient use of funds to support watershed cleanup and education efforts 

Wildlife Habitat Restoration Grants must provide one of the following benefits:

• Create or enhance wetland, riparian, and tidal marsh habitats
• Protect special status species
• Remove fish migration barriers
• Install fish ladders
• Remove non-native, invasive plant species
• Plant native species 

Access to Trails & Open Space Grants must provide one of the following benefits:

• Provide open space access
• Provide access to creekside trails or trails that provide a significant link to the creekside trail network