Financial Assistance Programs – Grants and Loans

CLEAN BEACHES INITIATIVE GRANT PROGRAM

The CBI Grant Program provides funding for projects that restore and protect the water quality and the environment of coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and near shore waters. The CBI Grant Program was initiated in response to the poor water quality and significant exceedences of bacterial indicators revealed by Assembly Bill (AB) 411 (Stats. 1997, Ch. 765) monitoring at California’s beaches. Scientific studies have shown that water with high bacteria levels can cause infections rashes, and gastrointestinal and respiratory illnesses.

The CBI Grant Program has provided about $100 million from voter-approved bonds for approximately 100 projects since it was started under the 2001 Budget Act. Typical projects include the construction of disinfecting facilities, diversions that prevent polluted storm water from reaching the beach, and scientific research that will enable early notification of unhealthy swimming conditions.

The State Water Board adopted Resolution No. 2012-0020, which adopted revised Guidelines for this program.

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Announcements | Funding Information | Contact Information | Reference Material | Previously Funded Projects

Announcements

Updated! The Clean Beaches Initiative (CBI) grant program will re-open from April 16, 2013 at 8 am through May 28, 2013 at 5 pm to accept concept proposals for implementation projects. The Solicitation (CBI Round 3) will then be closed to allow submitted proposals to be reviewed. The Solicitation will be re-opened shortly thereafter. No applications for research projects are currently being accepted.

Updated! Applicants of the CBI Solicitation that were invited to submit a detailed application are shown on the lists for Implementation Projects and Research Projects.

New! Clean Beaches Initiative Guidelines - Revised
The Guidelines contain an overview of the grant process, eligibility requirements, program priorities, proposal solicitation, review and selection process, and general requirements. Information that will be required for submittal of proposals and the proposal evaluation criteria will be posted on the State Water Board’s website. They propose a two-step proposal solicitation process. Applicants will submit Concept Proposals through the State Water Board on-line Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). There will be two Concept Proposals applications, one for implementation projects, and one for research projects. The solicitation will be continuous. Periodically the solicitation will be closed to allow a review of submitted applications, and then will be re-opened after the Concept Proposals are processed to allow new applications to be submitted. The Clean Beaches Task Force will review the implementation and research Concept Proposals separately and recommend the proposals to be invited to submit a detailed application.

New! Application Instructions »» Implementation Projects

Subscribe Online to receive "Beaches Water Quality Grants” email notifications from the CBI program.

Funding Information

Eligible Applicants	See the Revised CBI Guidelines
Eligible Project Types	Implementation Projects and Research Projects to address CBI Priorities in the Guidelines
Funding Available	Approximately $49.5 million available: Implementation projects Research projects
Fund Source (as of July 1, 2012)	Proposition 40 Proposition 50 Proposition 84
Loans or Grants	Grants
Applications	Now Open The continuous solicitation process will close periodically to allow for review of submitted applications, then re-opened for submittal of new additional applications. Applicants in FAAST and subscribers to the “Beach Water Quality Grants” email notifications will be notified of periodic closures. The next closing will be May 28, 2013 at 5 pm, however the Solicitation will re-open shortly thereafter.

Contact Information

Patricia Leary, Senior Water Resources Control Engineer
Division of Financial Assistance
pleary@waterboards.ca.gov
(916) 341-5167

Reference Material

Assembly Bill 411
Developing a Project Assessment and Evaluation Plan (PAEP)
Developing a QAPP
Forms and Instructions
Overview and History – Clean Beaches Initiative Program (shown in the Revised CBI Guidelines)
Public Resources Code
Propositions 50 and 84 specify that the CBI Program grant funds must be implemented according to the requirements of Proposition 13 Coastal Nonpoint Source Control Program (Wat. Code § 79148 et seq.) and Proposition 40 Clean Beaches Program (Pub. Resources Code, § 30915 et seq.), respectively. Proposition 50 allows for projects that provide comprehensive capability for monitoring, collecting, and analyzing ambient water quality, including monitoring technology that can be entered into a statewide information database (Wat. Code, § 79148.8, subd. (a)(2)). As a result, a portion of the available Proposition 50 funds will be dedicated to funding eligible statewide research projects that address the identified Clean Beaches Task Force research priorities.
Priority Beaches 2012 (Appendix C of the Revised Clean Beaches Initiative Guidelines) (posted 8/23/12)

Archive – links to older reference material

Previously Funded Projects

No information currently available