MADISON – The Surface Water Grant Program is pleased to announce a call for FY27 grant applications. More than $6 million is available in cost-sharing grants to support projects in the following areas:

Planning for protection and restoration of Wisconsin lakes and rivers
Education and outreach around surface water
Restoration of surface water habitats and shorelands
Management plan implementation
Aquatic invasive species planning, prevention, research and control

Who Is Eligible To Apply?

Counties; municipalities; local units of government; lake and sanitary districts; natural resource agencies; tribal governing bodies; and accredited colleges, universities and technical schools are automatically eligible.

Lake associations; nonprofit conservation organizations; surface water or river management organizations; school districts and producer-led groups must apply and have been confirmed as a qualified organization prior to submitting a grant application. Individuals are not eligible for grants but may partner with an eligible organization that is willing to sponsor a project. Contact your local environmental grant specialist with questions about your organization’s eligibility.

What Funding Is Available?

The amount of funding available varies depending on the grant category and project type. Surface Water Grants require that grantees contribute between 25% to 33% of the total project cost depending on the type of grant.

How To Apply

Applicants must submit a pre-application by Sept. 15. If you have received a Clean Boats, Clean Waters (CBCW) or Lake Monitoring and Protection Network (LMPN) grant in the past, you are not required to submit a pre-application. Returning LMPN applicants need to notify their local AIS biologist of their intent to participate in the program again.

Pre-application forms can be found on the DNR’s Surface Water Grants Program webpage under the “Applying” tab. Right-click the link to Surface Water Grant Application Form and select “Save link as” to download a copy of the form on your computer. Open the form from your local computer drive and fill out the sections.

Email the completed form by 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 15 to DNRSurfaceWaterGrants@wisconsin.gov. Pre-applications will be reviewed by the department and eligible projects will be able to submit final applications by this year’s deadline (Nov. 16).

Those applying for a management plan implementation grant must also request a determination of eligibility for a specific activity or project from your local lake, stream or AIS biologist by Sept. 15. Send the request to your local lake, stream or AIS biologist, preferably by email. The example memo template can be used to make a request for Determination of Eligibility.

Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

Published on: Aug 7, 2026 at 8:16 pm