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Res 022-2015 2/17/2015Resolution No. 22-2015 Resolution authorizing the application for a federal Bureau of Reclamation WaterSmart grant for tree irrigation WHEREAS, it is desirable to make an effort to irrigate with non -potable water the City’s trees; and, WHEREAS, the Bureau of Reclamation has announced a matching grant program that will provide funding for the use of water in two City ponds for tree irrigation. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, THAT: The City Manager is hereby authorized to submit an application to the Bureau of Reclamation for a matching grant for the irrigation of trees using water in the Maplewood/Arthur Storm Water Retention Pond and the Martin Plaza Park Pond to irrigate trees and shrubs in three medians on Maplewood Dr., the median on Kell between Kemp and Lawrence, Martin Plaza Park, one median on Kemp St., seven medians on Harrison Blvd., and Martin Circle. It is hereby verified that:  The City Manager is the official with legal authority to enter into agreement.  The City Council has reviewed and supports the application submitted .  The City of Wichita Falls commits to the capability to provide the amount of funding and in-kind contributions specified in the funding plan .  That the City of Wichita Falls will work with Reclamation to meet established deadlines for enteri ng into a cooperative agreement. PASSED AND APPROVED this the 17th day of February, 2015. ______________________________ M A Y O R ATTEST: ____________________ City Clerk 1. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Announcement R15AS00002 WaterSMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grants for FY 2015 Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation AVAILABLE VERSIONS Synopsis Version Name Modification Description Date Modified Current Version There have been two updates to the fiscal year 2015 WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Funding Opportunity Announcement: 1) the application deadline has been extended from January 14, 2015 to January 23, 2015; and 2) a clarifying note has been added to Subcriterion E.2: Expediting Future On-Farm Irrigation Improvements (p.48). Dec 15, 2014 Original Version Oct 30, 2014 GENERAL INFORMATION Version: Current Version Document Type: Grants Notice Funding Opportunity Number: R15AS00002 Funding Opportunity Title: WaterSMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grants for FY 2015 Opportunity Category: Discretionary Funding Instrument Type: Grant Category of Funding Activity: Natural Resources Category Explanation: Expected Number of Awards: 35 CFDA Number(s): 15.507 -- WaterSMART (Sustaining and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: Yes Posted Date: Oct 30, 2014 Creation Date: Dec 15, 2014 Original Closing Date for Applications: Jan 14, 2015 Current Closing Date for Applications: Jan 23, 2015 Archive Date: Feb 13, 2015 Estimated Total Program Funding: $19,000,000 Award Ceiling: $1,000,000 Award Floor: $0 ELIGIBILITY GRANTS.GOV - Search Opportunities - View Grant Opportunity http://www.grants.gov/custom/printSynopsisVersionDetails.jsp 1 of 2 1/12/2015 8:48 AM Eligible Applicants: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitl ed "Additional Information on Eligibility" Additional Information on Eligibility: States, Indian tribes, irrigation districts, water districts, or other organizations with water or power delivery authority located in the western United States or United States Territories as identified in the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902, as amended ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Agency Name: Bureau of Reclamation Description: The Nation faces an increasing set of water resource challenges. Aging infrastructure, rapid population growth, depletion of groundwater resources, impaired water quality associated with particular land uses and land covers, water needed for human and environmental uses, and climate variability and change all play a role in determining the amount of fresh water available at any given place and time. Water shortages and water-use conflicts have become more commonplace in many areas of the United States, even in normal water years. As competition for water resources grows-for crop irrigation, growing cities and communities, energy production, and the environment-the need for information and tools to aid water resource managers also grows. Water issues and challenges are increasing across the Nation, but particularly in the West, due to prolonged drought. These water issues are exacerbating the challenges facing traditional water management approaches which by themselves no longer meet today's needs. The U.S. Department of the Interior's (Department) WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) Program establishes a framework to provide Federal leadership and assistance on the efficient use of water, integrating water and energy policies to support the sustainable use of all natural resources, and coordinating the water conservation activities of various Department bureaus and offices. Through the WaterSMART Program, the Department is working to achieve a sustainable water management strategy to meet the Nation's water needs. Link to Additional Information: http://www.usbr.gov Contact Information: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: Shaun Wilken, 303-445-3697 swilken@usbr.gov swilken@usbr.gov GRANTS.GOV - Search Opportunities - View Grant Opportunity http://www.grants.gov/custom/printSynopsisVersionDetails.jsp 2 of 2 1/12/2015 8:48 AM 2. Technical Proposal and Evaluation Criteria Executive Summary January 22, 2015 City of Wichita Falls Wichita County Texas The primary goal of this project is to reduce the quantity of potable municipal water used for irrigation purposes by switching several large irrigation systems over to pond water, and the secondary goal is to increase the efficiency of these irrigation systems by installing smart irrigation controllers that utilize soil moisture sensors as the basis for determining when to start and stop irrigation cycles. Project funds will be used to purchase and construct the necessary facilities to pump and filter the pond water, and also to purchase and install smart irrigation controllers, soil moisture sensors, and other related components. It is estimated that this project will conserve 5.1 million gallons of treated municipal water annually, and also allow for much more precise control of soil moisture levels. Assuming a start date of October 1, 2015, the target completion date will be September 30, 2016. The project is not located on a Federal facility. Maplewood/Arthur Storm Water Retention Pond and Martin Plaza Park Background Data The existing irrigation systems utilize municipal water. It is pr oposed to switch them over to pond water to help conserve the steadily dwindling supply of water available for municipal use. The proposed project locations are a large 14.1 acre median & highway area on Kell Freeway between Kemp and Lawrence streets, 3 heavily landscaped medians along Maplewood Avenue, one median on Kemp Ave, Martin Plaza Park (9.6 acres), 7 medians on Harrison Street, and Martin Circle. Historical records from 2005 through 2011 show that the irrigation systems on these areas use an averag e of 5.1 million gallons of water each year. There is a shallow 3 acre Maplewood/Arthur Storm Water Retention pond located adjacent to the medians on Maplewood Avenue. It is proposed to excavate a 1 acre section of this pond and deepen it by 3 feet. The resulting pond could supply 6 acre-ft of water between rain events. Martin Plaza Park contains a 1.3 acre retention pond which could easily supply 500,000 gallons of water between rains. Each pond has a watershed of over 500 acres, and any small rain will re fill them. Presently there are 12 municipal meters that supply these areas with potable water. Historical water consumption for the combined areas in this proposed project is over 5 million gallons annually. This project does not include a renewable energy component, but it will utilize VFD pumps and controllers to increase system efficiency. This division does not have a past working relationship with Reclamation.