“Technical Support for Watershed Management and Resilience Plan for Fort Leonard Wood, MO” | W81EWF 24 SOI 0031

Opportunity Information: Apply for W81EWF 24 SOI 0031

The Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is offering a discretionary cooperative agreement opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number W81EWF 24 SOI 0031) to provide research and technical support for watershed management and resilience planning at and around Fort Leonard Wood (FLW) in Missouri. The work focuses on using watershed-scale modeling and targeted analyses to better understand and manage water quantity and water quality, evaluate potential impacts to aquatic species (including imperiled species), and examine how extreme rainfall events may affect the installation and nearby waterways. The project area is notable for its karst geology, which can strongly influence how water moves through the landscape and can complicate runoff, infiltration, and pollutant transport patterns, making careful calibration and interpretation especially important.

The core technical work begins with watershed modeling using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Two primary watersheds are included: the Big Piney River (identified as a HUC 12 watershed) and Roubidoux Creek (part of the Upper Gasconade HUC 12 watershed). The models are expected to be calibrated using available U.S. Geological Survey stream gage data along with total suspended solids (TSS) sampling data that will be provided by FLW and ERDC-CERL (Engineer Research and Development Center, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory). Task 1 is split into two major modeling scenarios: first, building and running SWAT under existing climate conditions and current watershed/management conditions, and second, updating the models to incorporate recommended best management practices (BMPs) and management actions (including the areal coverage of different BMP types) to estimate how those practices could change discharge and water quality under the same existing climate conditions. ERDC-CERL will support the effort by helping develop or define the recommended BMPs and management practices to be tested in the modeling framework.

After model development and scenario runs, the opportunity calls for detailed interpretation of outputs to support management prioritization. Under Task 2, the recipient will assess SWAT results and use them to identify which watersheds or subareas should be targeted first for BMP installation and related management changes. This step is not just qualitative; it specifically calls for statistical approaches to justify how time periods are defined or grouped for analysis (periodization), which is often necessary when comparing baseline conditions, storm-event periods, or pre- and post-management scenarios. Importantly, the prioritization is expected to incorporate practical implementation considerations, including estimated BMP capital costs, long-term operations and management costs, and the expected magnitude of water quality and water quantity benefits. The government also requires standard maintenance plans for all recommended BMPs, reinforcing that the end product needs to be usable for real-world implementation and sustainment rather than being purely conceptual.

Task 3 culminates in a Watershed Management Plan tailored to FLW that translates modeling and prioritization into actionable guidance. The plan is expected to include recommended preliminary designs and proposed locations for low impact development (LID) features and other BMPs intended to protect sensitive aquatic resources, reduce downstream sediment or pollutant loads, limit impacts from heavy rainfall, and help lower infrastructure maintenance burdens. The plan must also be aligned with current and future land uses on the installation, recognizing that FLW has multiple mission and training demands that influence land management decisions. A key deliverable expectation is that the final Watershed Management Plan will be incorporated into the FLW Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) and used by several installation stakeholder groups, including the Directorate of Public Works (DPW), Training, Mobilization and Security (DPTMS), and Integrated Training Area Management (ITAM). The plan is also intended to be relevant to adjacent lands, specifically the Mark Twain State Forest, which suggests the government is looking for watershed thinking that extends beyond the installation boundary where appropriate.

Eligibility is limited: applicants must be non-federal partners of the Great Rivers Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit (CESU). The opportunity was created on 2024-06-24 and had an original closing date of 2024-08-12. The award ceiling is $230,000, and the listing indicates expected awards are not specified in the provided text. The assistance listing is under CFDA 12.630, and the activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development, which matches the modeling, analysis, and planning emphasis of the scope. Overall, the government is seeking a partner that can build defensible SWAT models in a karst-influenced setting, translate modeling results into prioritized, cost-aware management recommendations, and deliver an implementation-oriented watershed plan that can be directly folded into FLW land and natural resources decision-making.

• The Dept. of the Army -- Corps of Engineers in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "“Technical Support for Watershed Management and Resilience Plan for Fort Leonard Wood, MO”" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 12.630.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-06-24.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $230,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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