Water Management, Planning, and Pre-Development Program

The Water Management, Planning, and Pre-Development (WMPPD) program supports utilization of Reservation water resources. The program allows Tribes to perform technical studies and to develop other information necessary for Tribal communities to serve in a manner consistent with sound conservative economic principles that enhance the quality of life, environment, and economic conditions. 

The WMPPD program assists in developing and maintaining a managerial environment which ensures that Tribal water resource programs are conducted consistent with applicable laws, regulations, court decisions, and negotiated settlements of water rights claims.

The WMPPD program provides funding for crucial tasks involving protection of Tribal water resources necessary for sustainable water supply on the Reservations and public domain allotments.

The first priority for WMPPD program funds is to provide necessary technical research, studies, and other information for Indian Tribes to serve as informed and prudent managers of their water resources. These efforts may occur through partnerships or through coordination and cooperation with other governmental entities to obtain information describing surface and ground water assessments, inventories, monitoring, modeling and gauging.

Additionally, these funds are used for the preparation of comprehensive Reservation water management and development plans, use surveys, interagency drought management planning, and necessary assessments to define and characterize Tribal water resources.

More information about WMPPD program eligibility and instructions can be found in the Federal Register “Notice of Revised Instructions for Preparing and Prioritizing Water Program Funding Requests” (Vol. 70, No. 201, October 19, 2005).

The WMPPD program is administered through a competitive funding process listed in Indian Affairs’ published process, “Notice of Revised Instructions for Preparing and Prioritizing Water Program Funding Requests” (Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 201, October 19, 2005). 

Funding priorities for the WMPPD program include, but are not limited to, technical assistance to the Tribes, project funding for water surveys including quantification studies and characterization of water concerns, as well as training necessary to develop human capacity for water resources management. 

Letters soliciting funding requests are sent to Tribes each year and contain the following documents:  

• (June 16, 2022) Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Funding Requests for the Water Management, Planning, and Pre-Development Program (N34) and Water Rights Litigation/Negotiation Program (R31)
• Bureau of Indian Affairs FY 2023 Year End Funding Request Water Rights Litigation/Negotiation (R3120) and Water Management Planning & Pre-Development (N3420) Checklist