Contra Loma Boat Launch | BOR MP 17 N017

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR MP 17 N017

The Contra Loma Boat Launch opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR-MP-17-N017) is a continuation grant administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, under CFDA 15.524. The award is tied to Reclamation-managed recreation assets at Contra Loma Reservoir, where the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) operates and maintains roughly 90 acres of developed parkland and wildlife habitat under a formal management agreement. The site supports high-demand public recreation, including boating, fishing, hiking, and picnicking, and it draws about 150,000 visitors each year, largely from Central California counties. The overall purpose of the funding is to help EBRPD meet its ongoing obligations to improve recreation facilities and keep the area safe, usable, and attractive for the public.

The project scope centers on upgrading core visitor-use infrastructure at the reservoir, with a strong emphasis on access and launch-area support features. The grant funds are aimed at improving parking facilities and roadway conditions, including upgrading existing parking areas so they have an adequate base and surface to withstand regular vehicle traffic. The materials describe the work as building on earlier improvements, specifically noting that the current task includes installing asphalt as an additional surface layer over base material that was funded in a prior effort (from 2014). The opportunity also references Modification 002, which includes boarding floats and fishing docks, indicating that in addition to parking and road upgrades, the project ties into improving the boating and fishing experience through launch and shoreline/overwater facility enhancements. The intended public benefit is straightforward: better traffic circulation and parking durability, improved site functionality, and increased capacity to serve recreation use at a popular reservoir-based park.

From a funding and cost perspective, the anticipated federal amount is $245,000, with a stated recipient cost share of $356,772. The opportunity lists a total anticipated award amount of $245,000 (federal share), and the instrument is a grant. The anticipated period of performance runs from the date of execution through September 30, 2018. The opportunity category is a continuation, with an expected single award and an award ceiling matching the federal amount of $245,000. Eligible applicants are listed as special district governments, which aligns with EBRPDs status as a regional park district.

EBRPD is positioned as the implementer and long-term operator. Its responsibilities include administering and financially managing the project, overseeing construction management through completion and acceptance, maintaining and operating the improved facilities once they are built, and submitting a final report at the close of the project. Reclamations role is intentionally limited; no substantial federal involvement is anticipated beyond normal stewardship functions such as monitoring performance and providing technical assistance if requested. In other words, EBRPD runs the project day to day, while Reclamation maintains oversight consistent with standard grant administration and federal asset stewardship.

A key feature of this opportunity is that it is issued on a single-source basis as a continuation rather than through open competition. The justification is grounded in the statutory and practical setup of the site: the Federal Water Project Recreation Act requires that recreation enhancements on Reclamation reservoirs be carried out under agreements with non-federal public bodies that administer the land and water areas devoted to recreation. EBRPD is identified as the only non-federal public managing partner that has executed the required agreement with Reclamation for Contra Loma, making it the only eligible entity for this specific continuation work. The award continues earlier work associated with award R13AP20012 (which expired December 31, 2014), and the current phase is described as completing or extending prior improvements, particularly by adding the asphalt surface layer over previously funded base improvements.

The statutory authority cited is Public Law 89-72, the Federal Water Project Recreation Act, specifically Section 7(a) and 7(b) (79 Stat. 213). In practical terms, this law authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to plan, construct, operate, and maintain recreation and fish and wildlife enhancement facilities in conjunction with Reclamation reservoirs, and to do so through agreements with state or local public bodies. The act also lays out the cost-sharing and responsibility framework: non-federal public bodies must take on substantial portions of recreation-related costs, administer designated recreation areas, and cover ongoing operation, maintenance, and replacement costs. This structure explains both the cost share reflected in the opportunity and the long-term obligation placed on EBRPD to operate and maintain the improved facilities after construction is complete.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Contra Loma Boat Launch" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.524.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jun 05, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 19, 2017. (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 $245,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Special district governments.

Apply for BOR MP 17 N017

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