Floodplains by design grant program

Learn more about climate action in Washington.

Floodplains by Design is a grant program for reducing flood risk and restoring floodplain functions in Washington's major river corridors. This competitive grant program is a component of a public-private partnership led by us and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Floodplains provide important habitat for salmon, rich soil for farms, and beautiful backdrops for residents and visitors to Washington. In the past, attempts were made to control rivers, thinking flooding could be stopped by walling off rivers with levees and laying a grid of commercial and residential development across them. Now, salmon runs are disappearing and more people live in the path of dangerous floodwaters.

Local and Tribal governments, along with nonprofit organizations, are using Floodplains by Design grants across Washington to complete multi-benefit projects that reduce flood hazards to communities and restore the natural functions of rivers and their floodplains. These projects bring together many different stakeholders in the floodplain to:

Improve flood protection for communities that live and work in floodplains.
Conserve and restore habitat for salmon and other important aquatic species.
Preserve farmland to keep agriculture viable for future generations.

I want to...

Funding cycle

Amount of funding available: Varies - determined by the Legislature
Grant award limit: Soft cap of $10 million
Amount of matching funds required: No match required as of the 2025-2027 funding cycle

Applications are not being accepted at this time.

Timeline for 2027-2029

Date	Program milestones and expectations
Nov. 1, 2025	Pre-application period opens
Jan. 23, 2026	Pre-application period closes
Feb. 6, 2026	Pre-application review results announced. Approved applicants invited to sign up to give presentations
March 10, 2026	Office hours with program staff
March 12, 2026	EAGL grant application period opens at 8 a.m.
March 19, 2026	Office hours with program staff
Week of March 30 -April 3, 2026	Applicants give project presentations to the Evaluation Team
April 16, 2026	Office hours with program staff
May 4, 2026	Office hours with program staff
May 5, 2026	Office hours with program staff
May 11, 2027	Office hours with program staff
May 12, 2026	Office hours with program staff
May 13, 2026	EAGL grant application period closes at 5 p.m.
May 18, 2026- July 2, 2026	Application evaluation period
Aug. 2026	We finalize ranked project list
April/May 2027	Legislature makes the final funding decision.
June 2027	We send applicants notice of funding decisions and grant award offer letters
July 1, 2027	Anticipated start date for funded grant agreements
July/Aug. 2027	We send draft grant agreements to funded applicants to begin negotiating funded grant agreements

Funding is available for the following entities:

Counties, cities, and towns
Special purpose districts, such as flood control districts
Federally-recognized Tribes
Conservation districts
Ports
Municipal or quasi-municipal corporations
Not-for-profit organizations that are recognized as tax exempt by the IRS

Project types:

Projects that support integrating flood hazard reduction with ecosystem protection or restoration, as outlined in the funding guidelines.

Examples of eligible project activities:

Community engagement or integrated planning committee support
Pre-construction planning, such as studies or modeling
Conceptual, preliminary, or final designs
Permitting, construction, or planting
Acquisitions or easements
Demolition, home elevations, or home relocation

More information about this funding program

The Washington State Legislature approved $75.7 million to fund nine projects for the 2025-27 biennium. This total includes $927,000 in funding for Bonneville Environmental Foundation's (BEF) continued support of the Floodplains by Design program. They will provide statewide technical assistance, technical studies, and facilitation of public-private-tribal advisory groups related to implementing capital projects.

Rank	Project Sponsor	Project	WRIA	Associated River/Stream	Funding Request
1	Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group	Lower Big Quilcene River and Estuary Restoration	17	Big Quilcene River	$10,309,278
2	Snohomish County	Community Floodplain Solutions Phase 4	7	Skykomish River	$10,309,278
3	North Olympic Salmon Coalition	Hoko River Floodplain Restoration at Upper Cowan Ranch	19	Hoko River	$10,294,657
4	Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians	Stillaguamish Watershed – Improving Floodplains and Farmlands	5	North Fork Stillaguamish River	$8,839,964
5	Pierce County Planning & Public Works	Clear Creek Floodplain Reconnection (Near-Term Actions)	10	Clear Creek	$6,577,320
6	Stevens County	Chewelah Valley Floodplain Restoration and IFM	59	Colville River	$2,062,048
7	Kittitas County Public Works	Upper Yakima River Floodplain and Habitat Restoration Implementation	39	Yakima River	$10,309,278
8	Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District	Nooksack River: Floodplains that Work – Phase 4	1	Nooksack River	$10,309,278
9	King County Water & Land Resources	Snoqualmie River Collaborative Floodplain Restoration	7	Snoqualmie River	$5,844,501

3% has been added to each funded project to pay for our administrative costs.

More grant information

Funding program guidelines

Funding source

The Floodplains by Design grant program is paid for by funds from the State Building Construction Account and the Climate Commitment Act. The Climate Commitment Act supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health.

Contact information

Amelia Petersen
Floodplains by Design program coordinator
amelia.petersen@ecy.wa.gov
360-480-3298

Alex Rosen
Southwest Washington grant manager
Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Mason, Lewis, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum counties
alex.rosen@ecy.wa.gov
360-810-0027

Sandra Floyd
Central Washington grant manager
Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakima counties
sandra.floyd@ecy.wa.gov
509-571-5679