Invasive Mussel News

A Presentation will be conducted via MS Teams on:

March 13, 2026 10:00 a.m. to noon

The application window is

March 9, 2026 to April 17, 2026

The Solicitation Notice, pre-registration for the On-Line Grant Application (OLGA) system, Guidelines, Presentation materials, and other QZ Grant documents for the 2026 Grant Cycle, are now available on the DBW website: www.dbw.ca.gov/QZGrant.

Presentation: The Presentation will give an overview of the QZ Grant Program, including eligibility requirements and information related to the utilization of the OLGA system.

RSVP: As a courtesy, please RSVP for the Presentation by March 13, 2026, to MusselGrant@parks.ca.gov with the following information:

Name of Attendee(s)

1. Agency
2. Phone Number
3. E-mail address
4. Questions (submitting questions in advance is appreciated)

Preparation: Interested applicants should do the following with the information available on our webpage:

• Pre-register for OLGA access following the OLGA Step-by-Step Instructions.
• Review "Application Materials", including the pre-recorded OLGA Instructional Webinar.
• Access the 2026 Presentation Notice and QZ Grant Presentation slides under "Grant Announcements."

For questions specific to quagga/zebra mussel monitoring, or for prevention planning, contact our sister agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, at Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or (866) 440-9530.

California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW)

QZ Grant Program

has the following announcement:

The application period for the 2025 cycle will open on

March 9, 2026 and will close on April 17, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Up to $2M is expected to be awarded, pending available funding.

If a reservoir is currently covered by a two-year 2025 QZ Grant, that reservoir will not be considered for a QZ Grant until the 2027 solicitation.

A presentation will be conducted via MS Teams on March 13, 2026;

information will be posted on our webpage at: dbw.parks.ca.gov/QZGrant

The 2026 QZ grants are expected to begin in October, and will span two years.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

1. Grant applicant must own/manage any aspect of the water in a reservoir;
2. The reservoir must be open to the public for recreation; and
3. Grant applicant must demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested with dreissenid mussels

To demonstrate that the reservoir is uninfested, applicants must provide mussel monitoring data collected since March 2025. Monitoring data can be from surface surveys, artificial substrates, and plankton tows.

Tier 2 Implementation Grant:

• To be eligible for an implementation grant, applicants must provide a letter from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) at the time of application that states CDFW has reviewed and accepted a prevention plan for the reservoir (per Fish and Game Code Section 2302 and California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 672.1(b)).

Tier 1 Planning and Assessment Grant:

• Applicants that do not already have a CDFW-accepted prevention plan can apply for a planning and assessment grant in order to develop a CDFW-accepted prevention plan for the reservoir.

For questions regarding quagga/zebra mussel monitoring, or for prevention planning, including how to obtain a letter from CDFW, contact CDFW at Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or Telephone: (866) 440-9530.

Additional information will be sent prior to opening of the grant application window. This notice will also be posted on the DBW website

The deadline to submit a proposal for CDFW’s Boating Access Grant Program is Friday, November 7, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. PST.

For more information, see the 2026-27 Boating Access Proposal Solicitation Notice (PDF) and CDFW's Boating Access page. All proposals must be submitted via the CDFW WebGrants portal.

Contact BoatingAccess@wildlife.ca.gov with any questions.