The Floating Restroom Grant, administered by California State Parks' Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW), supports the provision of clean and accessible sanitation facilities on California’s lakes and reservoirs. The initiative is delivered in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Clean Vessel Act program, which was enacted by Congress in 1992 to mitigate water pollution caused by vessel sewage discharge. This collaboration, which also includes funding from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, aims to protect water quality and enhance recreational boating experiences by funding the development and installation of ADA-accessible floating restrooms. DBW acts as the state grant coordinator and contributes the required 25 percent federal match through the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund.
The primary function of this grant is to procure and deploy DBW-designed floating restrooms that are ADA-compliant and intended for free use by boaters. Grantees do not bear the construction or deployment costs, but they are required to operate and maintain the units for a minimum of 10 years. Grantees must also display signage on each unit indicating that the facility was funded by the Sport Fish Restoration Program through DBW. An additional grant is available to support the operation and maintenance of these restrooms, although specific details of the operational funding are not elaborated in the public materials.
Eligibility for this grant is limited to governmental entities that manage lakes and reservoirs open to the public. Private organizations and individuals are not eligible. The application process is managed through DBW’s Online Grant Application (OLGA) portal. An instructional webinar is available to guide applicants through the submission process, and prospective applicants are encouraged to prepare in advance. There is no application fee, and no charges may be imposed on the public for using the floating restrooms.
The 2025–26 application cycle will open on November 17, 2025, and close at 12:00 PM on December 19, 2025. During this window, eligible applicants must submit their proposals via OLGA. Ethan Tratner, from the Grants and Loans Unit at DBW, serves as the program contact and can be reached by phone at (916) 902-8823 or by email at ethan.tratner@parks.ca.gov.
The grant is recurring annually, with prior application cycles suggesting a consistent end-of-year schedule. Based on this cadence, the next cycle is expected to open in November 2026. Applicants should plan accordingly and monitor the program page or contact the DBW office for future announcements.
