Budget line items and funding levels are reviewed during the annual CWMS User Representatives Group (CURG) meeting. During this meeting, the Advisory Group (AG) provides funding recommendations to the WMES/CWMS Program Manager (PgM) for concurrence.
Final funding decisions are made through the USACE Information Technology Capital Planning and Investment Management (CPIM) process. This process evaluates all USACE IT investments and recommends an approved IT budget to USACE leadership.
Two main funding categories are considered:
- Enterprise Reimbursable Costs (ERC): Funded through district and division overhead accounts.
- “Other” Funding: Can originate from a variety of sources, including HQUSACE, districts, or divisions.
Enterprise Reimbursable Costs (ERC)
CWMS and WMES fees are determined by the number of software licenses assigned to each district or division water management office. The license allocation is set by the WMES/CWMS Configuration Control Board (CCB) and is based on the scope of each office’s water management responsibilities. Factors considered include the number of locks and dams in the office’s Area of Responsibility (AOR), flow volumes, miles of leveed river downstream of projects, and the size of population centers protected by those projects. For details on license distribution by office, refer to Appendix B.
Other Funding
Additional funding for WMES and CWMS development may come from various sources, including USACE research and development programs, Districts, Divisions, and HQUSACE. It is important to understand that the "Other" funding category represents the maximum potential contribution from these external sources - it is not guaranteed. In any given year, the actual amount received may be none, a portion, or the full amount.
The CWMS National Implementation Program (NIP) has traditionally funded the Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) to support CWMS implementation, software modernization, and enhancements aligned with the NIP's goals. Originally planned as a 10-year effort with a $128 million budget to develop CWMS models for 201 watersheds, the project timeline was extended to 14 years due to inconsistent funding in some fiscal years. Completion is now expected in 2026. In FY26, the CWMS NIP will allocate $1,350,000 to support the CWMS program. A detailed breakdown of how CWMS NIP funding will be used to improve CWMS software can be found here.
Funding Breakdown
The tables below provide a breakdown of the CWMS and WMES budgets.
CWMS Budgets FY25 – FY27
| FY | Requested Budget | Actual Budget |
|---|
| ERC | "Other" | Total | ERC Funded | "Other" Received | Total |
|---|
| 2025 | $1,820,000 | $2,900,000 | $4,720,000 | $1,660,000 | $1,529,000 | $3,189,000 |
| 2026 | $2,510,000 | $2,445,000 | $4,955,000 | $2,260,000 | $1,350,000 | $3,610,000 |
| 2027 | $2,550,000 | $2,540,000 | $5,090,000 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
WMES Budgets FY25 – FY27
| FY | Requested Budget | Actual Budget |
|---|
| ERC | "Other" | Total | ERC Funded | "Other" Received | Total |
|---|
| 2025 | $4,160,000 | $1,500,000 | $5,660,000 | $3,870,000 | $0 | $3,870,000 |
| 2026 | $4,460,000 | $1,500,000 | $5,960,000 | $4,010,000 | $0 | $4,010,000 |
| 2027 | $5,190,000 | $1,500,000 | $6,690,000 | TBD | TBD | TBD |