California Water Science Center

The U.S. Geological Survey California Water Science Center, a sub-agency of the Department of the Interior, funds water-resource monitoring, research, and operational support across California through contract awards. The Center transacts primarily with small, specialized service providers in water science, environmental data collection, and aviation support for field operations.

The Center has made 205 federal contract awards since 2009, with recent activity accelerating modestly: 2 awards in 2021, 2 in 2022, 2 in 2023, 7 in 2024, and 4 year-to-date in 2025. Combined award potential value stands at $2 million, with all obligated funds deployed. One recent award carries no reported potential value, consistent with Schedule task orders or below-threshold purchase orders.

Over the last five years, the competitive landscape is highly fragmented. Ecoscan Resource Data LLC leads by award count with 9 recent contracts valued at $87 thousand combined, followed by Aspen Helicopters Inc. with 4 awards worth $57 thousand and Rite Bros. Aviation, Inc. with 3 awards worth $5 thousand. The top four primes account for 100% of recent awards by count but only 8% of combined potential value, indicating that the remaining portfolio is distributed across a large number of single or few-award vendors—typical of water-science field work where specialized expertise and equipment drive vendor selection. Across the portfolio lifetime, the Center has awarded 205 contracts to 119 distinct prime contractors.

Set-asides favor small-business participation. Seventy-one percent of awards carry no set-aside designation, while 28% are designated small-business set-asides. One award is recorded as an 8(a) sole-source contract, and one is a partial small-business award.

No recent federal contract opportunities are recorded against the Center. Business development activity should monitor the Center's procurement channels and industry-day announcements for water-science field services, environmental monitoring contracts, and aviation support solicitations as they emerge.