The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service awarded a $2.348 million definitive contract to Elbow Grease Enterprises, LLC, a women-owned small business, for reservoir embankment rehabilitation at the Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, on September 29, 2026, under a total small business set-away.
The originating solicitation describes rehabilitation of the reservoir embankment, including excavation of reservoir-bottom materials for fill, soil scarification and aeration, placement of reclaimed material in compacted lifts, installation of geotextile fabric and rip rap slope protection, crushed aggregate surfacing, erosion control, and seeding and mulching of disturbed areas to 95 percent turf coverage. The contract covers the base east embankment rehabilitation with three optional line items for north, west, and south embankment rehabilitation, with an ultimate completion date of June 29, 2027. The pricing type is firm fixed price. Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage rates apply across seven Arkansas counties, and the contractor must complete all work within 180 consecutive calendar days of Notice to Proceed, with third-party density testing and inspection required. A one-year warranty follows final acceptance.