NIGP 49570: Oceanography and Limnology Equipment: Dredges, Thermographs, etc.

NIGP 49570 Oceanography and Limnology Equipment: Dredges, Thermographs, Etc. is an Item code under which state and local governments procure specialized equipment and services for coastal and inland water management, with recent activity dominated by large-scale maintenance dredging projects and water quality monitoring instrumentation. The code captures two distinct procurement streams: heavy dredging operations using hydraulic equipment for navigable inlet restoration and beach nourishment, and portable water quality monitoring devices for environmental assessment and compliance. Collier County, Florida has emerged as a repeat major buyer, soliciting two large dredging contracts within four months (May and August 2026) for the same paired inlet system at Wiggins Pass and Doctors Pass, each requiring specialized hydraulic dredges capable of handling approximately 85,000 to 122,000 cubic yards of material removal under strict environmental protection protocols including manatee exclusion zones, seagrass avoidance, and third-party turbidity monitoring. Beyond coastal dredging, the code also encompasses the procurement of portable multi-parameter sondes and related water quality instrumentation, as evidenced by Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council's June 2026 request for equipment capable of measuring temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and depth with mobile app integration.

Activity concentrates in Florida, where recent opportunities total at least $2.8 million in direct dredging contract value across Collier County, with additional instrumentation procurement in Okaloosa County. Representative solicitations include Collier County's sealed competitive bid (Bid No. 26-8697, due August 10, 2026) for maintenance dredging at Wiggins Pass and Doctors Pass with a 90-day completion window and $2,667 per-day liquidated damages for delay, requiring bidders to furnish certified bid bonds and performance bonds with insurance coverage including $1 million watercraft and pollution liability limits; and Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council's RFQ (REQ26000532, posted June 2, 2026) for a portable multi-parameter sonde with June 15, 2026 delivery, new equipment only, inclusive of calibration solutions and protective case. Both opportunities reflect federal compliance requirements due to FEMA grant funding and state environmental permitting, with prevailing wage and Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act applicability for Collier County contracts exceeding $100,000.