24-0415-REQ_Lake_Tarpon_Aquatic_Plant_Removal-RFQ.pdf

Lake Tarpon Aquatic Plant Removal Request for Quotation

Project Objective

This request for written quotation (RFQ) covers mechanical removal of aquatic vegetation and associated organic sediments within Lake Tarpon. Pinellas County (County) has identified the need to remove nuisance and noxious aquatic and wetland vegetation and associated organic detrital material for the purpose of enhancing valuable fish and wildlife habitat of Lake Tarpon.

Project Location

Lake Tarpon is a 2,800-acre natural lake located in Pinellas County, Florida. There are two

(2) public boat ramps that may be used for equipment access and staging, John Chesnut Sr. Park and AL Anderson Park. However, the John Chesnut Sr. Park public boat ramp is much closer to the harvesting site. The boat ramp is located at 2200 E Lake Rd S, Palm Harbor, FL 34685 (Figure 1; Latitude 28.08905 N / Longitude 82.70111 W). Directions:

From SR 60/Gulf to Bay Blvd, head north on McMullen Booth Rd (approx. 9.6 miles) then turn left into John Chesnut Sr. Park.

In addition, Pinellas County has identified County land for disposal of material; Latitude

28.082 N / Longitude 82.706 W; located 0.60 miles south of the John Chesnut Sr Park exit along the west side of East Lake Rd. (Figure 3).

Pre-Quote Meeting Location

A non-mandatory pre-quote on-site meeting will be made available upon request. The pre-quote meeting will be immediately followed by a site visit by walking the area from land. Questions may be sent via e-mail or hard copy by mail to the contact listed in the “General Specifications” section below. It is the responsibility of the bidder to confirm receipt of questions submitted.

Meeting Location: John Chesnut Sr Park boat ramp. 2200 E Lake Rd S, Palm Harbor, FL 34685

General Specifications

1. All quotes submitted shall be inclusive of all costs required to complete all required work within the specified work unit. (See “PRICE SHEET”).

Aquatic Plant Removal

The project consists of removal of a total of 2.50 acres of nuisance and noxious aquatic and wetland vegetation and associated organic material from two work areas within the littoral zone along the southeastern shore of Lake Tarpon (Figures 1 and 2). The work areas for this project are: Site 1 (0.5 acres) and Site 2 (2.0 acres). To provide a visual reference during project activities, the work areas will be clearly marked, if requested, with white PVC posts (poles are for visual cues for equipment operators only).

The primary aquatic plant species to be removed include: cattail (Typha sp.), spatterdock (Nuphar advena), and primrose willow (Ludwigia sp.); however, other aquatic plant species present within the work areas shall also be harvested. Removal of plants is defined, for the purpose of this project, as removal of all floating, emergent, and submerged portions of all plants and associated organic and detrital material within the designated work area to mineralized soil. The County Project Manager will be frequently inspecting the work area, probing, and throwing a rake to ensure that all associated roots and associated organic matter are removed, and documenting that the final product is exposed natural sand bottom within the targeted work site.

The access and staging area for this project is on Pinellas County Parks and Recreation property. If the Contractor chooses to use a Pinellas County boat ramp for equipment mobilization, at least a 72-hour notice is required prior to the proposed mobilization date.

Once the Contractor, in consultation with the County Project Manager, has determined the mobilization (and subsequent demobilization) date, the County Project Manager will contact Pinellas County Parks & Recreation staff. The County requires that all tracked equipment shall be operated on mats or other material (e.g., boards or plywood) when working on hard surfaces (e.g., pavement, concrete, etc.) to prevent damage to County property. A pre-construction site visit will be performed with the County Project Manager, Contractor, and Pinellas County Parks representative. Pre-construction photos shall be taken by the County Project Manager during the pre-construction site visit. Any damage to Pinellas County property shall be repaired to pre-construction conditions.

The harvest and disposal areas are located along the southeastern shore of the littoral zone of Lake Tarpon (Figures 1 and 2). The Contractor shall be required to remove aquatic plants and associated organic and detrital material from the two designated work areas (Figure 2). Total acreage of the work areas, as of December 2023, is calculated to be 2.50acres, within which all plants and associated detrital material shall be removed, transported, and placed on a County owned disposal site. The Contractor will follow the specifications for “Mechanical Removal of Aquatic Plants and Associated Organic Sediments” in accordance with RFP FWC 15/16-131 and Addendum 1. The County Project Manager will be present frequently to meet with the Contractor’s foreperson, address any questions and concerns, and make decisions pertaining to the project.

The use of a cookie-cutter or other aquatic plant-shredding equipment shall not be permitted. No temporary disposal or dropping of removed material (beyond that which is incidental) into the lake shall be permitted. Tracked (e.g., excavators, bulldozers) or wheeled (e.g., off-road dump trucks) equipment shall not be used in direct contact with the lake bottom.

The Contractor shall be responsible for transporting aquatic plant spoil material directly from the harvesting areas via transport barges, aquatic harvester, or other floating conveyance vessel to the nearest County owned disposal site as directed by the County

Project Manager (Figure 1). Temporary staging or disposal of harvested material at non-permitted disposal sites is not allowed. The location of the spoil deposition site has been identified by the County Project Manager and will not exceed a distance greater than

0.97 miles from aquatic plant-harvesting areas to the primary disposal location [Latitude

28.082 N / Longitude 82.706 W] (Figure 3). If plants or other material are restricting access to the disposal site, the Contractor shall, as needed to provide access, be required to remove the material restricting access around or to the disposal site. Any material removed shall be placed on the disposal site. This cost shall be factored into the Contractor’s “Aquatic Plant Removal & Disposal” quote price.

Before de-mobilizing from the disposal site, the harvested material shall be smoothed-out along the pre-existing contour of each island to avoid leaving any uneven mounds of material.

Demobilization

The Contractor shall repair and/or restore damage to grounds and/or facilities that has occurred as a result of the operational activities conducted by the Contractor during the course of the project. Any area of disturbed soil associated with demobilizing equipment will be returned to original grade and sodded.

All equipment must arrive to the project sites fully operable, and clean and uncontaminated by plant species listed by FISK as a Category I or II invasive prohibited plant.

All Contractor-generated waste, including lunch/snack trash and water bottles, will be removed from work sites and disposed of properly.

The County reserves the right to do all or part of the aquatic plant removal outlined in this RFQ.

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Project/Work Schedule

The Contractor shall have thirty (30) calendar days from the “Notice to Proceed” date to mobilize equipment, conduct aquatic plant harvesting, transport removed aquatic plant material to the in-lake disposal site, clean-up and remediate staging/access areas, and demobilize all equipment. Extension beyond this time-period shall only be allowed at the sole discretion of the County Project Manager in the case of Force Majeure.

Payment Criteria

Quotes should be structured to indicate the total price to complete all components of this aquatic vegetation removal project, including prices of equipment mobilization, aquatic plant removal, transportation of spoil material to the disposal site, and demobilization. One

(1) payment invoice, covering all project components, will be accepted for this project.

For payment purposes, the acreage of targeted material that has been harvested and transported to the disposal site will be determined by the County Project Manager using GPS technology up to the acreage identified for removal for the project.

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