Attachment 1 - Specifications_rev.doc

PROJECT CIM-0811-01W

AQUATIC RESOURCE MONITORING ON THE UPPER TELLICO OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE (OHV) RESTORATION AREA

SCOPE

This project is for a multi-year aquatic monitoring on the Upper Tellico and Upper Snowbird Creek Watersheds in the Tusquitee and Cheoah Ranger Districts of the Nantahala National Forest. The contractor will use the Basinwide Visual Estimation Technique (BVET) to monitor stream habitat and fish in the Upper Tellico and Upper Snowbird Creek Watersheds. Pebble counts and measures of pH and temperature in streams will also be assessed. The contractor will use a Best Management Practice (BMP) assessment to monitor decommissioned and rehabilitated roads on the Upper Tellico Watershed. The contractor shall furnish all equipment, supplies and supervision to perform BVET and BMP monitoring as well as all other required sampling. There are 12 bid items. Items 1-7 include BVET training and monitoring plus other stream measures. Bid items 8-12 are associated with BMP monitoring. Contractors may bid on all 12 bid items or just items 1-7 or items 8-12 only. One or two awards may be made from this solicitation.

DESCRIPTION AND LOCATION

Cherokee and Graham Counties, NC. The Upper Tellico and Upper Snowbird Creek Watersheds are located approximately 115 miles west of Asheville, NC; 20 miles west of Robbinsville, NC and 20 miles north of Murphy, NC, in Cherokee and Graham Counties. The project areas are very remote. Overnight accommodations are available in nearby Robbinsville (best access to Upper Snowbird) and Murphy (best access to Upper Tellico). Vehicular access to both watersheds is limited. In the Upper Tellico Watershed, FS road 420-1 and part of 420-5 are open (see maps). In the Upper Snowbird Creek Watershed, FS road 2580 leads to the base of the watershed.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Training for Stream Monitoring (Bid item 1) June 28 – July 2, 2010, the contractor’s crew and crew leader will be required to attend 40 hours of BVET and related training in Buncombe and Transylvania Counties near Asheville, NC. Training will be provided by the Forest Service Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer (CATT). No monitoring work will be performed during the training period. This training is part of the required work. Therefore, the time and other costs should be included in the bid.

BVET: Habitat and Fish (part of bid items 2 and 3) The contractor will conduct BVET sampling (habitat and fish) and pebble counts on 36 km of stream on the Upper Tellico WS and 40 km of stream on the Upper Snowbird Creek WS during each of 2 years, 2010 and 2015. BVET Sampling will be done once a year, between mid-June and mid-September. The procedures or standard for BVET sampling and related work are described in the documents listed under “BVET protocol files” in the attachments section. Specifically, Dolloff et al. (1993) describes techniques for assessing both habitat and fish populations. The Roghair and Nuckols ( 2005) document is a revision of the methods for habitat classification - all habitat variables in this document, except for H2O temperature, will be measured. The attachment, FishSurveyMod.docx, describes modifications to the fish survey information in Dolloff et al. (1993) – this modification eliminates diving, that was part of the original fish survey method. Select habitat variables and electrofishing will be conducted at every 10th sample unit after the first paired or measured sample units are randomly selected according to the standard BVET protocols (Roghair and Nuckols, 2005; Dolloff et al, 1993). This random selection of measured sample units followed by sampling every 10th sample units will be done in 2010 and 2015. CATT suggests efficient crew sizes of 2 for BVET habitat sampling, who typically work ahead of the other crew and flag units for electrofishing and pebble counts. The electrofish sampling is most efficiently done with a 4-5 person crew, according to CATT. In the Upper Snowbird Watershed, only battery powered electrofishing equipment can be used since it is a Wilderness Study Area.

The contractor will also record GPS coordinates at the beginning and end of individual streams as well as sample units (10% sample). While part of the data collection involves description of features, it is also appropriate to GPS special features when possible. Collecting GPS data in the summer can be difficult due to topography and vegetation. Therefore, it may be necessary to return to flagged locations in the late-fall or early winter after leaf-off in order to collect all GPS data.

BVET: Fish Only (part of bid items 4-7) The contractor will conduct annual BVET sampling (fish only) on selected streams within the Upper Tellico Watershed (14 km) and the Upper Snowbird Creek Watershed (13 km) for up to 4 years, 2011-2014. Table 1 below lists and describes the streams to be monitored in each watershed. The protocol for fish sampling information to be used is given above under “BVET: Habitat and Fish”. The only difference is that only select streams will be sampled. Refer again to the BVET protocol files. Since fish - not habitat - will be sampled, the primary document of interest is FishSurveyMod.docx, which replaces the fish survey information in the 1993 document . Electrofishing will be conducted at every 10th habitat unit (paired sample units) after randomly selecting the first paired sample units each year. The habitat units referred to will have already been classified in 2010. In the Upper Snowbird Watershed, only battery powered electrofishing equipment can be used since it is a Wilderness Study Area. GPS data collected here will be the same as described above.

Table 1. Fish Surveys: 2011-14 Upper Tellico River and Upper Snowbird Creek Watersheds.

Length and Description of Tributary

Pebble Counts (part of bid items 2-7)

The contractor will conduct pebble counts on: 1) all streams on the Upper Tellico Watershed and the Upper Snowbird Creek Watershed, between mid-June and mid-September, 2010 and 2015 and 2) selected streams (see table 1) on the Upper Tellico Watershed and the Upper Snowbird Creek Watershed, between mid-June and mid-September, 2011-2014. The methods for this technique are outlined by Bevenger and King (1995), referenced below. In conjunction with the BVET habitat and fish sampling in 2010, the pebble counts will be conducted at every 10th habitat unit (“measured” or “paired” sample units) after the first paired or “measured” sample sites are randomly selected (as described for the BVET sampling). Thereafter, on an annual basis, pebble counts will be conducted at these same habitat units of either all streams (2010 and 2015) or select streams (2011-2014).

Stream pH and temperature (part of bid items 2-7)

The contractor will also monitor pH and H2O temperature from 2010 to 2015 as described in the pH monitoring protocol (attachment). This document also describes the methods for this work, the 4 locations in each watershed that will be monitored, as well as required data analysis.

Best Management Practice (BMP) Assessment (bid items 8-12) The contractor will conduct BMP assessments on 39.3 miles of decommissioned (25.9 miles) and rehabilitated (13.4 miles) roads and trails within the Upper Tellico OHV Restoration Area (see maps) annually from 2011-2015 during the months June-September (see Table 2). Construction in the form of decommissioning and rehabilitation are scheduled to occur during 2010 and 2011. The BMP monitoring contractor must wait until the next growing season following construction before beginning assessments on any road/trail. Therefore, in 2011, the contractor will inspect roads restored/decommissioned in 2010. We estimate that 20 miles, or half of the total road mileage, will be ready to be assessed in 2011. Thereafter, 39.3 miles will be monitored each year, from 2012-2015.

The monitoring protocol standards are described in the attached documents, “Instructions for Completing the S&G Implementation and Effectiveness Field Form” (see file Instructions For Field Form 2009.doc). The field data form is also included below as file NC BMP Audit Form3.doc. When filling out this form, Only (II) “Roads Only System______ Temporary_____” and (IIa) “Stream Crossings” will be used for the BMP monitoring. These correspond to items 26-32 and 33-44, respectively.

Table 2. Upper Tellico Alternative C Summary: Roads

TOTAL

Provided by the Forest Service The Forest Service will provide 40 hours of CATT training, June 28-July 2, 2010, as described above. Maps of each watershed showing topography, roads/trails and streams along with a vicinity map are listed in attachments below. The Forest Service will also provide additional GIS data of the area, available through www.nconemap.com. The Forest Service will provide access behind gated roads as appropriate.

METHOD OF MEASUREMENT

Deliverables

The contractor shall provide summary reports from data analysis and field assessments, GPS data, raw data, maps and photos to the Forest Service Contract Officer Representative (COR) annually, no later than November 15 of each year. The format required for BVET summary reports are given below under links (Sample BVET report). Regarding fish data, data analysis and reporting is described in the FishSurveyMod.docx. In 2015, in addition to the annual report, a project report for the years 2010-2115 will be required for final payment.

Payment

Training – bid item 1

The government will approve payment for CATT training (June 28-July 2, 2010) after training is complete. Travel related expenses should be included in the lump sum estimate for bid item 1.

All other work - Bid Items 2-12 The government will approve partial payment of 20% after each half of the field work is complete each year (based on portion of total miles of stream sampled or in the case of BMP monitoring, portion of miles of road) and after receipt of raw data and summary of accomplishments. Thus, after all field work is complete within a given year, the government will approve partial payment of 40%. The remainder will be paid after the annual report (and in 2015, the project report) and associated data are delivered and approved. Travel related expenses should be included in the lump sum estimates for bid items 2-12.

Attachments (Documents, maps, links) for All Bid Items BVET Protocol Files:

Roghair and Nuckols 2005: BVET Habitat Methods NC 2005.doc, Dolloff et al. 1993: gtr_se083.pdf, FishSurveyMod.docx, Pebble count Survey file: bevenger and king.pdf pH/temperature monitoring: PH_protocol.docx pH Equipment Specifications files:

PH_spec1.pdf

PH_spec2.pdf

PH_spec3.pdf

Maps:

Upper Tellico Watershed: tellico.pdf Upper Snowbird Watershed: snowbird.pdf Vicinity map: tellicosnwbirdws.pdf BMP Monitoring Files:

Instructions For Field Form 2009.doc

NC BMP Audit Form3.doc

NCForGuidelinesWatQual.pdf

Important Links:

Sample BVET Report: http://www.trout.forprod.vt.edu/catt/reports/catt_report10.pdf Tellico decision, EA and more:

FS Announces Decision on Upper Tellico OHV Trails System