Amendment #1 - Q&A - RFP PDAA 20270002.pdf

Amendment #1 - Questions & Answers (Q&A)

RFP PDAA 2027*0002

Evaluation of Hydrology and Future Water Availability for the

15-Mile Reach of the Colorado River

A. The following questions, and the answer to each, were received:

1. Can the State confirm whether a subcontractor based outside Colorado may perform modeling, data analysis, and other technical services remotely? Would a "No" response to Question 9 affect proposal responsiveness?

i. Performing work outside of Colorado, whether the prime contractor or subcontractor, does not make the proposal non-responsive. The

State requires contractors to notify the State if work will be completed outside of the State of Colorado, so that information can be posted on the Colorado Department of Personnel and

Administration website. Answering item 9 on the submission form satisfies this requirement and no further action is needed.

ii. Answering “No” on item 9 does not disqualify a proposal and all offerors will receive fair and equitable treatment in review of their proposal in accordance with the evaluation criteria in section 3 of the RFP.

2. Does CWCB anticipate that the required reliability/sensitivity analyses will use only conventional StateMod outputs, or would complementary approaches such as uncertainty quantification, statistical analysis, or physics informed AI/ML be considered?

i. It is our opinion that StateMod is the best tool for completing the water rights portion of this analysis. Using other methods to assist in the analysis or to interpret model outputs is allowable and encouraged.

3. Subcontractor Approval: Must proposed subcontractors receive written

State approval before the proposal submission deadline, or is approval obtained after selection and before subcontract execution?

i. If subcontractors are included as project personnel in the proposal response, then they will be evaluated according to the criteria outlined in section 3.4. The State approval to utilize a subcontractor would occur after award and before a Purchase Order has been issued.

4. Is an anticipated funding amount or budget range available for this procurement? Would CWCB consider separately priced analytical enhancements or optional tasks beyond the minimum required scope, subject to available funding?

i. CWCB is interested in evaluating the proposed budgets Offerors include in their proposals to determine which proposal offers best value to the State. CWCB is open to enhancement or optional tasks beyond the minimum required scope that can be accepted or not accepted at the sole discretion of CWCB.

5. Can the minimum requirements for Colorado water-rights, hydrology, and

StateMod experience be satisfied collectively by the prime contractor and its subcontractors, or must the prime independently demonstrate all required qualifications?

i. The minimum requirements can be met collectively by contractor and subcontractor.

6. Is the anticipated field investigation limited to observations, existing stream-gage data analysis, and discussions with local water users, or does CWCB expect additional field measurements or new data collection?

i. CWCB anticipates that field investigation associated with Task 3 will be more qualitative than quantitative. CWCB anticipates that the contractor would spend time on the reach, making observations and discussing with local water users points of significant change, but CWCB does not expect the contractor to make additional streamflow measurements or collect new data.

7. Task 2 of the study refers to analyzing the Recovery Plan water sources for historical conditions, two Colorado Water Plan scenarios, and up to 4 future demand/release scenarios to be developed. How does CWCB anticipate considering and evaluating operations and calls at Shoshone in

StateMod? Will the model evaluations only consider historical operations and calls at Shoshone or does CWCB anticipate considering the on-going

Shoshone change case and future use of the Shoshone water rights for alternative instream flow use?

i. The call regime for all water rights will be based on known historical practices for this analysis.

8. Does DNR and CWCB see a relationship between the Shoshone water rights, Case No . 25CW3177 and the evaluation of hydrology and future water availability for the 15-Mile Reach?

i. The call regime for all water rights will be based on known historical practices for this analysis.

9. Task 2 model. Will CWCB provide the StateMod model developed in 2026 for the upper Colorado River basin (input, control and response files, and any daily pattern data) to the contractor at kickoff? If the model will not be final by then, what date is expected?

i. Yes, the latest StateMod daily and monthly models for the upper

Colorado River basin will be provided to the contractor at kickoff. If the 2026 monthly model documentation is not yet complete, the model and draft documentation will still be provided.

10. Task 2 scenarios. Which Colorado Water Plan scenarios are “the selected scenarios” in Task 2: the 2023 Colorado Water Plan planning scenarios and their climate factors, or scenarios developed in the current Analysis and Technical Update?

i. CWBC plans to use the 2023 Colorado Water Plan planning scenarios.

11. Is there a budget or not-to-exceed amount for this work that offerors should price against?

i. See response to question 4.

12. Work performed outside Colorado. Submission Form item 9 asks offerors to agree that 100% of the work resulting from this award will be completed within the State of Colorado, while RFP section 4.5 describes written notice to the State when services are performed outside Colorado. May team members who work remotely from another state perform part of the work, with notice under section 4.5, without making the proposal non-responsive?

i. See response to question 1.

ii. Team members may complete work for this project remotely from another State and the proposal will still be responsive.

13. Task 1 data. Will the Recovery Program’s historical release and delivery records for each Attachment A source (1999 to present, daily where available) be provided at kickoff, or should the contractor compile them from Division of Water Resources and Reclamation records?

i. The data will be provided by the Recovery Program with minimal to no need for the contractor to seek any additional data.

14. Conflict of interest. Under RFP section 5.13, would a firm’s existing or recent work for Recovery Program water users or Grand Valley water users on unrelated matters be considered a conflicting interest? Should offerors disclose such work with the proposal?

i. No, recent work for the Recovery Program water users or Grand

Valley Water Users is not considered a conflict of interest. There is no requirement to disclose such work, but to the extent that work qualifies as “similar project experience”, it could be discussed as part of RFP section 2.5.

15. Is the “StateMod model developed in 2026” the CDSS Colorado River basin update due at the end of 2026, or the 2024 Daily Baseline

(Shoshone) model? When will it be provided, is it calibrated in daily mode, and does it simulate through at least 2024 so it can be compared with actual 1999-present deliveries?

i. There is a 2024 daily model with a period of record of 1988 to 2013, as noted, but the 2026 model will be a monthly model with a period of record 1950 to 2024. The 2026 monthly model cannot be run in daily mode.

16. Which two Colorado Water Plan scenarios will be used, and will CWCB provide their StateMod datasets?

i. CWCB and Recovery Program will work with contractors to select which planning scenarios to use at the kickoff meeting. CWCB will provide the necessary modeling datasets for the selected scenarios.

17. Can the State share the available budget or a not-to-exceed amount?

i. See response to question 4.

18. What 1999–present release and call records will CWCB provide?

i. In relation to Recovery Program supplies, CWCB and the Recovery

Program will provide reservoir release data on a daily basis. Gage data and call records are available on CDSS.

19. Task 3: Are discharge measurements expected, or are field observations and interviews enough? Will CWCB arrange access to GVWUA, GVIC and OMID facilities?

i. See response to question 6.

ii. CWCB and the Recovery Program will assist the contractor in arranging a time to meet with local water users and view facilities if necessary.

20. Is there an official PBO year-type list for 2020–present? If not, should the contractor propose a method for Recovery Program approval?

i. Yes, this is tracked by the Recovery Program and will be provided to the selected contractor.

21. Should Tasks 1–3 be separate reports or one combined report? How many draft/final cycles and how many weeks of review should we assume?

i. All tasks can be combined into one report. We expect there to be no more than 2 drafts and one final report. Can assume four weeks of review for 1st draft and two weeks review for second draft.

22. Which meetings, if any, are in person (Grand Junction or Denver)? Should the Grand Valley water users meeting be assigned to Task 3 rather than

Task 2 (in the meetings table)?

i. CWCB requests that the kickoff meeting be in person as well as the meeting with water users referenced in Task 3 (both in the Grand

Junction area). All other meetings can be virtual. That is correct, the

“Grand Valley Water Users Qualitative Stream Gain” meeting should be Task 3. See section B below addressing this error.

B. Any other amendments that are not related to the Q&A received:

1. An updated version of Exhibit A, Scope of Work has been posted with this amendment to correct the error noted in question 22. See attachment titled “Amendment #1 RFP PDAA 2027*0002 - Evaluation of Hydrology and Future Water Availability for the 15-Mile Reach of the Colorado River” and follow the updated link to “Amendment #1 exhibit A, Scope of Work,” to view the corrected Exhibit A.

C. All other terms and conditions of RFP PDAA 2027*0002 - Evaluation of

Hydrology and Future Water Availability for the 15-Mile Reach of the

Colorado River remain the same.