Attachment 1 - SOW.pdf

Attachment 1 Statement of Work

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Solicitation No. 140R3021R0008

Statement of Work Irrigation and Maintenance Services for

Beal Lake Conservation Area

1.0 GENERAL

This is a non-personal services contract to provide irrigation and maintenance services.

The Government shall not exercise any supervision or control over the contract service providers performing services herein. Such contract service providers shall be accountable solely to the Contractor who, in turn is responsible to the Government.

1.1 Introduction/Background

The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform farming and irrigation services as defined in this PWS except for those items specified as government-furnished property and services. The contractor shall perform to the standards in this contract.

The Lower Colorado Region’s Multi Species Conservation Program (MSCP) is a partnership of Federal and non-Federal stakeholders who are aligned to balance the use of Lower Colorado River (LCR) water resources and the conservation of native species and their habitats to comply with the Endangered Species Act. The LCR MSCP is a 50-year plan to conserve at least 26 species along the LCR from Lake Mead to the southern International Boundary with Mexico and is implemented by the Bureau of Reclamation through the program’s Habitat Conservation Plan.

The BLCA is the incorporation of two projects: the development of Beal Lake led to the creation of the adjacent riparian area. To meet conditions of compliance outlined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the guidance of the Endangered Species Act, Beal Lake was dredged in 2001 to create a viable refuge for native fishes. Dredging involves excavating bottom sediments and depositing the dredged material elsewhere.

Placement and reuse of this material is often the limiting factor when estimating the total cost of establishing a backwater; therefore, Reclamation determined that the project offered an opportunity to research efficient ways of using dredged material.

An adjacent riparian restoration research project was initiated to attempt blending the dredge material with existing soils and replanting the mixed soils with native vegetation.

The Riparian Restoration Area was broken into two phases: the first planting began in 2002 and the second in 2004 (Figure 2). The project area, which is divided into fields that can be independently irrigated and managed, was designed to provide a location for testing various riparian restoration methods and techniques for site preparation, planting, irrigating, monitoring, and managing.

Over the last ten years, in the process of testing riparian restoration techniques, many of the fields developed into habitat that has attracted LCR MSCP covered species;

therefore, the fields are now managed for these covered species. At the end of the 2010 monitoring season, the Beal Lake Riparian Restoration site had nesting pairs of Sonoran Yellow Warbler, Arizona Bell’s Vireo, Summer Tanager, and Yellow Billed Cuckoo. The riparian restoration site currently provides approximately 107 acres of cottonwood, willow, and mesquite habitats, but also continues to contribute valuable information about restoration techniques and management practices.

Once Beal Lake was identified as a site that could provide ESA compliance, construction and management efforts involved improving the quality of the habitat and isolating the backwater for native fishes, primarily the razorback sucker and bonytail chub. To allow for an adequate volume of water to be transferred from Topock Marsh to Beal Lake while still excluding non-natives from entering the Lake, the rock structure, which separates the two bodies of water, was retrofitted in 2005 with four 18-inch diameter PVC pipes capped on each end with 0.6 mm slot sized screens (Figure 3).

The addition of the screens to the rock structure did increase the volume of water entering Beal Lake; however, keeping the screens clean is essential to retaining their hydraulic capacity.

In April 2010 the lake and riparian area were confirmed as a LCR MSCP Conservation Area by the program’s Steering Committee.

1.2 Location and Project Background

The LCR MSCP BLCA resides on the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and within the 100-year historic floodplain of the Lower Colorado River, adjacent to River Mile 237 on the Arizona side. The Refuge is located approximately 10 miles southeast of Needles, CA and approximately 30 miles northwest of Lake Havasu City, AZ (Figure 1).

There is an existing irrigation system in place that will be operated by the awarded contractor during the irrigation season from March through September. The system is maintained by Reclamation. The permanent irrigation system includes a water cooled, variable speed, diesel driven pump with a maximum flow rate of 9,000 gpm and a total lift of 10-feet (Figures 4-6). A 1,000-gallon above ground, double walled, concrete diesel fuel storage tank was placed adjacent to the pump. Water is pumped from an embayment between Beal Ditch and Topock Marsh (Figure 2). Water is transported to each field via 4,000-feet of 24-inch diameter, bell and spigot gasketed PVC pipe (Figure 5). Within each field, the 24-inch diameter main was reduced to 18-inch diameter and connected to 18-inch diameter alfalfa valves. A concrete apron was poured around each valve and heavy rock was deposited to reduce erosion (Figure 7). Only one cell is irrigated at a time by opening the alfalfa valve. The pump should never be operated without at least one alfalfa valve open.

Due to confirmed sightings of the threatened Northern Mexican Gartersnake on the Refuge, a Northern Mexican Gartersnake identification and avoidance briefing is required before the beginning of the irrigation season and will be provided on site by the Refuge.

1.3 Site Conditions

Due to the remoteness of BLCA and the extreme heat conditions during the spring, summer and fall seasons in the area, a reliable 4-wheel drive vehicle is required to navigate the sandy, gravel roads. The site is located within a wildlife refuge with extreme weather conditions (100+ degree temperatures).

A 4-wheel drive vehicle is strongly recommended as the roads on the conservation area are unpaved, sandy and can be difficult to navigate after inclement weather. The contractor will be responsible for providing their own vehicle.

2.0 SCOPE

2.1 Objective

The objective of this contract is to acquire contractor services to irrigate and maintain habitat within BLCA.

3.0 TASKS

Work will include the following tasks:

• Irrigation – The contractor will be provided with an irrigation schedule and shall be expected to irrigate each cell completely according to the schedule (Figure 3).

The contractor will be required to complete irrigation tracking sheets, check the pump for oil, check the gauges, ensure proper operation is maintained, keep a fuel tank record, and order fuel from the Reclamation equipment contact when needed. Irrigation services are required daily, Monday through Friday during the months of March 1 through September 30 for 40-hours per week.

• Routine Pump Maintenance – The contractor shall be responsible for performing basic pump maintenance, evaluating when more involved maintenance is required, and immediately notifying the COR and Reclamation equipment maintenance team. Maintenance services are required daily, Monday through Friday during the months of March 1 through September 30 for 40-hours per week.

• Cleaning the Rock Structure Screen System – The contractor shall access the rock structure screen system by either using a row boat or wading into the water after drawing down the Beal Ditch in both the east (Pump and Irrigation Reservoir) and west side embayment (Figure 2). Draw down is performed by closing the inlet gates and valves at the Topock Marsh/Beal Ditch connection, pumping the water to irrigate the cells, and scrubbing each of the eight wedge-wire screens with a stiff-bristled brush. This task takes approximately 1 hour, and is scheduled biweekly, unless otherwise directed by the COR.

• Checking Berms and Roads – Each field of the Beal Lake Riparian Area is separated from adjacent fields by built-up borders or berms. These berms allow each cell to be independently flood irrigated. The contractor shall be responsible for walking the perimeter of the fields being irrigated and checking the berms for blow outs daily while on site irrigating. In the event a berm is breached, the COR must be notified immediately. Additionally, if a BLCA road becomes difficult to navigate or impassible the COR must be notified.

• Manual Removal of Vegetation – Arrow weed and other nonnative vegetation tend to encroach on the roadways and walkways, grow around the irrigation valves, and spread along the top and embankments of the rock structure. The contractor shall keep the roadways, walkways, irrigation valves and rock structure clear of at least 90% of all vegetation per week for safety purposes.

The contractor shall come prepared with loppers, a weed-wacker, a shovel, and other desired tools to manage thick vegetation in undesirable areas.

3.1 Government Furnished Property

To deliver water to the cells for irrigation, the contractor must use the permanent irrigation system referenced above. The Government shall also provide a water cooled, variable speed, diesel driven pump with a maximum flow rate of 9,000 gpm and a total lift of 10 ft (Figure 4-6) and a 1,000-gallon above ground, double walled, concrete diesel fuel storage tank which is placed adjacent to the pump. The diesel pump is owned and maintained by Reclamation.

Communication with Reclamation’s equipment maintenance team is essential in order to keep the pump operational. Weekly equipment reports must be submitted to the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR), and the maintenance team via email.

The Contractor will be provided one key by the Refuge to allow access to the BLCA.

The key is property of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge and is the responsibility of the contractor to keep for the length of the contract and return upon completion. If key is lost, a fee of $50 will be charged.

4. 0 GENERAL INFORMATION

4.1 Period of Performance. This contract shall be for one base year and four 1-year option periods as follows:

Base Year shall be March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022 Option Year 1 shall be March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023 Option Year 2 shall be March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024 Option Year 3 shall be March 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025 Option Year 4 shall be March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026

4.2 Place of Performance: Beal Lake Conservation Area, San Bernardino County, CA

5.0 List of Contractor Submittals: The contractor shall provide the following data and reports.

RSN

Provision, clause or paragraph

Submittals Required No. of sets to be sent to:* Due date/delivery time

CO COR

1 1452.223-81 Site Specific Health and Safety Plan

0 1 Within ten (10) days of notice of award

2 52.228-5 & 1452.228-70

Certificate of Insurance 1 0 Within ten (10) days of notice of award

3 SOW Irrigation Logs 0 1 Friday of Each Week 4 SOW Equipment Reports 0 1 Friday of Each Week 5 SOW Invoices 1 1 Monthly *CO indicates Contracting Officer and COR indicates Contracting Officer’s Representative.

NOTE: Where quantity is 0 for CO, copy of transmittal letter is to be sent to the designated office as proof of completion.

6.0 DELIVERABLES

The contractor shall submit the following reports in accordance with paragraph 5 “List of Contractor Submittals”.

6.1 Irrigation Logs and Equipment Reports

The contractor shall be required to submit an irrigation log and equipment report showing dates, irrigation durations of each cell, hours required to be on site, hours scheduled, and hours worked, irrigation tracking sheets, fuel tank records, data sheets, and equipment reports to the COR.

All irrigation logs and equipment reports are required to be saved, scanned and submitted to the COR by close of business Friday of each work week.

6.2 Invoices

Contractor shall submit an invoice once monthly. A preliminary copy of the monthly invoice shall be emailed to the Contract Specailist and the COR for review prior to uploading to the Internet Payment Platform (IPP) for processing.

Figure 1: Location of the Beal Lake Conservation Area

Figure 2: Aerial photo of the Project, October 2008

Figure 3: Irrigation Schedule by cell.

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Figure 4: The diesel pump to irrigate the fields.

Figure 5: The pump used to irrigate all fields is located at the SE corner of

Figure 6: The rock structure that should be maintained and cleared of vegetation.

Figure 7: Rock was placed around all alfalfa valves to prevent erosion.

Figure 8: The willow marsh gate.