BOR-LC-18-N013.pdf

Bureau of Reclamation Form, RF-102 02-2016

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the Bureau of Reclamation’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

ABSTRACT

Funding Announcement BOR-LC-18-N013

Project Title Research Support for EMS BS (Eloy and Maricopa-Stanfield Basin Study)

Recipient Northern Arizona University (NAU) Principal Investigator / Program Manager

Abe Springer, Ph.D.

Abe.springer@nau.edu

Anticipated Federal Amount $102,992.00

Anticipated Non-Federal Amount

$0.00

New Award or Continuation? New

Anticipated Period of Performance One year

Award Instrument Cooperative Agreement Statutory Authority Section 9504(b) Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009

(Public Law 111-11) CFDA # and Title 15.560 SECURE Water Act – Research Agreements Single Source Justification Criteria Cited

(4) Unique Qualifications

Reclamation Point of Contact

Diana Blake Email: dmblake@usbr.gov

12-2011

OVERVIEW

This project will assist the Bureau and Reclamation (Reclamation), partners and stakeholders achieve objectives of the Eloy and Maricopa-Stanfield (EMS) Basin Study (Study). The results of Study will provide vital information for future water resources planning and economic development in the Study area located in Pinal County, AZ.

NAU will conduct a literature review, compile and analyze data for components of the Study’s water supply and demand assessment; evaluate the Arizona Department of Water Resources Pinal Active Management Area Regional Groundwater Flow Model, assist with contacting relevant tribes and compile relevant tribal supply/demand data, assist with developing a scope of work for updates to the groundwater flow model, reinterpret the EMS sub-basins sub-surface conditions based on new and reinterpreted data to inform updates to the groundwater flow model.

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Tasks to be completed include:

1. Coordinate with Reclamation staff and partners to assist a literature review, data compilation and analysis for components of the Study water supply and demand assessment.

2. Evaluate the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) Pinal AMA Regional Groundwater model, including an analysis of new and reprocessed data for input into and refinement of the model.

3. Assist Reclamation with contacting relevant tribes and compiling relevant tribal supply/demand data.

4. Assist Reclamation with developing a scope of work summarizing tasks required to update the ADWR Pinal AMA Regional Groundwater Flow Model.

5. NAU will produce a reinterpretation of the EMS sub-basins based on past data, and modern concepts of the formation of sedimentary basins in an extensional fault setting such as the southern Arizona Basin and Range province to help inform the revisions to the ADWR Pinal AMA Regional Groundwater Flow Model.

RECLAMATION INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part Reclamation is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, Reclamation will be responsible for the following:

• Collaborate and participate with NAU in the design and management of the project;

• Provide technical peer review and expert consultation on project activities, results, and products on an ongoing basis and at key project milestone points;

• Provide multiple sources of subject matter expert review and consultation;

• Provide data synthesis related to water supply and demand, adaptation mitigation strategies, and groundwater modeling updates.

SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable.

In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

(1) Unsolicited Proposal – The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives;

(2) Continuation – The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity;

(3) Legislative intent – The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress’ intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose;

(4) Unique Qualifications – The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications;

(5) Emergencies – Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed.

Reclamation did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria:

(4) UNIQUE QUALIFICATIONS

Single Source Justification Description:

NAU, located in Flagstaff, AZ, is currently working with the Study partners on research in Pinal County. NAU’s current activities with the Study partners provides cost efficiencies and increases collaboration effectiveness. Dr. Abe Springer, NAU’s designated Principal Investigator, is a Professor of Hydrogeology and was the Inaugural Director of the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability at NAU. Dr. Springer and his students study local and regional groundwater flow systems and human impacts on them, apply principles of sustainability to aquifer management through models, quantify the hydrological function of groundwater dominated ecosystems, and the role of land-use change and disturbance on groundwater flow systems. He has collaborated with ecologists, botanists, plant physiologists, foresters, land managers, engineers, and many different sub-disciplines within the Earth Sciences and is uniquely qualified to conduct an assessment of water supply and demand requirements, assess the current groundwater model and identify requirements to refine the model to optimize water supply and demand analyses. Dr. Springer works with Tribal communities in northern Arizona and will use that experience to provide assistance with compilation of water resource data for Tribal communities located in the Study area.

STATUTORY AUTHORITY

Sec 9504(b) Research Agreements-

(1) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY- The Secretary may enter into 1 or more agreements with any university, nonprofit research institution, or organization with water or power delivery authority to fund any research activity that is designed--

(A) to conserve water resources;

(B) to increase the efficiency of the use of water resources; or

(C) to enhance the management of water resources, including increasing the use of renewable energy in the management and delivery of water.

(2) TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SECRETARY-

(A) IN GENERAL- An agreement entered into between the Secretary and any university, institution, or organization described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

(B) AVAILABILITY- The agreements under this subsection shall be available to all Reclamation projects and programs that may benefit from project-specific or programmatic cooperative research and development.