special_notice_for_site_visit_2_1.pdf

Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site

Elbee Bend Bank Stabilization

140P2026R0084

KNRI/257081

The purpose of this notice is to publicize a pre-proposal site visit for the Elbee Bend Bank Stabilization, Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site, Mercer County, North Dakota Knife River Indian Village

National Historic Site, Mercer County, North Dakota. The solicitation is anticipated to be advertised in early July 2026. The site visit will be held on June 17, 2026, at 0900 CST at Knife River Indian Villages

Visitor Center, 564 39 1/2 Ave SW, Stanton, ND 58571

Additional Information: No proposal package or solicitation is available with this notice. Please RSVP to stormy_gallagher@ios.doi.gov and kristin_tauber@ios.doi.gov.

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code: NAICS Code 237990 - Other Heavy and Civil

Engineering Construction.

Small Business Size Standard: $45M

Solicitation: The NPS anticipates issuing a full and open request for proposals on or around July

1, 2026, Bonding: The NPS anticipates bid, performance and payment bonds will be required

Description:

Project Conditions:

The project is located at Knife River Indian Villages, Mercer County, North Dakota.

The surrounding area is urban with limited staging on site.

Unique material delivery requirements:

The construction site is 25 -50 miles from nearest suppliers and lodging facilities.

The Park will remain open during construction, thus contract activities and logistics must be structured and scheduled to minimize visitor impact.

The site requires protective measures to ensure the surrounding area remains undisturbed.

The structure is a natural/cultural resource.

The anticipated period of performance is 356 calendar days and includes any potential weather shutdown. There are seasonal/other shutdowns mandated through the construction season.

Winter construction may be required.

mailto:stormy_gallagher@ios.doi.gov mailto:kristin_tauber@ios.doi.gov

Project Description:

Elbee Bend is in the Knife River Indian Village National Historic Site (park) and contains 64 archeological sites. The Knife River, a tributary to the Missouri River downstream of Garrison Dam, runs the length of the park in Mercer County, North Dakota. The Elbee Bend Site on the Knife River is actively eroding, creating a threat to archeological resources, a utility pole approximately 130 feet from the migrating bend, and County Road 37. The cut bank is approximately 20 feet high. The purpose of this project is to stabilize the Elbee Bend site to protect archeological resources in the park.

Project Scope:

This project will stabilize the Elbee Bend of the Knife River by installing self-healing riverbank protection in combination with strategic planting of vegetation. Riprap will be placed at the base of the steep eroding bank to provide toe protection and to prevent excessive bank contact and scouring of the bend.

Additional material and riprap will be buried in the bank at one or both the ends of the protection structure, forming keys that further prevent water from scouring behind the riverbank. Construction will also include compacted filling along the protection area and up to the full height of the riverbank, which ensures there are no voids or trenches behind the protection structure. Vegetation or other bioengineering will be planted on the stabilization as appropriate.

This project will stabilize approximately 1200 linear feet of bank along the Knife River. The most important measurable result of this stabilization is preventing further destruction and loss of the Elbee

Village Archeological Site. Knife River Indian Villages NHS preserves and protects archeological resources related to the lifestyles of Northern Great Plains Indian peoples, and the preservation Elbee Village is fundamental to maintaining this park purpose.

Stabilizing the riverbank will also protect infrastructure including County Road 37, electric utility poles, parking for fishing access, and park boundary fencing. County Road 37 is the only access for the National

Park Service to the northern portion of the park, and also provides public access to private property. The

USACE estimates that at current rates of erosion, the road will be lost in the next 10 years. Of course, the archeological site and associated resources would be long gone before that time.

The completion of this project will be an important step in the implementation of the Archeological

Resources Management Plan EIS (2018). The EIS defined a process for comprehensive archeological resources management, including a measured and strategic process for riverbank stabilization. The

Elbee Bend has been identified as the highest priority stabilization need for the park and is quickly becoming an emergency. The EIS defined indicators and standards that any more than 0% additional loss would trigger action. That standard has been surpassed and action must be taken. Unpredictable weather events could result in catastrophic loss of resources and infrastructure. Addressing the need for stabilization as soon as possible will avert this outcome and costly emergency actions.

In addition to the protection of resources, preservation of infrastructure, and plan implementation, this stabilization will increase recreational opportunities for visitors. The stabilization itself will become a trail for visitor use along the river. The Stabilization will connect from the Elbee Bend to the fishing hole and then to the Sakakawea stabilization/trail. This will allow visitors to hike, recreate, and fish in a location that they were not previously able to access.