2026 Stewart Lake Water Delivery - Deliver up to 1, 000 acre-feet of water to St

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation has published a Special Notice for the 2026 Stewart Lake Water Delivery project, posted on January 6, 2026, with a proposal due date of January 21, 2026. This solicitation seeks a contractor to deliver up to 1,000 acre-feet of water from Red Fleet Reservoir to Stewart Lake Waterfowl Management Area in Jensen, Uintah County, Utah. The contract will include a base period plus four option periods and is being issued under Simplified Acquisition Procedures (FAR Part 13). The opportunity is classified as an 8(a) Sole Source set-aside, meaning it is reserved exclusively for certified 8(a) Business Development Program participants. The government intends to award the contract to Burns Bench Irrigation Co., which has been identified as the sole source capable of meeting the project requirements.

The primary objective of this water delivery project is to flush Stewart Lake and address elevated selenium levels caused by natural Mancos shale formations in the area. Burns Bench Irrigation Co. is the sole viable source because it operates existing pipeline infrastructure capable of providing the required water volume and continuous flow rate; alternative methods such as trucking water have been deemed impractical, as they would require approximately 65,000 truckloads per season. The project is authorized under Public Laws 102-250 and 104-20, which support pipeline construction for drought conditions and salinity control projects in the Colorado River Basin. Contractors seeking future solicitation documents or additional information should contact Kimberley Hervat, Contract Specialist. The contract award is expected in April 2026, and interested parties should note that this is specifically designated for eligible 8(a) certified firms.