Lower American River Monitoring Spawning and Stran

The Bureau of Reclamation's Central California Area Office is soliciting spawning and stranding survey services for Central Valley steelhead in the Lower American River to support compliance with the Endangered Species Act and a National Marine Fisheries Service Biological Opinion. The contractor will conduct bi-weekly spawning surveys from late January through mid-March 2026 within a 12.9-mile reach between Nimbus Dam and Watt Avenue Bridge, along with stranding and isolation pool surveys no more than twice monthly. Key contract requirements include providing a seasonal crew with at least one fisheries biologist and one GIS-competent fisheries technician, a project coordinator, and all necessary equipment and safety gear. Evaluation will be based on comparative price analysis, past performance on similar projects, and technical capability and approach. Quotes are due January 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, submitted via email to RaShayla Brown at rbrown@usbr.gov, with award expected within 60 days thereafter.

This is a 100% total small business set-aside awarded under FAR Part 13 using comparative evaluation procedures. The contract is structured as firm-fixed price with a base year and four optional years, with performance scheduled to run from January 23, 2026 through March 23, 2026. Service Contract Labor Standards apply with equivalent federal rates for Fishery Observer III positions ranging from $20.47 to $36.38 per hour plus wage and fringe benefits. Key deliverables include work plans, monthly progress reports, safety and data quality control plans, bi-weekly survey reports, databases, and a final report due May 31, 2026. The work will be performed in the Lower American River corridor in the Central Valley, California, with the NAICS code 541690 (Environmental Consulting Services) and a size standard of $19 million.