Nimbus Fish Hatchery Operations and Maintenance

The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Sources Sought Notice for the operation and maintenance of the Nimbus Fish Hatchery located in Gold River, California. This pre-solicitation notice is issued for market research and planning purposes to identify qualified contractors capable of managing the hatchery's operations. The contractor will be responsible for continuously operating the facility 24/7, managing fish spawning and rearing, conducting pest management, maintaining hatchery facilities, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations including the Endangered Species Act and water quality standards. Key qualifications required include demonstrated technical expertise in fish hatchery operations, documented past performance in similar projects, and the capability to coordinate with multiple federal and state agencies including the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Responses to this Sources Sought Notice are due by January 26, 2026, at 1:00 PM Pacific Time, and respondents must submit business information, point of contact details, a capability statement, and supporting documentation of past performance. It is important to note that this notice does not constitute a formal solicitation and will not result in a contract award; rather, the information gathered will be used to develop a future formal solicitation.

No set-aside designation has been applied to this procurement, though the government is exploring the potential for a small business set-aside in future solicitations. The anticipated contract covers a base performance period from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, with four additional optional 12-month renewal periods extending the potential contract duration to five years. The contractor will be responsible for producing and releasing approximately 4 million Fall-run Chinook salmon smolts and 430,000 steelhead yearlings annually, while also developing and implementing annual operation and maintenance plans, Emergency Action Plans, and Hatchery Safety Plans. The procurement is classified under NAICS Code 112511 (Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries) with a size standard of $3.75 million, and the PSC category is F022 (Natural Resources/Conservation - Fish Hatchery). While specific award values or budget ranges are not disclosed in this pre-solicitation notice, the scope and scale of continuous operations for a major fish propagation program suggest a substantial contract value.