Riverarc Water Management Operations Pilot

This is a sources sought notice and is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. This is NOT a request for proposal, quotations, or bids.

The Department of the Interior, Interior Region 10 ¿ California Great Basin, requests responses from Small Business, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB), HUBZONE, and/or Women Owned Small Business (WOSB) contractors interested in providing under a Firm Fixed Price purchase order for providing study and management support services as outlined below:

Task 1 Study Coordination and Management Support

The Contractor shall provide Study coordination and management support as outlined below.

Subtask 1.1 Project Management

The Contractor shall provide project management and adequate staff support, maintain adequate financial records, and prepare accurate monthly invoices and reports on the progress on all items under the PWS including accomplishments, budget, schedule, upcoming activities, and work products.

Subtask 1.2 Coordination and Management Meetings

Meetings will be in person or via video teleconference as appropriate given COVID-19. Acceptable video conference platforms are Microsoft Teams and WebEx. The Contractor will participate in monthly (Project Management Team) PMT meetings to provide updates and decision-making support. The Contractor will coordinate with the Project Managers from Reclamation and Partners to prepare meeting materials for PMT meetings.

Subtask 1.3 Administrative Records

In coordination with the PMT, the Contractor will maintain the administrative records for the WMOP in electronic format and consistent with guidance as supplied by Reclamation. The administrative records will document the decision-making process and the basis for the decisions by Reclamation and the non-Federal Partners throughout Study development.

Deliverables:

¿ Monthly invoices with status reports

¿ PMT meeting materials

¿ Contractor¿s administrative records for Study development in electronic format

Task 2 RiverArc WMOP Model Development, Application and Evaluation

The Contractor will assist Reclamation and the non-Federal Partners in assessing available data and modeling outputs, developing alternatives to be modeled utilizing the CalSim 3.0 model, applying the CalSim 3.0 model to evaluate and quantify the benefits, tradeoffs and potential adverse impacts from the RiverArc project as further described in the subtasks below.

Subtask 2.1 Review of Available Modeling Tools

Under the general direction of Reclamation¿s Project Manager, the Contractor will review and evaluate the available modeling tools developed for the ARBS and other relevant studies. The review will include assessment of available data and modeling outputs with special focus on CalSim 3.0 and participation in meetings with Reclamation to refine the project scope and modeling framework.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: Evaluation of Available Modeling Tools

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: Evaluation of Available Modeling Tools

Subtask 2.2 Planning Data and Information

The Contractor will provide and update technical information and analysis as needed to support the CalSim 3.0 modeling effort. The Contractor will work with the PMT to gather the data necessary to operate the model and obtain concurrence on assumptions used for the operating scenarios. Additional information will be developed as needed to support individual modeling alternatives, and the planned RiverArc project infrastructure will be updated as needed to conform with modeling alternative assumptions.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: Updated Technical Information and Analysis

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: Updated Technical Information and Analysis

Subtask 2.3 Model Development

The Contractor shall assist with development of alternatives and produce a description of each alternative to be modeled in CalSim 3.0. Model logic will be developed to allow simulation of various operational scenarios of the RiverArc Project under the different alternatives and to investigate various benefits of the project such as: 1) improved temperature management in the Lower American River, 2) increased Lower American River flows for salmon spawning, 3) meeting Delta flow requirements, 4) reduced releases from Shasta Dam, thereby improving Shasta Lake storage and temperature management, 5) enhanced groundwater sustainability through increased banking and conjunctive use, and 6) increased water deliveries to CVP customers.

This subtask will include several meetings between the Contractor, PMT and Reclamation experts including Operations, Planning, and Management to develop a range of operational scenarios that can provide key information on trade-offs and optimization of the Project.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: CalSim 3.0 Model Logic and Simulation Alternatives

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: CalSim 3.0 Model Logic and Simulation Alternatives

Subtask 2.4 Model Application

The Contractor will apply CalSim 3.0 to: 1) evaluate the trade-offs between various water supply benefits, 2) quantify any potential adverse effects of the project, 3) address the vulnerability of the project under a changing climate, and 4) evaluate flexibility in the operations of the CVP under different hydrologic conditions.

The Contractor will evaluate the benefits of the project on groundwater sustainability using CalSim 3.0 coupled with the C2VSim model, thereby creating an integrated hydrologic model. The C2VSim uses a detailed database of monthly precipitation, land use, crop acreage, river inflow and surface water diversion information to calculate historical water use, groundwater pumping and changes in aquifer storage. C2VSim simulates the historical response of the Central Valley¿s groundwater and surface water flow systems to historical stresses and can also be used to simulate the effects of projected future stresses. Contractor shall apply CalSim 3.0 to assess region wide benefits via groundwater banking and storage which are complimentary to the RiverArc Project.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: Alternatives Evaluations and Comparison

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: Alternatives Evaluations and Comparison

¿ Modeling Appendix: Results of Model Applications

Task 3 Water Supply and Demand Balance

The Contractor will consolidate and apply results from the different alternatives, operational scenarios and sensitivity analyses to address the balance between water supply and water demands in the American River Basin and the entire system and describe how the balance can be mitigated through different measures and actions and its subsequent effects.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: Summary of Water Supply and Demand Imbalances

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: Summary of Water Supply and Demand Imbalances

¿ Modeling Appendix: Summary of Water Supply and Demand Imbalance Assessment

Task 4 Technical Sufficiency Review

Reclamation will organize and conduct a Technical Sufficiency Review as required by Reclamation¿s guidelines. The Contractor will provide support to Reclamation in conducting the Technical Sufficiency Review. Information to be provided for the Review will include the Deliverables from Tasks 2 and 3 above. Reclamation will coordinate with the non-Federal partners to identify subject matter experts who will submit review findings to Reclamation and the non-Federal Partners for consideration.

Deliverables:

¿ Technical Sufficiency Review Appendix: Summary of Technical Sufficiency Review

Task 5 Findings and Recommendations

The Contractor shall prepare a chapter for the WMOP Report presenting findings and recommendations for the RiverArc WMOP based on the modeling application and results (Tasks 2 and 3), the input from the Technical Sufficiency Review (Task 4) and input from external communications and outreach efforts. The Contractor shall conduct a technical workshop for Reclamation, non-Federal partners, and stakeholders to review and provide feedback on the draft TM (Findings and Recommendations). Under the direction of PMT, the Contractor shall prepare a revised draft TM (Findings and Recommendations).

Deliverables:

¿ Draft WMOP Report Chapter: Findings and Recommendations

¿ Workshop Materials and Summary

¿ Revised WMOP Report Chapter: Findings and Recommendations

Task 6 Final Report

The Contractor will prepare a draft Final WMOP Report including the chapters and appendices outlined in the above Tasks 2, 3, 4, and 5, as well as input from the workshop and communications and outreach activities. The report will include the level of detail necessary to support the preparation of an EIS/EIR. The draft Final Report (with Executive Summary) will be prepared for review by Reclamation and the Non-Federal Partners.

Based on the review comments, the Contractor will prepare a Draft-Final RiverArc WMOP Report. Following the preparation of the Draft-Final Report, Reclamation will involve the Regional Director in a review of the Draft-Final Report. The Contractor will participate in the presentation to the Regional Director and respond to any suggested revisions to the Draft-Final Report. Following this presentation, Reclamation will forward the Draft-Final Report to Reclamation¿s Policy office for their review. The Contractor will respond to any comments the Policy office may provide as it reviews the Draft-Final Report.

Deliverables:

¿ Draft RiverArc WMOP Report

¿ Draft-Final RiverArc WMOP Report

¿ Final RiverArc WMOP Report

Task 7 Communication and Outreach Support

The primary venue for collaborative planning will be the monthly PMT project meetings. These meetings are intended to provide a transparent setting for plan development, and a flexible structure that allows stakeholders and interested parties maximum opportunity to participate to the level they are interested. All RiverArc WMOP PMT project meetings will be open for stakeholder and public involvement.

To reach a broader audience with relevant content, it is planned that three key RiverArc WMOP project meetings will be conducted both in-person and via webinar as applicable given COVID 19.:

¿ Initiation of the WMOP development process

¿ Completion of the Draft WMOP Report

¿ Completion of the Final WMOP Report

Invitations to participate will include stakeholders identified by RiverArc WMOP partners and Reclamation, self-identified stakeholders, as well as interested members of the general public.

Deliverables:

¿ Final RiverArc WMOP Report Appendix: Materials and Summaries of Communications and Outreach Activities

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this requirement is 541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services which has an associated small business size standard of $16.5 million.

All organizations interested in providing these services should respond to this announcement by 2:00 PM PST on Thursday, October 22, 2020. Responses to this sources sought announcement shall be in writing and sent via email to Mouang Phan, Contract Specialist, at mphan@usbr.gov. Please include notice number 140R2021Q0005 in your response. Responses should include the following information:

1. Name of organization, address including zip code, Point of Contact including phone number and email address, and the organization¿s DUNS number.

2. Confirmation of organization¿s active System for Award (SAM) registration with expiration date.

3. Business size and classification to include any designations as Certified Small Business, HUBZone Certified Small Business Concern, Section 8(a) contractor, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, Small Disadvantaged Business, Women Owned Small Business, or Large Business Concern.

4. Number of years of experience in this type of services.

5. Provide a minimum of two (2), but no more than five (5) similar requirements completed within the past five (5) years from the date of this announcement which demonstrates experience in providing all services included in this requirement.

6. Your company¿s intent to submit a quote should a solicitation be issued.