Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Habitat Restoration and Evaluation Program (HREP) Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Islands project.

SOURCES SOUGHT

The St. Louis District of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) seeks to award an IDIQ contract for the construction of the Upper Mississippi River Restoration (UMRR) Habitat Restoration and Evaluation Program (HREP) Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Islands project.  The Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Island project area is approximately 1,381 acres of island, side channel, and backwater habitats located on the left descending bank of the Mississippi River, upstream of the city of Alton, Illinois in Madison and Jersey counties between river miles (RM) 207.5 and 211.5.  The project area lies within Pool 26, a 40‐mile reach of the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS), beginning below Lock and Dam 25 (RM 241.4) near Winfield, Missouri, and ending at Melvin Price Locks and Dam (RM 200.8) at Alton, Illinois. The project area encompasses Piasa Island and Eagle’s Nest Island including Piasa Chute (the side channel between Piasa Island and the Illinois bankline), and the unnamed chute between Piasa Island and Eagle’s Nest Island.

In general, the goal of the project is to dredge a 200-ft wide braided channel in Piasa Chute, dredge the entrance of the Piasa Island backwater area, and place dredged material in specified locations for island construction.  Previous construction in the project area completed a notched rock structure between Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Islands and three rock structures for placement of dredged material.  This construction would restore and improve the quality and diversity of aquatic and island ecosystem resources within the project area.  The HREP project is needed to meet the long term mission of the UMRR program.  The work covered by this contract will consist of furnishing all equipment, labor, services, supplies and materials necessary to satisfactorily construct the HREP project as specified and in accordance with the contract plans and specifications.  Particular efforts will be required to coordinate with the contractor responsible for construction activities throughout the year since the project is located on public waters.

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

The following information would be required of the contractor:

• Experience working in an unprotected section of the Mississippi River subject to river stage limitations
• Experience working with river-based equipment
• Experience working in publically accessible locations
• Experience with dredging and/or marine excavation of pilot channels
• Experience with transporting dredge material to placement location
• Experience with the creation of islands using excavated or dredged material
• Coordination of work on sites where other contractors may concurrently be performing work under a separate contract
• Performance of work as the Prime Contractor on a Federal contract
• Experience as Prime Contractor managing multiple subcontractors on the same contract.
• Experience with developing and executing a Quality Control program
• Documentation supporting the submitting firm’s capability to bond projects between $10,000,000 and $15,000,000 for a single project as the Prime Contractor on a construction contract

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The Piasa and Eagle’s Nest Islands HREP is an approximately 1,381 acre site that requires construction outside of a protected area of the pooled portion of the Mississippi River. 

The construction contract will be managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, thus requiring the awarded contractor to meet all Federal contracting requirements, to include submittals and proper project oversight.