Acquisition of Larger Fish Pump, Dewatering Tower, & Truck Loading Unit for Willamette Fish Hatchery

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is pursuing a sole source procurement for fish handling equipment specifically designed for the Willamette Fish Hatchery under the authority of ORS 279B.075. The acquisition encompasses an Aqua-Life Harvester system consisting of an 8-inch gas-powered fish pump with suction tube assembly, a dewatering truck loading mobile tower, and associated hose and fittings. The procurement, identified as Sole Source #S-63500-00015964, was posted on February 6, 2026, with a notice period closing on February 13, 2026. This is not a competitive solicitation but rather a notice of sole source procurement, meaning no bidders' meetings, site visits, or proposal submission deadlines apply. The key objective is to replace the existing undersized fish pump and dewatering tower assembly at the facility, which has created operational delays and increased risk of fish injury or mortality during processing and transport. The designated contractor is Magic Valley Heli-Arc & Manufacturing, Inc., the exclusive designer and manufacturer of the Aqua-Life Harvester system.

This sole source procurement is restricted to Magic Valley Heli-Arc & Manufacturing, Inc., as the market research determination established that no competing vendors produce an equivalent all-in-one, mobile fish pump and truck loading system meeting the hatchery's operational requirements. The sole source justification is based on compatibility with existing Aqua-Life equipment already installed at the Willamette Fish Hatchery, which eliminates infrastructure modification costs and ensures seamless integration capabilities without requiring staff retraining. The contract was dated January 2, 2026, with approval authorized on February 5, 2026, and the estimated total contract value is $112,060.16. Any affected person has the right to submit a written protest of this sole source approval within seven calendar days from the first date of public notice, with protests directed to april.d.brenden-locke@odfw.oregon.gov and odfw.contractsinbox@odfw.oregon.gov. For procurement inquiries, Becky Sell, Procurement and Contract Specialist 1, serves as the agency's single point of contact and can be reached at becky.s.sell@odfw.oregon.gov or 503-509-9826.