AML 2304 Wee Ma Tuk Dams

The State of Illinois Department of Natural Resources is soliciting bids for the AML 2304 Wee Ma Tuk Dams project through an Invitation for Bid (IFB) process, with bids due by March 6, 2026, and questions regarding the solicitation due no later than March 3, 2026. The project involves modifications to four dams located in Fulton County, Illinois—Long Lake, Stevens Lake, Hanks Lake, and McCamey Lake—to bring them into compliance with current regulatory standards. Work includes clearing and regrading embankments, removal and replacement of outlet structures, slope protection and revetment installation, and guardrail installation. The contractor must be prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation and must complete at least 51% of work with their own organization. Construction must commence within 10 calendar days of contract execution, with work substantially completed within nine months and all work including final cleanup and seeding completed within one year. The contractor must purchase a new portable pump/engine system (specified as a Crisafulli Trailer Power Unit with John Deere engine and Cornell Pump or equivalent) for lake dewatering, which becomes property of the Wee-Ma-Tuk Drainage District upon project completion. Qualified bidders must demonstrate employment of at least two current employees who are former coal mine workers or commit to employing at least two such individuals, with priority consideration given to projects providing such employment if the bid does not exceed 2% above the lowest bid. All bids must be submitted electronically through BidBuy and include required documents: vendor disclosure forms, an offer to the State, a contract, a Business Enterprise Program Utilization Plan, a 5% bid bond, and a Project Labor Agreement Contractor and Subcontractor Letter of Assent.

The solicitation includes a Business Enterprise Program (BEP) goal of 1% for participation by businesses certified as minority-owned, women-owned, or disabled-owned enterprises, with the State of Illinois aspiring to award not less than 30% of total contract dollar value to certified diverse businesses and a specific goal of 3% for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses. Failure to submit a completed BEP Utilization Plan with documentation of good faith efforts will render the bid non-responsive. The project is subject to prevailing wage requirements under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, with certified payroll submission required by the 15th of each month, and is classified as a public work subject to Buy America provisions requiring all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials to be produced in the United States unless subject to an approved waiver. The contractor must maintain general commercial liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 annual aggregate, auto liability insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, and workers' compensation insurance as required by law. The project is funded in whole or in part with Federal funds under the Abandoned Mined Lands Reclamation program administered by the Illinois Abandoned Mine Land Division and is subject to NPDES General Permit ILR100000 for stormwater discharge and Army Corps of Engineers authorization. The estimated project value is $50,000 or greater, with firm pricing to be located in the BidBuy Purchase Order Items Tab, and the maximum contract amount will be entered by the State prior to execution, with the contract having an initial term of one year from the date of last signature and a maximum total contract duration not to exceed ten years with no renewal options available.