Assess chum salmon spawning ground habitat

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking a sole source contract with Inter-Fluve Inc. to conduct a comprehensive assessment of chum salmon spawning ground habitat in the Cowlitz River. The project is part of the Lower Columbia River recovery plan and aims to evaluate the existing chum salmon population and habitat, identifying population-specific limiting factors and providing recommendations for improving or creating new spawning habitats. Key deliverables include gathering existing population information, conducting habitat evaluations using LiDAR and topographical maps, performing geo-referenced evaluation surveys, and collecting water temperature and groundwater depth data. Contractors must have expertise in watershed-scale assessment, feasibility studies, and site analysis, with the ability to identify and contact landowners for site visits. The project has a strict submission deadline of April 4, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST, during which interested vendors must submit a capability statement to Tim Wilson, the Deputy Contracts Officer. The initial contract period runs from March 13, 2025, to April 4, 2026, with a focus on addressing the significant reduction of chum salmon habitats, which have decreased by 75% or more due to channel stabilization, loss of floodplain connectivity, and sedimentation.

The contract is funded through the US Department of Energy's Environmental Monitoring program (CFDA 81.214) for the 2023 award year, with a total contract value of $200,000. Inter-Fluve was selected as the sole source contractor after being the only respondent to WDFW's request in the Seattle Journal of Commerce. The project does not appear to have specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations, though the highly specialized nature of the work likely limits potential bidders. The primary project contact for Inter-Fluve is Josh Epstein, with WDFW project managers Todd Hillson and Alan Garner overseeing the contract. WDFW reserves the right to extend the contract if additional grant funding becomes available, with potential extensions at a similar dollar value. The current chum salmon population in the Cowlitz River is critically low, with historical returns estimated to be in the tens of thousands of adults annually, compared to current returns of zero to less than 100 adults annually, underscoring the importance of this habitat assessment project.