Boxelder Creek Habitat and Riparian Restoration Project

Larimer County Board of Commissioners, through the Natural Resources Department, is requesting proposals from one Architect/Engineer firm to provide ecological restoration design, construction drawings, permitting, and related services for the Boxelder Creek Habitat and Riparian Restoration Project at Red Mountain Open Space, with proposals due August 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. MT and a mandatory pre-proposal conference and site tour on July 16, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. MT.

Minimum qualifications require current Colorado state licensure for all Architects/Engineers, completion of a similar river restoration project within the past five years, bio-stabilization technique experience, regulatory permitting expertise, and preferably grant-funded project management experience. The scope addresses approximately 1.5 miles of previously realigned and channelized Boxelder Creek and includes schematic design options, design development, construction documents, and construction permitting. Project objectives include conversion of hay field to beaver meadow habitat, channel realignment, irrigation diversion removal, tributary and floodplain reconnection, native vegetation restoration, and potential future species reintroduction.

The Colorado Water Conservation Board has awarded Larimer County a Watershed Restoration & Recreation Water Plan grant to fund the final design development. Evaluation is weighted as follows: firm capability and limitations of liability (30 points), consultant and key staff experience and qualifications (25 points), project approach (15 points), firm availability and project schedule (15 points), price (10 points), and environmental, social, and governance practices (5 points). Questions are due July 28, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. MT to Purchasing Agent Les Brown (brownxld@co.larimer.co.us, 970-498-5954). Proposals are limited to 35 pages and must include firm history, key staff resumes with current state licenses, detailed project approach, proposed schedule, itemized fee structure with hourly rates, at least five Colorado project references from the past five years, and evidence of required insurance (workers' compensation, commercial general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, automobile liability of $1,000,000 combined single limit, and professional liability/errors and omissions of $1,000,000).