Bull Run Dam 1 and 2 FERC Part 12D Study

The City of Portland, Oregon is procuring independent consultant engineering services for FERC Part 12D safety inspections of Bull Run Dam 1 and 2 under RFP 00002641, with proposals due December 10, 2025 (extended from December 4). The consultant team must be licensed professional engineers in Oregon with a minimum of 10 years of experience in dam design, construction, and safety evaluation and must meet FERC conflict-of-interest and consecutive-inspection restrictions — a capability filter that significantly narrows the eligible pool. The City has already received three proposals and intends to award to Schnabel Engineering, LLC, the highest-scoring respondent; protest rights expire seven calendar days from issuance of the Notice of Intent to Negotiate and Award Contract.

The scope encompasses a Periodic Inspection for Dam 1 and a Comprehensive Assessment for Dam 2, including Potential Failure Modes Analysis, Level 2 Risk Assessment, seismic assessment of Dam 2 with mitigation recommendations, dam safety instrumentation and surveillance plans, and Supporting Technical Information Document updates conforming to FERC Guidelines (Chapter 15, dated December 16, 2021). Final reports must be submitted to FERC by March 23, 2027. The team must include a FERC-approved Independent Consultant as project manager, multidisciplinary subject-matter experts in mechanical, geotechnical, geological, structural, hydraulics/hydrology, and seismic engineering, and workshop facilitator and notetaker. Key personnel cannot be replaced without written Portland Water Bureau approval. The proposal limit is 20 pages (resumes and 11-by-17-inch figures exempt).

The estimated total budget is $1.1 million over a five-year contract term with an option to extend for up to five additional years. Compensation is cost-reimbursable: hourly rates for prime consultant and subconsultant labor at cost plus 2 percent markup, plus preapproved travel beyond 100 miles of Portland, meals, and direct expenses at cost without markup. Payment is due 30 calendar days from invoice receipt. Minimum insurance: $2 million general liability, $2 million auto, $1 million workers' compensation, and $1 million/$3 million professional liability. Questions were due December 1, 2025. A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting was held November 17, 2025.