Dinner Island Ranch WMA Canal Cleaning and Maintenance

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is requesting competitive bids for canal cleaning and maintenance services on Dinner Island Ranch Wildlife Management Area, with sealed bids due October 14, 2026 at 3:00 PM ET and a mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit on September 29, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET.

The scope encompasses three service categories across over 50 miles of drainage canals: removal of aquatic vegetation and sediment from canals; vegetation clearing of canal rights-of-way to establish maintenance access corridors; and chemical spraying of aquatic vegetation using EPA-registered herbicides. Work is prioritized in main drainage canals upstream of discharge points and canals connected to reservoirs. The contractor must obtain all required permits and maintain current Florida Pesticide Applicator licenses for aquatic pest control (FDACS Category 5A) when applying herbicides. No subcontracting is permitted; the contractor must provide all labor, equipment, tools, transportation, supplies, mobilization, demobilization, and insurance.

Pricing is submitted on a per-tenth-mile unit rate basis for each of the three service categories, with award to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder on combined total price. The contract term is three years from Purchase Order issuance, with extension requests possible for circumstances beyond the contractor's control. Liquidated damages of $150 per calendar day apply for failure to meet the completion date, except for delays outside the contractor's control.

The contractor must maintain commercial general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance with minimum limits of $100,000 per accident and $500,000 policy aggregate. All contractors must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace and with SunBiz prior to bid opening and must comply with state and federal employment eligibility verification through E-Verify. The anticipated award date is October 19, 2026. Payment is made upon submission of properly certified invoices after delivery and acceptance is confirmed.