Lake Tohopekaliga Mechanical Harvesting

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is requesting competitive bids for mechanical harvesting and removal of nuisance aquatic plants within Lake Tohopekaliga in Osceola County, with sealed bids due October 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM ET and a mandatory bidder site visit required prior to submission. Bidders must be registered in MyFloridaMarketPlace (MFMP) and SunBiz before bid opening.

The scope covers removal of non-mobile nuisance and noxious aquatic and wetland vegetation and associated organic detrital material from approximately 15 acres on the southern area of Big Grassy Island, with material deposited on two in-lake disposal islands less than 0.5 miles from the work area. Primary species targeted include spatterdock, mud mats with mature water primrose, burhead sedge, knotweed, and hydrilla. The contractor must supply all necessary equipment, including barge-mounted excavators with rake attachments or buckets allowing water decantation and floating aquatic harvesters for cleanup. Turbidity control devices must be deployed and maintained within a 150-meter mixing zone, with the contractor responsible for monitoring turbidity levels to ensure compliance with State Water Quality Standards. The contractor assumes responsibility for all permitting compliance, equipment maintenance, first aid and spill kits, and safety equipment. Bidders must provide a minimum of three verifiable references for similar projects.

The estimated total project budget is $200,000. Bids should include per-acre pricing for aquatic plant removal and disposal, equipment mobilization costs, and equipment demobilization costs, with mobilization and demobilization each not to exceed five percent of the total bid price. The contract term is one year from issuance of the purchase order. The contractor must begin work within seven days of receiving the Notice to Proceed and complete all work by December 10, 2026, with liquidated damages of $100 per calendar day for failure to meet the completion deadline except in cases of Force Majeure. Payment is made in two installments: following mobilization and 25 percent completion, and final payment upon project completion including demobilization.

A non-mandatory pre-bid conference and site visit is scheduled for September 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET at the Kissimmee Field Office. Written questions are due September 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET, with responses posted on the Vendor Information Portal on September 25. The anticipated award date is October 6, 2026. The Commission will award to the responsive, responsible bidder submitting the lowest total price. Subcontracting is permitted with prior written approval, and contractors must submit a Subcontractor Minority Status Report with each invoice.