Request for Qualifications

Transcription

1 Request for Qualifications Development of a Watershed Management and Restoration Plan for the Turkey River Watershed Bow, Concord, Dunbarton, and Hopkinton, New Hampshire January 2019 Upper Merrimack Watershed Association PO Box 3019 Penacook, NH Page 1 of 16

2 Development of a Watershed Management and Restoration Plan for the Turkey River Watershed Project background and geographic area The Upper Merrimack Watershed Association (UMWA) partnering with the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission (CNHRPC), and with support from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), is seeking statements of qualifications from professional firms, partnering organizations, and other entities to work with UMWA and the CNHRPC to develop a watershed management and restoration plan for the Turkey River watershed. The Turkey River, which drains into the Merrimack River less than a mile upstream of the Garvins Falls Dam in Bow, New Hampshire, is a fourth order river with a watershed area of approximately 37 mi 2. The Turkey River watershed includes parts of the four municipalities of Bow, Concord, Dunbarton, and Hopkinton. The Turkey River is fed by seven major named tributaries including Ash, Bela, Boutwell Mill, Bow, One Stack, Turee, and White Brooks. The watershed also includes the three major ponds of Great Turkey, Little Turkey, and Turee Ponds, several smaller water bodies including Whittier and Bow Fire Ponds (the latter also known as Bow Town Pond), and numerous other named and unnamed ponds. The NHDES (d) assessment lists thirteen water quality impairments over nine distinct reaches within the Turkey River watershed. The impaired reaches are Great Turkey Pond, Bow Fire Pond, Little Turkey Pond, Turee Pond, Turkey River Bow Brook, Turkey River Lower School Pond, Turkey River Unnamed Brook, and Whittier Pond. The impairments, which are primarily in the aquatic life use category, include ph, dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen saturation, aluminum, invasive aquatic plants, benthic (macroinvertebrate) bioassessment impairments, and E. coli bacteria. The sources of these impairments vary, but many (including benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessments, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved oxygen saturation impairments) are listed in the September 2014 New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan as potential nonpoint source-related impairments. In addition to the listed impairments, the watershed contains 15 active dams and over 100 stream crossings. I. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS Respondents should demonstrate their capabilities for relevant services in the Northeastern United States with a focus on New England river systems and experience developing nine-element watershed-based plans as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Upper Merrimack Watershed Association and the other project partners (NHDES, CNHRPC) seek vendors that have a strong Page 2 of 16

3 understanding of the underlying principles of watershed management, restoration, and planning, and considerable experience demonstrating these capabilities. Specific desired qualifications include: Experience completing planning, design, and feasibility studies for river and watershed restoration; A demonstrated experience in the identification of nonpoint source pollution (NPS) sources at the watershed scale and the ability to prioritize them based upon loading percentages to receiving waters; Demonstrated ability to generate conceptual best management practices (BMPs) recommended for the control of NPS pollutants at the sub-watershed scale; Experience developing nine-element (a-i) watershed-based plans for lake and/or river systems; An understanding of river and watershed processes and the application of fluvial geomorphology and restoration principles; An understanding of river and watershed ecology and ecosystem-based habitat restoration for multiple species and life stages; An understanding of river engineering in the context of fluvial geomorphology and ecology, and the application of engineering services to river and stream restoration; Experience developing conceptual designs for river and watershed management and restoration projects (e.g. dam removal, channel design, daylighting, culvert design, streambank stabilization, bioengineering); Demonstrated experience in successful community and stakeholder outreach and planning processes; Experience providing effective presentation of complex and sometimes controversial information to the public; and A demonstrated ability to meet project goals within the projected timeline. II. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS SUBMISSIONS Qualifications packages shall include the following components as described below. Cover letter indicating a primary contact for the qualifications package and that person's title, address, phone number, and address. The cover letter should note that the consultant/firm is able to render services in New Hampshire, and include relevant professional certifications (e.g., professional engineer, certified wetland scientist, certified floodplain manager, fluvial geomorphologist, certified lake manager). Description of the respondent's general approach (i.e., philosophy ) to river and watershed management and restoration skills and specialties for which the respondent is qualified, and a summary of directly relevant work experience of the respondent. Responses must address how the respondent meets the desired Page 3 of 16

4 qualifications outlined above; please consult Section VI - SELECTION CRITERIA (below) for additional guidance. List of references including names, titles, and contact information. UMWA prefers that the references be clients for whom similar work has been performed within the past five years. The project team, including project team organization, team member qualifications and the anticipated level of involvement of key team members in each phase of the project as described in the project approach and scope of work. Relevant project reference pages, including a summary of the project, the specific role of the respondent in the project, and representative photographs. A technical proposal that describes the team s project approach and scope of work. A proposed project schedule. A Task Table that includes the following elements: Brief description of each task Proposed completion date(s) of each task Deliverables associated with each task and/or group of tasks Complete and timely submittal of all required documents is required for the qualifications package to be considered. Each respondent will submit one portable document format (PDF) file to UMWA@MerrimackRiver.org (the entire shall not exceed 19.5 MB) and one printed hard copy, detailing its qualifications package (with no costs specified) by 5:00 PM ET, on February 15, 2019 to Michele L. Tremblay, President, Upper Merrimack Watershed Association at (UMWA@MerrimackRiver.org). The hard copy version must be postmarked by February 15, 2019 and be mailed or shipped to the address below. Upper Merrimack Watershed Association PO Box 3019 Penacook, NH After the quality-based ranking of qualification packages received is complete, UMWA will request from the first ranked consultant a task-based cost proposal. UMWA will proceed with contract negotiations with that consultant. If the parties cannot come to terms, UMWA will request from the second ranked consultant a task-based cost proposal and follow the same procedure, working with each of the next ranked candidate(s) in order of their scores, until a contract has been successfully negotiated. Page 4 of 16

5 III. PROJECT TEAM AND LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION The qualifications package will identify the individuals responsible for managing the project and conducting specific project tasks. The qualifications package will also estimate the expected level of participation in the project tasks in coordination with the Project Partners and in the overall project. An organization chart showing lines of communication and decision-making hierarchy will be included in the qualifications package. IV. PROJECT APPROACH/SCOPE OF WORK The qualifications package must contain the elements contained in Attachment I. Attachment I contains a Scope of Work Guidance to assist in the development of the project approach/scope of work. It must be clear on how all these elements will be addressed and also how public participation and interaction with the various stakeholders will occur. V. PROJECT SCHEDULE The respondents will provide a schedule to conduct and complete the project. The schedule will include project tasks as identified in the Scope of Work. Project tasks will be laid out in a flow chart identifying the anticipated days to complete each task and the interrelationship of conducting and completing these tasks by June 30, VI. SELECTION CRITERIA Selection will be based on review and scoring of the qualifications package received by UMWA. Respondents will be assessed based on the following criteria. 1. Specialized Experience of the Project Team (35 Percent) The respondent will be rated on: (a) their specialized experience directly relating to development of river and nine-element (a-i) watershed management and restoration plans (b) demonstrated ability to complete the work within the required schedule (c) demonstrated ability to effectively solicit, assess, and use comments and suggestions from stakeholders during project development (d) demonstration of successful cooperation with non-profits, local, state and federal agencies and private partners (e) demonstration of past project experience and success 2. Project Personnel (35 Percent) The respondent will be rated on the principal team members role and participation level, project management effectiveness, and the qualifications and experience of key personnel, their communication abilities, and availability during the project. Page 5 of 16

6 Project Manager Task Managers 3. Project Approach (30 Percent) The respondent will be rated on the approach to the project scope outlined in this RFQ, the understanding of the project scope and schedule of work and the interfacing of tasks. VII. REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS QUESTIONS UMWA and their project partners will not respond to telephone questions about the RFQ. Questions concerning this RFQ must be submitted via to the Upper Merrimack Watershed Association at: Questions must be submitted by 5:00 PM ET on Friday, January 25, If you have a question, please follow this procedure to ensure consistency of answers. Any information obtained by speaking one-on-one with a project partner is not considered an official response for the purposes of this process. A digest version of all questions and answers will be ed to everyone that submits a question. Additional persons wishing to receive the digest version of all questions and answers should request a copy via by contacting Michele L. Tremblay at UMWA@MerrimackRiver.org (Subject: Development of a Watershed Management and Restoration Plan for the Turkey River Q&A Digest ). UMWA is targeting distribution of the questions and answers digest by Friday, February 8, Upon completion of ranking qualifications packages, UMWA, in consultation with the project team will negotiate with the top-ranked firm for contract scope and price. The negotiated contract will be based on fair and reasonable compensation for the services required. VIII. Timeline January 11, 2018 January 25, 2019 February 8, 2019 February 15, 2019 March 15, 2019 Request for Qualifications release Deadline for submittal of questions on RFQ (5:00 PM ET) Questions and answers digest distributed to contractors Deadline for receipt of qualification packages to RFQ (5:00 PM ET) Anticipated final selection of contractor and notification to all firms UMWA reserves the right to conduct interviews with selected teams. The decision to conduct interviews may affect the specified time line. Page 6 of 16

7 IX. DISCLAIMER This project will involve Federal funding and the related requirements associated with it. To participate in the project and receive payment, the selected firm will be required to enter into a contract which stipulates that the contractor is eligible to receive federal funding, and certifies compliance with State and Federal rules related to grant funded projects. This Request for Qualifications does not commit the Upper Merrimack Watershed Association to award a contract or pay any costs incurred during the preparation of the qualifications package. The Upper Merrimack Watershed Association reserves the right to reject any or all of the proposals for completing this work. The Upper Merrimack Watershed Association also reserves the right to eliminate the need for the selected firm to complete one or more tasks, pending the outcome of preceding related tasks or issues. Page 7 of 16

8 Attachment I Scope of Work Guidance Development of a Watershed Management and Restoration Plan for the Turkey River BACKGROUND The Turkey River, which drains into the Merrimack River less than a mile upstream of the Garvins Falls Dam in Bow, New Hampshire, is a fourth order river with a watershed area of approximately 37 mi 2 (Figure 1). The Turkey River watershed includes parts of the four municipalities of Bow, Concord, Dunbarton, and Hopkinton. The Turkey River is fed by seven major (second order or larger) named tributaries including: Ash, Bela, Boutwell Mill, Bow, One Stack, Turee, and White Brooks. The watershed also includes the three major ponds of Great Turkey, Little Turkey, and Turee Ponds, several smaller water bodies including Whittier and Bow Fire Ponds (the latter also known as Bow Town Pond), and numerous other named and unnamed ponds. The Upper Merrimack Monitoring Program (UMMP), a volunteer-based citizen science monitoring program that has been in place for over twenty years, has maintained a macroinvertebrate and habitat monitoring station on the lower Turkey River since There are many reasons why the Turkey River is in need of a watershed management and restoration plan. The NHDES (d) assessment lists thirteen water quality impairments over nine distinct reaches within the Turkey River watershed. The impaired reaches are Great Turkey Pond, Bow Fire Pond, Little Turkey Pond, Turee Pond, Turkey River Bow Brook, Turkey River Lower School Pond, Turkey River Unnamed Brook, and Whittier Pond. The impairments, which are primarily in the aquatic life use category, include ph, dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen saturation, aluminum, invasive aquatic plants, benthic (macroinvertebrate) bioassessment impairments, and E. coli bacteria. The sources of these impairments vary, but many (including benthic-macroinvertebrate bioassessments, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved oxygen saturation impairments) are listed in the September 2014 New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan as potential nonpoint source-related impairments. In addition to the listed impairments, the watershed contains 15 active dams and over 100 stream crossings. These dams and stream crossings fragment and disrupt stream connectivity and are potentially contributing to the water quality impairments. They may also contribute to flow regime alterations in the Turkey River and its tributaries, which is another nonpoint source-related impairment listed in the New Hampshire Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan. Some of these stream crossings appear to be geomorphically undersized (i.e., less than bankfull width), and Page 8 of 16

9 none of the dams appear to provide aquatic organism passage. Finally, a review of historic USGS topographic maps indicate that the watershed has undergone noticeable amounts of hydromodification in the form of dam construction, redirection of flows, and channelization over the past 50-plus years. Historic maps reveal several river layout changes since 1950, including: 1) the natural stream channel connecting Great Turkey Pond and Little Turkey Pond was disconnected and re-routed through the dredged channel under I-89; 2) the size of Little Turkey Pond has greatly increased, likely due to dam construction; and 3) the lower portion of the river appears to have been re-routed, likely as a result of the construction of I-89 and I-93. In spite of these threats to the Turkey River watershed, there are several reasons that the UMWA and CNHRPC are optimistic about the watershed s ability to respond positively to targeted restoration efforts. Several of the municipalities have entered into or recently completed master planning processes. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department s (NHFGD) recent electrofishing efforts in 2008 and 2010 have found several major Turkey River tributaries (Ash Brook, Bow Brook, and White Brook) with wild eastern brook trout populations. The NHFGD also found that American eel, a catadromous fish that historically were present throughout the Merrimack River watershed (including the Turkey River), are present in the Turkey River based on a 2015 electrofishing survey. As of 2016, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department began stocking river herring into Turkey Pond as part of a greater effort to restore the Merrimack River s anadromous shad and herring populations. These efforts may contribute to fish passage facilities on the Merrimack River being built to allow passage up to and beyond the Turkey River 1. A GIS analysis reveals that there is a significant portion (9.7 mi 2 out of the 37.4 mi 2 watershed, or just over 25%) of the watershed that is either publicly owned or placed in conservation use. This high percentage of public/conservation land, which is spread relatively evenly over the entire watershed, demonstrates that the watershed is and will continue to be well protected into the future. These factors speak collectively to the Turkey River watershed s high resilience and restoration potential. The Turkey River watershed contains a heterogeneous mix of impaired waters and high-quality coldwater streams. The UMWA and CNHRPC believes this places the Turkey River in a unique position where targeted and coordinated efforts to eliminate water quality impairments (e.g., dissolved oxygen impairments) and restore habitat and geomorphic connectivity can result in a highly functional and productive watershed 1 There are two dams on the Merrimack River that do not provide upstream fish passage facilities: Hooksett Dam and Garvins Falls Dam. There currently are plans in development to construct upstream passage facilities for American Shad and river herring at the Hooksett Dam within the next several years. If the Hooksett passage facility meets fish passage targets after construction, passage facilities must also be constructed at Garvins Falls Dam. Page 9 of 16

10 that is resilient against future disturbances such as climate change and build-out. Developing a comprehensive watershed management and restoration plan is a critical first step to this effort, as it will identify and prioritize the watershed s most pressing restoration needs for future implementation efforts to improve water quality. In order to address the watershed impairments, UMWA secured United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Section 319 (Clean Water Act) funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to develop a watershed management and restoration plan for the Turkey River watershed. The watershed planning effort for the river will provide scientific understanding of nutrient and sediment loads, identify pollutant hot spot areas, and provide recommendations for specific restoration actions to improve water quality. The plan will incorporate the EPA s nine elements of watershed planning. The nine elements, referred to as letters (a) through (i), include: a) Identify causes and sources of pollution; b) Estimate pollutant loading into the watershed and the expected load reductions; c) Describe management and restoration measures that will achieve load reductions and targeted critical areas; d) Estimate amounts of technical and financial assistance and the relevant authorities needed to implement the plan; e) Develop an information/education component; f) Develop a project schedule; g) Describe the interim, measurable milestones; h) Identify indicators to measure progress; and i) Develop and monitoring component. UMWA will act as the project manager and coordinate directly with the hired consultant to ensure that project objectives and tasks are completed as written in the contract between UMWA and the consultant. Page 10 of 16

11 Figure 1: Turkey River watershed map Page 11 of 16

12 OVERALL PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project consists of developing a watershed management and restoration plan as described in the following project description. The plan will incorporate EPA s nine elements of watershed planning. The selected consultant will also convene and facilitate public and project partner meetings, and contribute content to semi-annual and final reports to project partners. Please note that the Task number sequence presented below corresponds to the Grant Agreement between the State of New Hampshire and the Upper Merrimack Watershed Association. Task 5 Project Kickoff Meeting: The consultant will coordinate with the project team and attend the kickoff meeting, which will be held in one of the Turkey River watershed municipalities. Task 13 Determine Assimilative Capacities for Selected Water Quality Parameters: The consultant will calculate assimilative capacities for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and dissolved oxygen (DO) and determine if load reductions are needed. The consultant will provide written documentation of assimilative capacity calculations (for use in water quality goal setting) for inclusion in the Watershed Plan. Task 15 Establish Water Quality Goal-Setting Process for the Water Quality Advisory Committee (WQAC): The consultant will provide technical input and assistance, as requested by the WQAC, for determining the process for establishing the water quality goals for the watershed. Task 17 Document Water Quality Goals: The consultant will assist UMWA by developing documentation for the goal setting process to detail water quality data and outputs of the watershed loading modeling, the established water quality goals, and the determined necessary load reductions needed to meet the established water quality goals. Task 18 Determine Current Pollution Load Source Estimates: The consultant will, with assistance from UMWA and CNHRPC as necessary, identify the current annual pollution source load estimates for the watershed. The consultant will first have to determine the appropriate scale and specific model(s) to be used for load estimates, and Page 12 of 16

13 then run the model(s) to determine current load estimates. The output will be provided to UMWA for review. Task 19 Determine Future Pollution Load Source Estimates: The consultant will work with CNHRPC (who will be conducting a buildout analysis of the watershed) to assess the data needs for the buildout analysis. The results of CNHRPC s buildout analysis will be used in the model to estimate future nutrient loads based on projected population and land use change. Task 20 Document Modeling Output: The consultant will document the modeling inputs, process, and outputs for inclusion within the Watershed Plan. The documentation will describe the modeling process and the key outputs, including identifying pollutant loading causes and sources within the Turkey River watershed. Task 21 Stormwater Assessment and Development of Conceptual Structural BMPs: The consultant will, with assistance from CNHRPC and UMWA, develop survey/inspection forms and/or a best management practice (BMP) optimization model to assess and identify stormwater management and other restoration opportunities. A culvert data review will be conducted to determine how culverts may be impacting water quality and river flow in the Turkey River watershed. The consultant will: 1) develop and implement methodology for identifying on-the-ground opportunities to address problem culverts and reduce pollutant loading from stormwater runoff; and 2) implement a methodology and develop a priority list of locations for culvert upgrades and BMPs for stormwater management including estimated costs and load reductions on a conceptual level. UMWA will work with NHDES to seek use of a BMP model that is already included within the existing NHDES NPS Programmatic Quality Assurance Project Plan. Input from local Public Works and New Hampshire Department of Transportation staff will be sought for practical input into the recommendations. Task 22 Septic System Risk Analysis: The consultant will research records at the local and state level to identify septic systems at risk for contributing pollutant loads to Page 13 of 16

14 the Turkey River watershed. A priority list will be developed identifying areas to target for potential septic work improvements. Task 23 Identify Other Potential Pollution Reduction Actions: The consultant will work with UMWA to identify other common methods for reducing pollution sources within the watershed that were not identified as part of Tasks 21 or 22. This may include approaches such as voluntary fertilizer reductions, residential-scale stormwater management initiatives such as Soak Up the Rain New Hampshire, salt reduction practices, Watershed Steward Program participation, and other innovative ideas. Task 24 Develop Priority Action, Location, and Approach List: The consultant will develop, with input from UMWA, CNHRPC, and NHDES, an overall priority list that will address potential actions, locations, and approaches for reducing pollution sources within the watershed. This task will also include ground truthing as necessary to confirm field conditions for potential high-priority locations. The prioritization will be based on a cost/benefit analysis where the low cost/high benefit actions will be highest ranked. The consultant will also attend a stakeholder meeting that will be hosted by UMWA and CNHRPC to ask for Project Partner input on the draft priority list. Task 25 Finalize Priority List: This task will involve incorporating input from the Project Partners and developing a final priority list (Task 24) for inclusion within the Watershed Plan. Task 26 Cost Estimates for Structural and Non-Structural BMPs: The consultant will develop conceptual (i.e., budgetary) level cost estimates for implementing the actions described in the priority list from Task 25, including structural and non-structural pollutant reduction actions, watershed monitoring, outreach, or other measures. This task also includes estimating the amount of technical and financial assistance needed to implement restoration measures outlined in the Watershed Plan. Task 27 Project Steering Committee Coordination: The consultant will document cost estimates, timelines, and responsibilities for potential implementation tasks for inclusion within the Watershed Plan. Page 14 of 16

15 Task 31 Develop Implementation Schedule: The consultant will be asked to provide technical assistance to UMWA on developing a potential implementation schedule for the improvements recommended in the priority list from Task 25. Considerations will include property access, funding cycles, grant availability, etc. Task 32 Develop Implementation Milestones for Plan Actions: The consultant will assist UMWA with developing a timeline for the recommended Watershed Plan actions and set meaningful programmatic milestones to measure program success. Task 33 Establish Criteria for Measuring Water Quality and Restoration Goal Process: The consultant will assist UMWA in developing criteria for assessing whether the plan-established water quality goals are being met following Watershed Plan implementation. Task 34 Develop First Draft of the Watershed Management and Restoration Plan: The consultant will work with UMWA and CNHRPC to develop a first draft of the watershed management and restoration plan. Once the plan is complete, it will be sent out for review in electronic format (Word or PDF) by the Project Partners. No paper copies of the first draft of the plan are needed. Task 35 Develop Second Draft of the Watershed Management and Restoration Plan: The consultant will work with UMWA to incorporate the comments from the Project Partners into a second draft of the Watershed Management and Restoration Plan. Once the second draft is complete and approved by UMWA for release, it will be sent out for review by the public. The consultant should anticipate facilitating a public meeting at which the plan will be presented, after which final comments for the plan will be solicited. Comments will be provided to the consultant for final plan review. One hard (i.e., paper) color copy of the second draft of the Plan will be submitted to UMWA, along with an electronic (Word or PDF) version. Task 36 Publish Final Watershed Management and Restoration Plan: The consultant will work with UMWA to incorporate the final round of plan comments into the Watershed Management and Restoration Plan. The final plan will be submitted to UMWA in electronic format along with one hard (i.e., paper) color copy. Page 15 of 16

16 Task 40 - Project Management and Communication: The consultant may include time for conducting project management and communication tasks. UMWA expects there will be frequent communication and status updates throughout the Watershed Plan development process. BACKGROUND RESOURCES 1. U.S. EPA watershed planning guidance Watershed plan examples in New Hampshire Page 16 of 16