The Town of Paonia, Colorado, is issuing Request for Qualifications (RFQ 2025-06
WaterSMART Consultant) to solicit Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from experienced
consulting firms to assist in the development of a comprehensive Water Strategy under the
Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Grant Agreement R24AP00466 (Attachment A).
This federally funded initiative will provide Paonia with a structured planning process to
identify water supply challenges, assess infrastructure needs, and develop prioritized
strategies for long-term water system resiliency. The Water Strategy will integrate technical
analyses, stakeholder input, and regulatory requirements into a forward-looking plan that
positions the Town for successful implementation of water infrastructure improvements.
The consultant selected through this RFQ will be responsible for:
• Conducting outreach and partnership building to engage stakeholders, including
agricultural users, community organizations, water districts, public land managers,
and residents.
• Completing technical analyses of Paonia’s watershed, raw water collection system,
hydraulic capacity, water rights portfolio, and metering and monitoring needs.
• Researching legal, regulatory, and institutional requirements for future
implementation projects.
• Developing and comparing project alternatives based on technical feasibility,
financial impact, compliance needs, and community priorities.
• Preparing a Water Strategy document that includes an outreach summary,
statement of problems and needs, project alternatives and prioritization,
implementation strategies, and lessons learned.
The project milestones, originally structured from late 2024 through September 2026, will
be updated to reflect a revised timeline beginning in late 2025 and extending through
September 2027. The Town will seek an official update to the project schedule from the
Bureau of Reclamation to ensure that all milestones, including environmental and cultural
compliance, stakeholder engagement, technical investigations, comparative analysis of
alternatives, and completion of draft and final Water Strategy deliverables, are achieved in
full compliance with program requirements.
Through this process, Paonia will establish a clear roadmap to secure, manage, and optimize
its water resources. The resulting Water Strategy will guide future infrastructure
investments, strengthen drought resiliency, and ensure the Town can continue to provide
reliable and sustainable water service for its community.
