FARMING & IRRIGATION SERVICES AT CNWR & CVCA
This is a Sources Sought announcement for acquisition planning purposes only and no formal solicitation exists at this time. This is NOT a request for proposals and is NOT to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The information presented in this announcement will not obligate the Bureau of Reclamation in any manner.
All businesses, regardless of size, capable of providing these services are invited to respond to this announcement and submit a capability statement for consideration. Capability statements received will be reviewed to determine a firm's previous experience performing similar work as well as their technical, administrative, management, and financial capability. The capability statements will be reviewed and used to determine an appropriate procurement strategy, in particular whether a set-aside is warranted or an alternate procurement strategy. The Government will not pay for any information submitted in response to this Sources Sought notice.
The applicable North American Industry Classification (NAIC) code is 115112 - Soil Preparation, Planting and Cultivating and the Small Business Size Standard is $9.5 Million.
The government anticipates potentially awarding one Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) type contract.
Proposed Project:
The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Lower Colorado Basin along with the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (LCR MSCP) have a requirement for maintenance and irrigation services at two conservation areas in La Paz County Arizona. The purpose of this requirement is to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials supervision, and other non-personal services necessary to perform maintenance and irrigation services. Maintaining and developing land cover types requires combining knowledge of farming, maintenance and irrigation practices in conjunction with managing vegetation necessary for covered species requirements.
A major component of the LCR MSCP is the creation and management of habitat. The LCR MSCP will create and maintain 5,490 acres of cottonwood-willow and 1,320 acres of honey mesquite habitat. Maintenance and irrigation services are used to maintain the Cibola Valley Conservation Area (CVCA) and the Cibola Valley National Wildlife Refuge Unit#1 (CNWR) at a level appropriate for efficient water delivery, road maintenance, and general maintenance of the site and irrigation systems.
CVCA is located about 18 miles south of Blythe, California on land owned by Arizona Game and Fish Department and leased to LCR MSCP. CVCA includes 1,265 acres of created habitat and an additional 37 acres considered managed habitat for a total of 1,302 acres. This area is considered fully developed and managed by LCR MSCP with no new planting areas available or anticipated.
CNWR Unit #1 is located within the Cibola NWR, in Cibola Arizona on land owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). CNWR Unit #1 conservation area is 2,495 acres which includes 1,173 acres of cottonwood willow, 754 acres are planned for cottonwood willow, and the remaining 568 acres provide habitat buffer areas. The expansion area will need to be planted and farmed with a cover crop for multiple years and later planted with native vegetation.
There are existing pumps, canals, and ditches in place at each conservation area which will need to be operated by the contractor and shared by the contractor with the refuge staff. The following indicates the type of work to be performed:
- Irrigation services, repair and maintenance
- Site maintenance (No equipment stored on/in conservation areas)
- Farming practices including use of farming equipment
- Road maintenance and dust control
- Chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, larvicides and fertilizer knowledge and include permits where necessary
- Experience with using a shared canal system
Capability Statement/Package:
All qualified concerns may submit capability statements for consideration. Capability statements received will be reviewed to determine the technical, administrative, management, and financial capability of such offerors to perform this type of work.
The capability statement shall address the work listed above and the offeror's ability to meet the qualification requirements with this type of work. It should also describe previous procurements performed of similar size and complexity. Additionally, all responses to this source sought shall include company name, address, point of contact, phone number, email address, and unique entity ID number (formerly DUNS number). Provide business size and type; small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, or women-owned small business, large, etc. Capability statements shall not exceed five pages in length. This information will be used to assist the Contracting Officer in terms of developing the appropriate procurement strategy for this acquisition.
Interested sources should submit their capability statement on or before 2:00 PM local time, September 4, 2025. All responses to this sources sought notice shall be provided to Kathy Berry, Contract Specialist, via e-mail at kberry@usbr.gov. The subject line shall clearly reference the Solicitation Number (140R3025R0031) associated with the announcement. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Berry at kberry@usbr.gov.
When it is determined that a formal solicitation will be issued, a pre-solicitation notice will be posted on System for Award Management (SAM), as required by FAR 4.1102, will apply to any resulting procurement. Prospective contractors must be registered in SAM at the time an offer or quotation is submitted. Lack of registration in the SAM database may make an offeror ineligible for award. Information on SAM registration can be obtained at the following web address: https://www.sam.gov
