Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project

LAKE COUNTY WATERSHED PROTECTION DISTRICT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
COUNTY OF LAKE
REQ No. 00000043
Issued: October 16, 2026
Submission Deadline:
October 30, 2026, at 5:00 P.M.
By:
Pawan Upadhyay, PhD
Water Resources Director

Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
1. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 3
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES ........................................................................................................... 4
3. PROPOSAL CONTENT................................................................................................................... 5
4. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL.........................................................................................................6....
5. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD..................................................................................7..
6. PROTEST PROCEDURES.........................................................................................................8....
7. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS......................................................................................9..
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
1. INTRODUCTION
The County of Lake is inviting sealed proposals for the Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project.
TheLakeCountyWatershedProtectionDistrictisseekingaqualifiedcontractortoperformvegetation
removal,sedimentremoval,andassociatedchannelmaintenancewithinScottsCreekintheScotts
ValleynearLakeport,California.Thismulti-beneficialrestorationprojectisintendedtoreduceflood
risk, improve habitat for State-listed threatened Clear Lake hitch, and provide broader ecological
benefitswithintheScottsCreekwatershed.Theanticipatedbudgetforthisprojectisapproximately
$100,000.
ScottsCreekisaperennialwaterwayboundedbyleveesthatdrainstoMiddleCreek,RodmanSlough,
and ultimately, Clear Lake. Sediment accumulation over the years has raised channel bottom
elevations,contributedtofloodingrisk,andreducednative-specieshabitat,whileinvasivevegetation
has become established throughout portions of the riparian corridor.
TheprojectwillbemanagedbytheLakeCountyWatershedProtectionDistrict,hereinafterreferred
to as the 'District'. Tribal cultural resources monitoring will be conducted during ground-disturbing
activities associated with project work.
TheDistrictwillrecruit,followinglocalpurchasingpolicyrequirements,aqualifiedcompanyorfirm
toleadandfacilitatetheproject.TheselectedcompanyorfirmwillworkcloselywithDistrictstaffto
removeexcessvegetationandexcavateaccumulatedexcesssedimentfromthechannel.Workwill
occuralonganapproximately1.0-milestretchofScottsCreekbetweenalocationapproximately0.25
milesdownstreamoftheEickhoffRoadovercrossingandapointonemileupstream,adjacenttoa
flapgateoffScottsValleyRoad,asshowninFigure1.FinallimitswillbeestablishedbytheDistrictin
the field.
Proposalsshouldbesubmittedinaccordancewiththerequirementsofthissolicitation,whichare
contained herein.
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
Figure 1 - Approximate Project Extent
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
TheselectedcompanyorcontractorwilldevelopandperformaseriesoftaskstosupporttheScotts
CreekHabitatEnhancementProject.Thescopeofservicesshallinclude,ataminimum,thefollowing
componentslistedhereafter,eachintegraltothesuccessfulexecutionoftheProject.Itisanticipated
that completion of tasks will require one month or less.
Task 1 - Mobilization, Site Preparation, and Access
TheContractorshallmobilizealllabor,equipment,materials,temporaryfacilities,anderosionand
sedimentcontrolmeasuresnecessarytocompletethework.TheContractorshallcoordinateaccess,
staging,equipmentmovement,andworklimitswiththeDistrictpriortobeginningwork.Equipment
and operations shall be confined to approved access routes, staging areas, and work limits to
minimize disturbance to levees and adjacent properties. Under direction provided by District, the
Contractor shall comply with all applicable environmental permits1, avoidance and minimization
measures, cultural-resource requirements.
1 Acquisition and completion of all necessary environmental and regulatory permits are responsibility of
District, not contractor.
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
Task 2 - Vegetation Removal
The Contractor shall remove all vegetation within the limits identified by the District. Removal
methods may include hand cutting, mechanical removal, grubbing, or other District-approved
methods appropriate to site conditions. Removed vegetation, roots, seeds, and other biomass
capable of propagating shall be collected and transported to an approved disposal location or
otherwise managed as directed by the District. Equipment shall be cleaned before entering and
leaving the project area as necessary to prevent the introduction or spread of invasive species.
Task 3 - Sediment Removal and Channel Restoration
Following establishment of the temporary water diversion and completion of vegetation clearing
necessaryforaccess,theContractorshallexcavateaccumulatedsedimentfromdesignatedportions
of Scotts Creek. The gravel removal will average approximately one (1) foot in depth across the
designated work area within Scotts Creek. This estimate is preliminary and is intended to provide
the Contractor with a general indication of the anticipated excavation quantities. Actual removal
depthsandquantitiesmayvarydependingonexistingchannelconditions.Theworkisintendedto
lower areas of elevated channel bed, improve channel conveyance, reduce sediment-related
flooding,andenhanceaquaticandriparianhabitattoallowforimprovedClearLakehitchpassage
during the spring spawning season.
The Contractor shall excavate only within limits and to elevations established by the District and
shallavoidunnecessarydisturbancetoexistingchannelbanks,levees,andhabitatfeaturesoutside
the project area. Excavated material shall be retained by the contractor and loaded, transported,
stockpiled, sorted, reused, or disposed of at location(s) approved by the District.
Because sediment removal constitutes ground-disturbing activity within an area of cultural
sensitivity, the District and the Contractor will coordinate excavation with required monitoring of
tribal cultural resources (TCRs).
Task 4 - Demobilization and Site Restoration
Upon completion of sediment and vegetation removal, the Contractor shall remove construction
debris, excess materials, temporary erosion-control measures no longer required, and equipment
from the project area.
All areas disturbed by construction access, staging, vegetation removal, sediment handling, and
temporarywaterdiversionshallbestabilizedandrestoredasdirectedbytheDistrict.TheContractor
shallleavetheprojectareainaclean,stableconditionsuitableforsubsequentnativerevegetation,
maintenance, and habitat monitoring activities.
3. PROPOSAL CONTENT
3.1ProposalCompliance: Inordertoenabledirectcomparisonofcompetingresponses,youmust
submit your Proposal in conformity to the requirements stated herein. Failure to adhere to all
requirements may result in your Proposal being disqualified as non-responsive.
3.2 Proposal. Please assemble your Proposal in the following order.
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
A.CoverLetter. Astandardone-pagecoverlettermustbeincludedwhichrepresentsyour
agreement to supply the requested goods and/or services detailed in the RFP.
B. CompanyProfile. Provideabriefhistoryofyourcompany,ageneraldescriptionofyour
servicesandqualifications,andanexecutivesummaryofyourresponse. Contentshouldbe
no more than three pages.
C. Work Plan. Provide your specific proposal to address the Scope of Work outlined in
Section 2 above. At the very least, this should describe in detail how the service shall be
provided for each task.
D. ProjectSchedule.Aproposedtimelineforcompletionofthetasksandsubtasksoutlined
in the Work Plan. It is suggested that completion of work will take one month or less.
E. CostProposal. Includeadetailedbreakdownofproposedcostsassociatedwitheachtask.
Allpricessubmittedarenon-bindingatthisstageoftheprocurementprocessandaresubject
to negotiation.
F.BidBond.Wearerequiredtoobtaina5%bidbondintheamountof$5,000aspartofthis
RFP.2 All bids for construction work shall be presented under sealed cover and shall be
accompanied by one of the following forms of bidder's security:
-Cash
-A cashier's check made payable to the county.
-A certified check made payable to the county.
-A bidder's bond executed by an admitted surety insurer, made payable to the
county.
Uponawardtothelowestbidder,thesecurityofanunsuccessfulbiddershallbereturnedin
areasonableperiodoftime,butinnoeventshallthatsecuritybeheldbytheCountybeyond
60 days from the time the award is made.
3.3Pre-ProposalSiteVisit:Anon-sitemeetingwillbeheldwithcontractorsinterestedinsubmitting
proposalsforthisprojecttoexaminetheprojectsiteandprovidetheopportunityforquestionson
Wednesday,October21st,2026,at2:00pm.Thismeetingwilltakeplaceatthelocationoftheflap
gate in Scotts Valley (39.091112, -122.949795; 4212 Scotts Valley Rd, Lakeport, CA 95453). Please
confirm your attendance at this meeting by emailing water.resources@lakecountyca.gov.
4. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Proposalssubmittedmustmeetthefollowingcriteriatobeacceptableforconsiderationregarding
this project:
4.1Inordertobeconsidered,responsesmaybesubmittedeitheronpaperorelectronicallythrough
the County Purchasing Agent. Electronic submissions must be in either Microsoft Word or PDF
format and sent to LakeCountyPurchasingAgent@lakecountyca.gov no later than Friday, October
30th2026, by 5:00 PM.
2 Additionally, a 100% performance bond and a 100% payment bond will be required from the
awardee of the contract.
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
Hard copy responses submitted must include one (1) original and five (5) unbound copies of the
proposal. Proposals submitted via hard copy must be received no later than Friday, October 30th,
2026, by 5:00 PM, and addressed to:
REQ No. 00000043 for Request for Proposals for:
Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
CONFIDENTIAL
Lake County Watershed Protection District
Attn: Pawan Upadhyay
255 N. Forbes Street
Lakeport, CA 95453
Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Staff can be reached at
(707) 263-2344.
Proposals received in writing may be mailed through the United States Postal Service or any other
courier service and they may be delivered in person to the above office. Faxed proposals will NOT
be accepted.
4.2InordertoreceiveaddendaandinformationregardingthisRFP,proposermustregisteronline
at:https://www.lakecountyca.gov/Bids.aspx.Proposersarecautionedtoreadthescopeofservices
and proposal contents herein and be sure to respond to all items listed in these sections.
4.3 Proposals received incomplete or late, for any reason, shall not be accepted.
4.4AllquestionsregardingthisRequestforProposalsmaybesubmittedinwritingatanytimeprior
to Monday, October 26th, 2026, by 2:00 pm, addressed to Pawan Upadhyay, Water Resources
Director at: LakeCountyPurchasingAgent@lakecountyca.gov and
Pawan.Upadhyay@lakecountyca.gov. Only written questions will be accepted. Questions will be
answeredbyTuesday,October27th,2026,by5:00pmanduploadedasanaddendumtothewebsite
listed in Section 4.2.
Proposers may contact only the individual identified above and are specifically directed not to
contactotherCountypersonnelformeetings,conferences,orothertechnicaldiscussionsrelatedto
this RFP. No questions will be answered by other County staff.
4.5AllproposalssubmittedinresponsetothisRFPwillbecomethepropertyoftheCountyandwill
notbereturned. TheCountyreservestherighttomakeuseofanyinformationorideascontained
in the proposals. The proposal itself shall not constitute a contract, but will, if accepted, be
incorporated into the contract between the County and the selected proposer.
Pleasenote:ThesuccessfulProposershallbeexpectedtofullymeetallrepresentationsmadeinits
proposal, including demonstration of project understanding, work plan, project schedule, project
team, and cost proposal.
5. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD
The County is using the competitive proposal process, wherein the experience and responsiveness
of each submitted proposal is evaluated as it relates to the Scope of Services. Administrative staff
will evaluate the proposals as described below.
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Scotts Creek Habitat Enhancement Project
5.1Proposalsshallbeopenedandcheckedtoensurethateachcomplieswiththerequirements
of the RFP. The absence of required information may render the proposal non-responsive and
may be cause for rejection.
5.2 All proposals will be evaluated to determine whether they meet all the requirements of the
RFP.
5.3 A Consultant Selection Board may be convened to review, discuss and rank the proposals,
using the following criteria:
A. Criteria
a. Candidate's technical competence and ability to meet the requirements of the Scope of Services
in a timely fashion.
b. Candidate's past record of performance, including control of costs and quality of work.
c. Candidate's familiarity with the problems applicable to the project.
5.4 Prior to final selection, a short list of qualified and responsive Contractors/Consultants may
be requested to participate in an interview. The purpose of the interview will be to provide an
opportunity for each Contractors/Consultant to present their qualifications and proposals in
person and/or to answer any questions that County staff may have regarding the
Contractors/Consultant's submittals. If interviews are to be held, the time and place of the
interview will be arranged after the short list is completed. Typically, a minimum of three (3)
proposals will be selected for the Short List; however, the County may, at its option, choose to
interview more or less than three (3) qualified Contractors/Consultants or select
Contractors/Consultants based solely on evaluating written proposals.
5.5 If an agreement cannot be reached with the top ranked Contractors/Consultant(s), the
Countywillthencontactthenexthighestrankedfirmandattempttonegotiateacontractscope
of work and fee. This process will be continued until a contract scope of work and fee is
successfully negotiated, or until the County determines to cease negotiations with any firm.
5.6 County reserves the right to select multiple contractors.
5.7 The County of Lake is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and the successful
Contractors/Consultant(s) will be required to comply with the provisions of Federal Executive
Order 11246 and applicable state and federal laws. Consultants should be familiar with the
Employers'PracticalGuidetoReasonableAccommodationsundertheAmericanswithDisabilities
ActaspublishedbytheJobAccommodationNetwork,aserviceoftheU.S.DepartmentofLabor's
Office of Disability Employment Policy.
6. PROTEST PROCEDURE
The County of Lake will follow the Appeal Procedure in their Contractor/Consultant Selection
Policy as follows:
6.1 Appeal Procedure:
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Anypartywithadirectfinancialinterestwhoisaggrievedbyanyallegedmaterialirregularityin
connection with the intended RFP award, may file a protest with the Purchasing Agent or
Assistant Purchasing Agent, where such protest is based on alleged violations of Federal, State,
orlocallaworordinance,orallegedmaterialirregularityineithertheCounty'sRFPinvitationor
in the proposal to which an award is intended. Generally, non-material irregularities in a RFP
responsearethosethatsubstantiallyconformtotheRFPrequirementsanddonotaffecttheRFP
price,timeorconditionsinsuchawayastoaffecttheamountoftheRFPorprovideacompetitive
advantage or benefit not allowed to other bidders. Material irregularities in a RFP invitation
provideacompetitiveadvantageorbenefittoone(1)bidderthatisnotenjoyedbyotherbidders.
The Purchasing Agent or Assistant Purchasing Agent may determine whether an alleged
irregularityexistsandwhetheritismaterialornon-materialandshallhavetheauthoritytowaive
non-material irregularities. A RFP protest must:
(a)Be written,
(b)State the specific alleged violation of law or alleged material irregularity,
(c)Request a determination of the appeal,
(d)Provide a telephone number and email address at which the appellant can be contacted,
(e)Be filed no later than seven (7) days after the date of the Notice of Intent to Award Letter
and/or formal Bid Opening (holidays excepted). Any protest filed after this time will not be
considered.
6.2 The party filing the appeal ("appellant") must concurrently transmit a copy of all appeal
documentsandanyattachmentstoallotherpartieswithadirectfinancialinterestwhichmaybe
adversely affected by the determination of the appeal.
6.3 Within seventy-two (72) hours of receipt of appeal, the Purchasing Agent or Assistant
Purchasing Agent shall provide written notification to the appellant of the determination. A
determination under this procedure shall be final except that the Purchasing Agent's decision
may be appealed to the County Administrative Officer in writing within forty-eight (48) hours
from the Purchasing Agent's or Assistant Purchasing Agent's notification to appellant.
7. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By your submission of a proposal, you agree to be bound by the following conditions:
7.1 To the fullest extent allowed by law, RFP's will not be public record until discussion and
negotiations with Respondent have been completed, as such premature disclosure would
jeopardizedtheCounty'sandtheRespondentsnegotiatinginterests. Ifanyproposalcontainstrade
secrets or other information that is confidential or proprietary by law, Respondent shall label all
such pages with a stamped annotation such as: "CONFIDENTIAL-PROPRIETARY TRADE SECRETS,
DO NOT DISCLOSE", and further, provide written notification to the County of its request to keep
saidinformationconfidential. ARespondent'srequestforconfidentialitymustbemadeinwriting
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andenclosedintheenvelopecontainingtheproposal. Theproprietaryorconfidentialdatamustbe
readily separable from the proposal in order to facilitate eventual public inspection of the non-
confidential portion of the proposal.
7.2 The County reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time, even after opening of proposals.
7.3CountyisnotliableforanycostsincurredbyProposerinthepreparation,presentationorinany
other aspect of the Proposal.
7.4 Disposition of Proposal(s) and Contract Award:
A. All proposals shall become the property of Lake County.
B. FailuretofurnishallinformationrequestedinthisRFPortofollowtheproposalformat
may disqualify a proposal.
C. County reserves the right to accept or reject all or any part of any proposal, waive
immaterial defects, informalities, irregularities, negotiate with all qualified Respondents,
andawardthecontracttothefirmorindividuals,who,inthesolejudgmentoftheCounty,
best serves the interests of the County. The County may terminate negotiations if, in its
opinion, they are unsuccessful and begin negotiations with other respondents.
D. A response to this RFP is an offer to contract with the County based upon the terms,
conditions, scope of work and/or specifications contained herein. County shall have no
contractualorotherobligationtoaRespondentunderanysuccessfullynegotiatedcontract
until the contract has been approved and signed by both parties. The contents of the
proposal submitted by the successful Respondent and this RFP will become part of any
contract awarded.
E. Issuance of this RFP in no way constitutes a commitment by the County to procure or
contract for the articles of goods or services solicited.
F. Proposers may be required before the award of any contract to show, to the complete
satisfactionoftheCounty,thenecessaryfacilities,ability,andfinancialresourcestoprovide
the services specified in a satisfactory manner.
7.5RespondentshallindemnifyanddefendCountyanditsofficers,employees,andagentsagainst
andholdthemharmlessfromanyandallclaims,losses,damages,andliabilityfordamages,including
attorney's fees and other costs of defense incurred by County, whether for damage to or loss of
property, or injury to or death of person, including properties of County and injury to or death of
Countyofficials,employeesoragents,arisingoutof,orconnectedwiththeuseofanycopyrighted
or uncopyrighted composition, secret process, patented or unpatented invention, articles or
appliances furnished or used under this Request and any subsequent Contract, unless such
damages, loss, injury or death is caused solely by the negligence of County.
7.6 Default by Respondent: In case of default by the successful Respondent, Lake County may
procure the articles or services from other sources and may deduct from any monies due, or that
may thereafter become due to the Respondent, the difference between the price named in the
PurchaseOrder,Contract,orAgreementwithsaidRespondentandtheCounty'ssubsequentcostto
obtainssubstitutearticlesorservices. PricespaidbytheCountymustbeconsideredtheprevailing
market price at the time such purchase is made.
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