Black Brook - Black Creek Drainage Study

The County of Ontario (the "County"), is requesting Proposals for RFP# R26056 Black Brook - Black Creek Drainage Study . Proposals are to be submitted via the County's eProcurement Portal via https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ontariocountyny PRIOR TO 4:00 pm on Thursday, April 16, 2026 . Late responses will not be accepted.

Project work includes conduct a comprehensive stream corridor study and hydrologic modeling for the Black Brook–Black Creek Hydrologic Unit 12 (HUC 12) watershed in Ontario County, New York, encompassing portions of the Towns of Farmington, Manchester, and Canandaigua .

Black Brook (approximately 4.8 stream miles) and Black Creek (approximately 5.9 stream miles) flow east through the Town of Farmington and discharge to the Canandaigua Outlet in the Town of Manchester. Roughly half of the watershed is in active agricultural use, including soils classified as prime farmland or of statewide significance. The watershed also contains critical freight rail lines and major vehicular and trucking corridors that support local, regional, and national transportation networks.

Existing hydrologic information for the watershed is limited and outdated. FEMA floodplain mapping is more than 40 years old and does not reflect significant land use changes over recent decades. Since 2010, the Town of Farmington has experienced a 17 percent population increase and the issuance of approximately 1,210 new building permits, underscoring the need for updated flood and hydrologic analysis.

The study must be conducted in accordance with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) stream corridor assessment guidelines (see Appendix C Stream Corridor Assessment Guide) and will include field data collection and characterization of stream channels, banks, floodplains, riparian areas, tributary confluences and upland areas for Black Brook and Black Creek. Hydrologic modeling will evaluate watershed response under a range of wet-weather scenarios to identify areas of concern and appropriate mitigation strategies. Select locations may warrant more detailed hydraulic analysis, such as HEC-RAS modeling to support bridge replacement or other engineering design needs. HEC-RAS modeling will be completed within the project budget as feasible or may be addressed in a subsequent project if costs exceed available funding.

This watershed-scale study is intended to support a holistic, intermunicipal approach to managing water flow and drainage, with careful consideration of upstream and downstream impacts. A stakeholder advisory committee composed of representatives from municipalities, county agencies, and the agricultural community will provide guidance, data, and local knowledge to the project Consultant. The project will be managed by Linda Phillips of the Ontario County Planning Department, and Ontario County will contract directly with the selected consultant or consultant team. The anticipated project timeline is May 2026 through December 2027