More than 140 interested contractors attended a pre-proposal conference hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District Jan. 13 in Stuart, Fla. The conference was held for contractors interested in submitting proposals to build the reservoir component of the Indian River Lagoon-South’s C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) project in Martin County, Fla.
“This conference gives interested contractors the opportunity to better understand the contract and how it fits into the entire C-44 Reservoir and STA project,” said Orlando Ramos-Gines, Corps project manager. “By providing this information, we ensure interested contractors fully understand the scope of the contract and the criteria that we will use to evaluate proposals.”
Following the formal meeting, interested contractors were also provided the opportunity to participate in an afternoon site visit to see where the project will be constructed.
Proposals for the contract will be accepted until 2 p.m. on Feb. 12, 2015. The contract is scheduled to be awarded in July 2015. Additional information on the contract is available at: https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1c4e3e6edb5fa29dc99acea6bd8d6660&tab=core&_cview=1
The C-44 Reservoir and STA component includes the construction of a 3,400-acre reservoir, a pump station with a capacity to pump 1,100 cubic feet per second (cfs) of water and 6,300-acres of STAs. Construction on the project’s first contract was completed in July 2014 and consisted of constructing the western intake canal, eastern C-133/133A canal, all access roads and staging areas, and the construction of the Citrus Boulevard bridge and culvert. The reservoir contract is the largest component for the C-44 project.
Once completed, the C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area will capture local run-off from the C-44 basin, reducing average annual total nutrient loads and improving salinity in the St. Lucie Estuary and the southern portion of the Indian River Lagoon by providing, in total, 60,500 acre-feet of new water storage (50,600 acre-feet in the reservoir and 9,900 acre-feet in the STAs) and 3,600 acres of new wetlands.
The Indian River Lagoon is considered the most biologically diverse estuarine system in the continental United States and is home to more than 3,000 species of plants and animals. The C-44 Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Area is the first component of the multi-billion dollar Indian River Lagoon-South project, an element of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).
Additional information on the C-44 Reservoir and STA is available at: http://bit.ly/C-44_IRLS.