The Black Swamp Conservancy (the “Conservancy”) is soliciting proposals for a Contractor to conduct a feasibility study on nutrient reduction opportunities on Howard Island.
Howard Island is a 9-acre island in the Maumee River at Grand Rapids, Ohio. This is one of the few remaining Maumee River Islands in private ownership. The property is wooded, with a relatively mature woodland community typical of floodplain properties. The Grand Rapids and Providence dams lie on either side of the island, with footers and some hardened shoreline installed on the property. The site is immediate to the Village of Grand Rapids and Mary Jane Thurston State Park. A preliminary list of species of concern, rare, threatened or endangered species on the island is included in Exhibit B: Howard Island Draft Management Plan. An active bald eagle nest has been reported on the island.
The objectives of this project are to:
- Identify and assess potential nutrient reduction strategies that can be implemented on the Project Property to reduce nutrients in Maumee River water flowing past the island.
- Estimate load reductions associated with the strategies.
The contractor or team of contractors (collectively “Contractor”) shall furnish necessary research tools, plans, labor, facilities, materials, and equipment to complete the Project scope of services.
The Contractor must be able to demonstrate the successful completion of at least four (4) nutrient reduction studies greater than $10,000, preferably but not mandatorily within the Western Lake Erie Basin, to be eligible to submit proposals.
The total maximum cost for the Project is Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00). The maximum amount of Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00) shall not be exceeded under any circumstances. If a particular entity is chosen as an award winner and any additional costs are presented at the time of entering into a final agreement or Project implementation, the Conservancy reserves the right to reject that entity as the Contract winner and/or terminate any Project Contract with that entity, in the Conservancy’s sole and absolute discretion.
An aerial map of the Project Site is attached as Exhibit A to this Request for Proposals (“RFP”). The Conservancy does not have topographical, hydrological or other technical surveys of the Project Site. If desired, any such surveys shall be the Contractor’s responsibility and should be included within the Contractor’s pricing structure.
Questions about the RFP or Project must be emailed to Rob Krain at [email protected] and received by December 5, 2023. Not later than December 8th, the Conservancy will distribute all questions received and its responses to those questions to all firms that have expressed an interest in submitting a proposal. All firms interested in submitting a proposal and being included on the question and response distribution list should notify Rob Krain by email at [email protected].
Submissions, including submissions that are mailed or shipped to the above P.O. Box, must be received no later than 4:00 pm on December 14th. Proposals received after this date will not be accepted. The Conservancy expects to award the contract in early January. Work will commence after the successful execution of a contract for services between the Contractor and the Conservancy.
