Request for Proposals for Gross Reservoir Expansion Project Bank Stabilization Monitoring on South Boulder Creek and North Fork South Platte

Gross Reservoir Expansion Project
Request for Proposal
Gross Reservoir Expansion (GRE) Project
Bank Stabilization Monitoring on South Boulder Creek and North Fork South Platte
Request for Proposals (RFP)
Submission Deadline: 2:00 pm (MT), Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Section 1 - Introduction, Background, & History
Introduction
Denver Water is seeking a firm to monitor bank stabilization on South Boulder Creek and the North Fork South
Platte River. The selection process involves interested firms submitting a proposal to complete monitoring and
reporting activities on both streams; followed by consultant interviews, selection, and contract award.
Background & History
Denver Water began the process of permitting the Gross Reservoir Expansion (GRE) Project in 2003. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers was the lead federal agency in regard to preparation of the Environmental Impacts
Statement (EIS) and issued a Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit in 2017. Prior to issuance of the 404 Permit,
Denver Water entered into two agreements requiring monitoring of stream bank stability below transmountain
diversions. The first was with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW; 2011) and the second was with the U.S. Forest
Service (USFS; 2016) which was adopted into Denver Water's 2020 Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) License for Gross Reservoir hydropower operations.
Section 2 - Phase 1 Overview
Consultant Scope of Work Overview
Based on the requirements listed below, develop a scope of work (SOW) to meet the field monitoring
requirements and prepare one annual report for CPW and the USFS for each year field monitoring takes place.
Project Assumptions
The following assumptions were made in the development of this SOW:
* This project will be developed and coordinated in Denver Water's SharePoint platform. Denver Water
will utilize the existing GRE Project SharePoint site and will establish a Microsoft Teams channel for
collaborative use by the internal and external project design team members.
* The Consultant's SOW shall be focused on meeting the requirements of the streambank monitoring
program shown below. Contract amendments for additional scope will be considered by Denver
Water based on the Consultant's performance and project progress.
Phase 1 will be for monitoring and reporting of baseline conditions (Baseline Streambank
o
Monitoring and Reporting).
Phase 2 will be for monitoring and reporting during initial fill of the expanded reservoir (Initial
o
Fill Monitoring and Reporting).
Phase 3 will be for monitoring and reporting post initial fill of the expanded reservoir (Long-
o
term Monitoring and Reporting).
* The initial funding approval will cover Phase 1. Subsequent funding for Phase 2 and Phase 3 will be
approved utilizing contract amendments.
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Request for Proposal
Project Objectives
The objectives of this effort are to:
* Monitor channel instability and bank erosion in accordance with FERC license conditions.
* Implement Control-Impact monitoring frameworks for both river systems.
* Provide defensible geomorphic and biological data to support adaptive management.
* Support interagency coordination with USFS and CPW.
* Prepare restoration plans and support implementation if stabilization or restoration is required.
Section 3 - Schedule
Consultant Selection Schedule
The anticipated schedule for proposals and award is summarized below:
* Final Written Questions Due ----------------------------------June 17, 2026
* Addendum Posted ---------------------------------------------June 22, 2026
* Proposals Due -------------------------------------------------July 8, 2026
* Interviews ------------------------------------------------------July 15, 2026
* Selection -------------------------------------------------------July 22, 2026
* Notice to Proceed ----------------------------------------------------- September 1, 2026
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Overall Project Schedule
Denver Water has developed the following conceptual schedule for data collection and report submittal:
Phase 1 - Baseline Streambank Monitoring and Reporting
* Year 1 Baseline Data Collection ----------------------------------- September/October 2026
* Year 1 Report ---------------------------------------------------------- February 2027
* Year 2 Baseline Data Collection (if needed) --------------------- September/October 2027
* Year 2 Report ---------------------------------------------------------- February 2028
Phase 2 - Initial Fill and Reporting
* Year 3 Data Collection (initial fill year 1) -------------------------- September/October 2028
* Year 3 Report ---------------------------------------------------------- February 2029
* Year 4 Data Collection (initial fill year 2) -------------------------- September/October 2029
* Year 4 Report ---------------------------------------------------------- February 2030
* Year 5 Data Collection (initial fill year 3) ------------------------- September/October 2030
* Year 5 Report ----------------------------------------------------- ---- February 2031
Phase 3 - Long-term Monitoring and Reporting
* Once every 3 years for 9 years (3 sampling events).
* Once every 5 years for 15 years (3 sampling events).
* High flow years (>55,000 AF at east portal of Moffat or Roberts tunnels [May, June, July]).
Proposals shall include a detailed schedule for the three work Phases with any deviations from the
aforementioned schedule clearly identified (see Task 3.5). The initial funding approval will cover Phase 1.
Subsequent funding for Phase 2 and Phase 3 will be approved utilizing a new contract or contract
amendments.
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Request for Proposal
Section 4 - Scope of Work
Denver Water has prepared the following SOW for Phase 1 of the Bank Stability on South Boulder Creek and
the North Fork South Platte based on its work plan (Figure 1), proposed objectives, and conceptual schedule.
The tasks described below will be the responsibility of the Consultant unless it is specified that Denver Water
or another entity will have the responsibility for said task(s). The tasks will be conducted in close coordination
with the Denver Water Team assigned to the task, including review and approval of draft and final deliverables.
The Consultant should consider the following SOW when evaluating the level of effort and support anticipated
by Denver Water for these activities. Work details may be adapted to changing conditions, major decisions,
and findings as the project work progresses. Consultants responding to this RFP should be willing to
collaboratively adjust work phases and tasks.
The project deliverables are described in further detail for each task.
Task 1: Project Management, Project Controls & Reporting, and Project Meetings
Task 2: Records Review and Data Requests
Task 3: Bank Stability Monitoring and Reporting
Task 4: Owner Directed Contingency
Task 1 - Project Management, Project Controls & Reporting, and Project Meetings
Task 1.1 - Project Management
Consultant shall appoint a Project Manager. The Consultant's Project Manager shall oversee and administer
the project and manage all resources reporting to them. The Consultant's Project Manager shall be the primary
point of contact with Denver Water's Project Manager and should have awareness of all billable actions being
conducted by their team.
Task 1.2 - Project Controls & Reporting
Monthly invoices shall be prepared and submitted to Denver Water in an approved format. Invoices shall
include a Project Status Report and be submitted within 30 days of work being performed. Invoices shall be
broken down by task, Prime Consultant, and Subconsultants/Subcontractors, if any, and include the
following:
* Total contract amount.
* Detailed charges for the current invoice period (e.g. labor hours by individual and assigned labor rates;
itemized expenses).
* Total charges to date.
* Previous billings.
* Outstanding balance.
* Current amount remaining.
* Total amount due.
* Contract number.
The Consultant shall be responsible for the management of the Consultant and the Subconsultant (if any)
Project Team's overall project controls, actively coordinating with Denver Water's Project Manager to manage
the following:
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* Project costs including forecasts.
* Project schedule.
* Document control.
Monthly project status reports shall be prepared and submitted to Denver Water as an attachment to the
monthly invoices. Project status reports should be in bullet format and concise. The reports shall include the
following:
* A summary of work completed since the previous report.
* The current project schedule and budget status.
* Project issues and potential change logs.
* Milestones and/or deliverables scheduled in the coming month.
This task also includes periodic project review by the Consultant's management to ensure the project meets
Denver Water's project objectives, is on schedule, and is within budget.
Task 1.3 - Project Meetings
Project meetings include the key Project Team Members and other stakeholders as needed for the current
topic. Unless specifically directed by Denver Water's Project Manager, the Consultant will be responsible for
having the right team resources at the various meetings.
At a minimum, the proposal will account for participation in the following meetings:
(1) Kick-off meeting: Denver Water led.
- Frequency: N/A, onetime occurrence.
- Attendees: Denver Water PM, Consultant PM, key teammates as determined by respective PMs.
- Time: 1-hour.
- Agenda:
Welcome/project background.
o
Team introductions.
o
Administration/logistics.
o
High level schedule/deliverable review.
o
(2) Recurring Coordination Meetings: Denver Water led.
- Frequency: Two per year. One to discuss the yearly report and the second to discuss the current
year sampling plans.
- Attendees: Denver Water PM, Consultant PM, key teammates as determined by respective PMs
based on the topics/tasks being discussed.
- Time: 1-hr meetings.
- Agenda:
Yearly Report - problems/challenges with the previous year sampling effort.
o
Current Year Sampling - what changes have been implemented, any perceived problems?
o
(As-needed) Budget/Invoice check-in: Discuss any overdue invoices, budget concerns,
o
changes with budget impacts, etc.
Note: Unless tasked or annotated otherwise, Denver Water will develop the meeting agendas and meeting
minutes for the kick-off meeting and the recurring meeting
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Request for Proposal
Figure 1: General Proximity Map Showing Approximate Study Reach Locations on South Boulder Creek and North Fork South Platte.
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Task 2 - Records Review and Data Requests
Task 2.1 - Records Review
Review existing requirements for channel stability monitoring in the 2011 Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan, the
2020 FERC License Amendment Order 4e Condition 25 (Appendix A and B), and Bank Stabilization specifics
developed in consultation with CPW and USFS (Appendix C and D) and incorporate into the RFP as needed.
The Consultant shall develop a checklist or Work Plan detailing Agency requirements to comply with these
program documents.
Task 2.2 - Data Requests
Develop and submit to Denver Water a list of additional records, data, questions, and other information
required to perform the channel stability monitoring.
Task 3 - Channel Stability Monitoring Report
Task 3.1 - Denver Water Led Site Visit & Project Brief
The Consultant and their key team members shall participate in an on-site visit led by the Denver Water Project
Manager. This event will be 8 hours long (4 hours on each stream and does not include travel) and include
presentations by various Denver Water stakeholders (including the USFS) and a site walk of key areas. The
presentation portion of this event will have a virtual option and will cover project background, objectives of the
monitoring program, reporting requirements, and monitoring locations. The intent of this event is to explain the
GRE Project to the Consultant team and advance the Consultant's baseline knowledge and familiarity of the
GRE Project and known constraints. Denver Water will develop the meeting presentation material, meeting
agenda, and meeting minutes. The Consultant's proposed fee should account for participation in this event.
Task 3.2 - Monitoring Plan Development
Prepare a monitoring plan for South Boulder Creek and the North Fork South Platte that meets the
requirements of the 2011 Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Plan and the 2020 FERC License Amendment Order 4e
Condition 25 (Appendix A and B) and incorporates objectives and recommendations from Task 3.1. The
monitoring plan will have one review by CPW and USFS, and materials should be suitable for submission to
the FERC. These two requirements were standardized in two documents attached as Appendix C and D.
Task 3.3 - Monitoring Reach Establishment
Assist with selection and establishment of new monitoring reaches during Gross Dam construction. Locations
will be determined based on the site visit from Task 3.1. South Boulder Creek will have one control reach
upstream of the east portal and one impact reach downstream of the east portal. The North Fork South Platte
will have one control reach upstream of the east portal and up to five impact reaches below the east portal.
Selected reaches shall be representative of the stream as a whole and coordination with fisheries, biologists,
hydrologists, and geomorphologists is needed.
If a monitoring reach is located within a USFS Wilderness Area, GPS coordinates will need to be collected as
no permanent markers can be established in a Wilderness Area.
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Task 3.4 - Field Monitoring and Data Collection
Monitoring shall follow a Control-Impact study design and include, at a minimum, the following elements:
1. Establish two reaches on South Boulder Creek and up to five reaches on North Fork South Platte for
longitudinal profiles. Each reach shall have at least four channel cross sections.
2. Reach length is a minimum length of 20 bankfull widths.
3. Resurvey during each monitoring event at established monuments.
4. Collect x, y, and z coordinates for top of bank (right and left) and thalweg.
5. Collect data for a Rosgen Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI) assessments at each reach.
6. Physical measurements of eroded bank length, slump blocks, and tension cracks.
7. Channel geometry metrics at each cross-section, including bankfull parameters (width, height, depth,
flow, and hydraulic radius).
8. Installation and monitoring of bank erosion pins (unless in a Wilderness Area).
9. Field notes and photo documentation for 100 feet on each bank at each cross-section.
Task 3.5 Monitoring Schedule:
Baseline monitoring during Gross Dam construction activities (1 monitoring event). Annual monitoring during
the initial fill for the reservoir for 3 years (3 monitoring events). Post-fill monitoring once every 3 years for 3
cycles (9 years and 3 monitoring events). Long-term monitoring once every 5 years for 15 years (3 monitoring
events). High delivery year monitoring when the Moffat Tunnel or Roberts Tunnel delivers more than 55,000 AF
May, June, and July. The following table depicts these monitoring events based on current completion
timelines and presented by phase: Phase 1 (2026 and 2027), Phase 2 (2028, 2029, and 2030), Phase 3 (post
2031). These dates are subject to change based on the fill plan for the expanded Gross Dam and Reservoir.
Year Event Year Event
Phase 1 Phase 3 (cont.)
2026 Baseline 2040 None - High Flow?
2027 Baseline (if needed) 2041 None - High Flow?
Phase 2 2042 None - High Flow?
2028 Initial Fill 2043 None - High Flow?
2029 Initial Fill 2044 5 for 15
2030 Initial Fill 2045 None - High Flow?
Phase 3 2046 None - High Flow?
2031 None - High Flow? 2047 None - High Flow?
2032 None - High Flow? 2048 None - High Flow?
2033 3 for 3 2049 5 for 15
2034 None - High Flow? 2050 None - High Flow?
2035 None - High Flow? 2051 None - High Flow?
2036 3 for 3 2052 None - High Flow?
2037 None - High Flow? 2053 None - High Flow?
2038 None - High Flow? 2054 5 for 15
2039 3 for 3 2055 Final Report
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Task 3.6 - Data Analysis and Reporting
Prepare the annual monitoring report at least 30 days prior to the annual consultation meeting for Denver
Water review. The report shall evaluate channel condition using BEHI (Bank Erosion Hazard Index) results,
erosion extent, channel geometry changes, and comparative impact vs. control analyses.
Task 3.7 - Restoration Planning (if required)
If USFS determines restoration is required, the Contractor shall assist Denver Water with preparing a
restoration plan for FERC submission and support implementation upon approval. This will be completed with
an amendment to the contract for an additional SOW.
Task 4 - Owner Directed Contingency & Deliverables
Include a $25,000 addition to the proposed fee as an Owner Directed Contingency. This task will allow for
expedient response to unforeseen scope changes or effort overruns if they arise. Use of the Owner Directed
Contingency must be authorized in writing by Denver Water.
Deliverables shall include:
1. Channel Stability monitoring plans.
2. Survey data and GIS-compatible datasets.
3. Monitoring reports for each monitoring event.
4. Photo documentation archives.
5. Restoration plans and technical memoranda (if required).
Section 5 - Denver Water Responsibility
Responsibilities of Denver Water include the following:
* Establish library on the GRE SharePoint site for collaborative use by the internal and external project
design team members and stakeholders.
* Provide needed data to support Consultant-led activities.
* Participate in Consultant-led meetings.
* Lead communication and consultation with regulatory agencies.
* Review Consultant's deliverables within agreed upon schedules.
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Section 6 - Proposal Evaluation
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria and standards outlined below.
Criteria Standard Weight
Do the assigned staff have relevant firsthand project
Team Capability experience? Do they have the skills and experience to 20
excel at this effort?
Does the proposal show an understanding of the
project objectives and the results desired from the
Project Approach
project? 50
and Schedule
Does the proposed schedule achieve project
objectives in an efficient manner?
Do the work hours presented accurately reflect the
Cost and Work
level of effort required to complete the project? Are the 30
Hours
proposed labor rates reasonable?
Note: Information gained in the interviews will be used by Denver Water to further evaluate and judge each
proposer.
The weighted criteria scores will be summed for a cumulative score. The maximum possible cumulative score
is 100.
Section 7 - Proposal Submittal Requirements and Instructions
Interested firms are to submit one electronic copy (PDF) of the Proposal to
https://www.dropbox.com/request/29ujd3hftp39zrtas2yz prior to the deadline 2:00 pm (MT), July 8, 2026.
Proposal Requirements
At a minimum, the Proposal shall include the following:
* Cover Letter.
* Project Approach: Describe Consultant's approach to administer the project and complete the scope
of work. A detailed project approach will assist Denver Water in understanding the Consultant's
comprehension of the project and the opportunities and constraints that a project of this complexity
may contain.
* Project Schedule: A detailed schedule with any deviations from the schedule included herein clearly
identified and tied to the project approach.
* Work Breakdown Structure: A work breakdown structure delineating labor type/hour for project tasks
provided under Scope of Work. Include the corresponding hourly rates.
* Project Organization Chart: Identify all personnel assigned to project.
* Key Personnel Resumes: Tailored resumes (2-pages maximum), including projects similar in nature
and complexity to the project, shall be provided for key personnel shown within the Project
Organization Chart.
* Other information and other appendices respondent feels will aid Denver Water in evaluation.
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