Date: June 26, 2009
Contact: Barb Maynes, 360-565-3005
The National Park Service has issued a pre-solicitation notice for construction of the Lower Elwha Fish Hatchery. The 15-day pre-solicitation period will be followed on or around July 10 by the bid solicitation and Request for Proposals; potentials contractors will then have 45 days to submit proposals.
“Construction of this fish hatchery is an important step forward towards restoration of the Elwha River and ecosystem and towards economic recovery in our region,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Karen Gustin.
Construction of the Lower Elwha Fish Hatchery is scheduled to begin this fall and take 16 months to complete. The project will consist of the construction of a fish hatchery including:
- site improvements,
- water supply and drainage pipelines,
- water supply wells,
- two buildings,
- fish culture facilities including raceways, ponds, and adult holding ponds,
- a fish ladder and
- related mechanical and electrical systems.
Also included are improvements to an access road to the site. The hatchery will be located on the Lower Elwha Klallam Indian Reservation, about six miles west of Port Angeles. The hatchery will protect and restore Elwha River salmon runs during and after dam removal.
This project, estimated at over $18 million, is one of nearly 800 projects totaling $750 million across the National Park Service that will be completed with funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
More information about Elwha Construction Contracts, including this Presolicition Notice, and instructions for contractors interested in submitting a proposal, can be found by selecting the Quick Link for “Restoring the Elwha” at the Olympic National Park website, http://www.nps.gov/olym/.
The Presolicition Notice itself may be viewed by entering the number N2011090537 in the Quick Search box at http://www.fbo.gov.
The Elwha River Ecosystem Restoration project is our nation’s largest dam removal to date and one of the largest construction projects in the history of the National Park Service. Removing two aging dams on the Elwha River will restore the river to its natural free-flowing state and allow all five species of Pacific salmon and other anadromous fish to once again reach over 70 miles of near-pristine freshwater habitat. In turn, the salmon will return vital nutrients to the watershed, restoring the entire ecosystem, from insects to eagles.
A full listing of National Park Service Recovery Act projects throughout the country, along with progress reports for each project, are available at http://www.interior.gov/recovery/nps.
