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ADDENDUM 1
The Addendum URL in the original RFP posting was incorrect. The correct Addendum blog URL that will be used to make comments and ask questions is: /addendums/17-3191506-pw---des-plaines-watershed-plan-request-for-consultant-assistance/addendum-1/. This URL/link can also be found in the RFP posting.
Questions and comments related to this RFP may be submitted via this Addendum blog or via email to pwerner@lakecountyil.gov. Questions and comments will be answered in this blog.
1/25/2017
Question 1:
Can you advise us as to the amount that SMC was awarded for the grant not including the amount expected to be provided to the consultant?
Answer 1:
The Des Plaines River Watershed-Based Plan is being undertaken with funding support from IL EPA under Financial Assistance Agreement #3191506 Des Plaines River Watershed BMP Implementation and Planning Program. The total amount of the grant is $658,162 for a scope that includes: a watershed resource inventory; an expanded area for watershed-based planning (this request for consultant assistance); development of a small watershed assessment and action planning (SWAAP) pilot study; a water quality monitoring program implemented by the Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup (DRWW); and 3 BMP implementation projects (Mundelein Park District, College of Lake County and Lake County Forest Preserves). The total amount of the grant budget for the watershed resource inventory (WRI) and watershed-based plan (WBP) is $317,500. $217,500 is the amount of the WRI and WBP that is not expected to be used for consultant assistance.
Question 2:
Is the amount of scope to be included for the cost a primary consideration for selection of the qualified consultant?
Answer 2:
Page 17 of the RFP describes the Evaluation Procedure, criteria and scoring system for proposals submitted in response to this RFP. The Proposed Fee is evaluated allowing for a maximum score of 5 of a total of 100 points. SMC requests receipt of proposals that at minimum address the Scope of Work items/tasks that are designated for consultant assistance (Consultant) in Attachment B. Firms may propose additions or changes to the Scope of Work, but these changes/additions need to be supported with the rationale/reason for proposing the change, and should be submitted as separate cost items in the proposal.
ADDENDUM 2
Questions and comments related to this RFP may be submitted via this Addendum blog or via email to pwerner@lakecountyil.gov. Questions and comments will be answered in this blog.
02/01/2017 – DPR Watershed Pre-Proposal Meeting Q&A
Patty Werner – RFP & Grant Overview presentation (can be found under bid posting document tab)
Jeff Laramy – GIS mapping presentation
Question 1:
Can you give a timeline for DRWW water quality data collection (when will the SMC/consultant receive the information)?
Answer 1:
The Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroups (DRWW) final water quality data collection and final analysis reporting is due to be delivered to DRWW by September 1, 2017. SMC expects to receive and transfer the final analysis report to the consultant in September 2017.
- DRWW has received the water chemistry data for the 2015-2016 monitoring period. It is being formatted for delivery to IL EPA by March 31, 2017. The number of water chemistry sample locations increased from 44 sites in 2015 to 63 sample sites in 2016, and will expand to all 70 sites in 2017.
- Bioassessment data (fish and macroinvertebrates) and sediment samples were collected at 70 monitoring sites in 2016.
- Flow is being monitored at 21 of the water quality monitoring sites (6 of these sites are USGS stations).
An on-line application on the DRWW website shows the location of the monitoring sites.
Lake County Impaired Waters Web Map (WebApp)
Question 2:
What is being done with the headwaters (Wisconsin)?
Answer 2:
SMC is using the Dutch Gap water quality information that was provided for the North Mill Creek-Dutch Gap Canal Watershed Plan. DRWW does not have any monitoring sites in Wisconsin. SMC will inquire with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Plan Commission about more recent water quality data for Dutch Gap Canal. SMC will include this information in the Chapter 3 watershed assessment if available.
Question 3:
Is the DRWW calculating pollutant loads using the flow data that is being collected, and is the consultant expected to use the flow data to calculate pollutant loading.
Answer 3:
The DRWW intends to use the flow data for calculating pollutant loading, but this task is not included in their contractor’s current scope of work. The consultant is not expected to calculate pollutant loading using the flow data, but may certainly do so if they choose to use it with their pollutant loading model. It is up the consultant to propose how they want to model pollutant loads. The model must be approved by SMC.
Question 4:
Do the catchments shown on the map in the presentation coincide with the drainage catchments delineated for the previously completed subwatershed plans such as the North Mill-Dutch Gap Watershed-Based Plan?
Answer 4:
SMC has delineated 422 catchments that will be used for this planning project. The 2007 DTM was used for the catchment delineations. This data was not available for some of the previously completed subwatershed plans, so the catchments for this project do not match the catchments/subwatershed management units used for previously completed subwatershed plans.
Question 6:
Is lateral recession collected as a point or line in the field (during the stream inventory)? Is bank height included? Did you categorize segments based on low (lateral recession rate)?
Answer 6:
Lateral recession is collected in the field as a point and then translated to a line in the office. Yes, bank height is collected. Streambank measurements are used to categorize lateral recession rates as low, medium, high levels of erosion and recession. Line files for left and right bank are available to the consultants. Lateral recession rates were not calculated for streambank areas having little to no erosion.
Question 7:
Are lateral recession rates measured in the lake shoreline assessment?
Answer 7:
Lake shoreline erosion is categorized as being none, slight, moderate or severe. No lateral recession rates were measured for lake shorelines.
Question 8:
Is flow data presently available at the DRWW “flow” monitoring sites?
Answer 8:
No, the monitoring for those sites just began in November/December 2016. Flow data collected from a total of 7 events in 2016-2017 will be delivered to DRWW with a final report in September 2017.
Question 9:
Will there be interpretation of the DRWW biological data? How do you see the biological data being used?
Answer 9:
Midwest Biodiversity Institute (MBI) is doing the biological assessment for DRWW. The water quality assessment report that is due to be delivered to DRWW in September 2017 will interpret areas that are habitat limited, water quality limited etc… based on the biological, and water and sediment chemistry data. The report to DRWW will be a comprehensive reporting of chemical, physical, and biological quality using tables and graphs to report the results. This will include an assessment of Publically Owner Treatment Works (POTW) pollutant loadings, chemical water quality criteria exceedances, exceedances of biologically relevant thresholds, sediment chemical threshold exceedances, analysis of habitat attributes, and reporting fish and macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) and metrics results. MBI will report the results of the data analyses and causal assessment. Conclusions about causes and sources are explained including any patterns observed in the study area such as the differences in results observed between POTW influenced and nonpoint source influenced sites and reaches. The MBI report results will be used to identify action plan recommendations as appropriate.
Question 10:
Can you describe the level of updates/effort required for the action plan recommendations of the previously approved subwatershed plans?
Answer 10:
SMC has compiled the action recommendations in all of the previously completed subwatershed- plans into a spreadsheet and file geodatabase. These recommendations will be updated by the consultant with assistance from SMC based on input from stakeholders regarding the status of project implementation. SMC intends that all of the previously identified action plan recommendations will be included in the Des Plaines River Watershed Action Plan. The format for including this large dataset remains to be decided by SMC and the consultant.
The consultant will develop site-specific project maps for each major jurisdiction. Site-specific project maps in existing subwatershed plans will need to be updated to remove projects already completed and add new projects as appropriate. SMC has GIS files for the original action plan maps for most of the subwatersheds. The consultant will have to assist in determining with SMC how to best represent the project recommendations graphically.
Question 11:
Are there any Total Maximum Daily Load studies (TMDL’s) in the watershed?
Answer 11:
The Des Plaines River-Higgins Creek TMDL report is completed. The TMDL study includes numerous lakes in the southern half of the watershed planning area and includes Buffalo Creek. The TMDL report needs to referenced and used where applicable to action recommendations. The Des Plaines River watershed plan should focus on the best and most practical ways to reduce the pollutants of concern that are affecting impaired waters whether those waters are listed as impaired on the TMDL, 303(d) list or based on water quality data collected by DRWW or Lake County Health Department for lake reports.
Question 12:
12a. Will the consultant be expected to coordinate with Midwest Biodiversity Institute (MBI) on final watershed plan recommendations based on the MBI water quality report for the DRWW?
Answer 12:
12a. MBI is doing a total assessment using all the water and sediment chemistry and biological data that is being collected. It is expected that MBI will present recommendations that will need to be included in the action plan, and a recommendation for changes to the monitoring strategy if needed. The consultant will use the MBI report that is scheduled to be delivered to DRWW in Sept. 2017 for developing the action plan, and is not expected to coordinate or work with MBI.
Question 13:
Is 2005 land use data layer the best available data?
Answer 13:
The 2010 land use data layer has just recently been finished, but SMC plans to use the 2005 land use since that was the best available data when SMC started the planning process for this watershed plan. There were not many changes between the 2005 and 2010 land use maps.
ADDENDUM 3
02/08/2017
Question 1:
Does SMC have an inventory of NPDES discharges in the watershed, and if their discharge limits in terms of flows and nutrient concentrations are available? Is the information in a database or spreadsheet? If not, is this task part of the consultant’s responsibilities?
Answer 1:
SMC has summarized and referenced information related to wastewater dischargers as reflected in the PDF versions of the draft spreadsheets added to the RFP posting and is available on the SMC website: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/553/Stormwater-Management-Commission. Any additional information that is needed will be compiled by the consultant with assistance from SMC staff.
Question 2:
Can we get the sign-in sheet (for the pre-submittal meeting)?
Answer 2:
The sign-in sheet is added to the RFP posting as a scanned PDF image and is available on the SMC website: https://www.lakecountyil.gov/553/Stormwater-Management-Commission.