To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Aaron Fulton / (707) 547-1974
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): First, Third, Fourth, and Fifth
Title:
Title
Central Sonoma Watershed Plan - Environmental Assessment
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with a consultant selected by Sonoma County Water Agency’s technical review panel for engineering and planning services related to the Central Sonoma Watershed Plan, through June 30, 2023, in the not-to-exceed amount of $1,400,000.
B) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to amend the agreement to extend the term and make modifications to the scope of work provided the amendments do not increase the total cost to Sonoma County Water Agency beyond the not-to-exceed amount of $1,400,000.
C) Adopt a Resolution Authorizing Adjustment to the Board Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 for the Flood Control Zone 1A Fund in the amount of $875,000 for the Central Sonoma Watershed Plan - Environmental Assessment.
(4/5th Vote Required)(First, Third, Fourth and Fifth Disticts)
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) is updating the 1958 Central Sonoma Watershed plan to address aging infrastructure and changed conditions in the watershed, and incorporate new data to improve flood protection in the Santa Rosa Creek watershed. In September 2020, Sonoma Water entered a funding agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct a planning level vulnerability assessment of flood control facilities and to develop an updated Central Sonoma Watershed Plan Environmental Assessment (Plan EA) for future federal funding opportunities. The funding agreement with NRCS provides up to $1,200,000 in federal funds which can be used to secure professional services and provide for Sonoma Water costs to develop the Plan EA. Sonoma Water requires additional expertise to develop the Plan-EA. Under the proposed agreement, the consultant selected by the Sonoma Water technical review panel will provide engineering and planning services and prepare an NRCS-compliant Plan EA for the Central Sonoma Watershed Project.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
On July 30, 1958, the United States Congress approved the Central Sonoma Watershed Work Plan (1958 Plan) that was initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Soil Conservation Service (now the National Resource Conservation Service, or NRCS) under the authority of the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act. The 1958 Plan focused on providing 100-year flood protection to the 50,000-acre Santa Rosa Creek subwatershed, an area that drains through rural Sonoma County and the City of Santa Rosa. The Santa Rosa Creek subwatershed is part of the larger 163,000-acre Central Sonoma Watershed which consists of the Laguna de Santa Rosa and Mark West Creek watersheds and drains to the Russian River.
The 1958 Plan resulted in the construction of 4 floodwater detention structures, 2 diversion structures, a triple box culvert under downtown Santa Rosa to convey Santa Rosa Creek and Matanzas Creek, and approximately 34 miles of channel improvements. Improvements were completed between 1962 and 1988 with the majority of structures completed early on. The completed structures are collectively known as the Central Sonoma Watershed Project (Project) which has now provided critical flood protection for the City of Santa Rosa and downstream rural properties for nearly 60 years. These facilities were originally developed with a design life of 50 years.
The Project has been operated and maintained by Sonoma Water since construction. However, watershed conditions have changed considerably in the 63 years since the original hydrology was developed and the 1958 Plan was designed and approved. Urban and rural development have intensified and expanded to previously undeveloped areas, while future climate is predicted to increase rainfall intensity during extreme events. These watershed-scale changes, when combined with aging infrastructure, recurring wildfires and increased sediment loads, and anticipated climate change stressors, directly affect the Project’s ability to continue providing the level of flood protection envisioned in the 1958 Plan.
In 2016-2017, NRCS and its consultant HDR Engineering, Inc., completed an assessment of Project dams. The dam assessments determined Matanzas Creek Dam did not fully meet NRCS design criteria or performance standards. NRCS is currently supporting a $1,700,000 planning process to evaluate alternatives to bring Matanzas Creek Dam into compliance. Sonoma Water is the local sponsor for this federally-funded effort. Matanzas Creek dam was one component of the Central Sonoma Watershed Project; a system that was intended to function in a collective manner. Due to the age of Project facilities, watershed land use changes, sedimentation, population growth, and newly available seismic risk data, Sonoma Water sought financial support to conduct a vulnerability assessment and evaluate the Project as a whole system in addition to the ongoing NRCS-led Matanzas Project.
In September 2020, Sonoma Water entered into a cooperative funding agreement under which NRCS will provide financial support for Sonoma Water to conduct a vulnerability assessment of Project facilities and develop an updated Central Sonoma Watershed Plan - Environmental Assessment under the Watershed Flood Prevention Operations program.
The current planning effort seeks to evaluate: 1) the reliability and anticipated remaining service life of the Project, 2) evaluate Project’s flood protection performance in light of land use changes, erosion and sedimentation processes, population growth, new rainfall data, future climate, and newly identified seismic risks; 3) develop alternatives for needed upgrades and rehabilitation work; 4) analyze and assess the environmental impacts of alternatives (including cultural resources); 5) evaluate costs and benefits of alternatives; and 6) identify a preferred alternative and prepare a new Watershed Plan Environmental Assessment the Central Sonoma Watershed.
SELECTION PROCESS
On April 13, 2021, Sonoma County Water Agency issued a Request for Proposals to the following 26 firms:
1. AECOM; Sacramento, CA
2. Bargas Environmental Consulting, LLC; Sacramento CA
3. Brown & Caldwell; Sebastopol, CA
4. Burns & McDonnnell; Kansas City, MO
5. CBEC EcoEngineering; Santa Cruz, CA
6. ENERCON; Rancho Cordova, CA
7. ESA; Petaluma, CA
8. Esri Global, Inc.; Redlands, CA
9. Genterra Consultants; Irvine
10. Geosyntec; Oakland, CA
11. GHD Engineering, Inc.; Santa Rosa, CA
12. GZA; Norwood, MA
13. HDR; Petaluma, CA
14. Hernandez Kroone & Associates Inc.; San Bernadino, CA
15. Horrock's Engineering; San Diego
16. Jacobs Engineering; San Diego, CA
17. Jones & DeMille Engineering; Richfield, UT
18. McMillen Jacobs Associates; San Francisco, CA
19. O2EPCM, Inc.; Los Angeles, CA
20. Pacific Watershed Associates; McKinleyville, CA
21. Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group; Clovis
22. Prunuske Chatham; Santa Rosa, CA
23. RJH Consultants; Englewood, CA
24. Transcon; Santa Rosa, CA
25. West Yost Associates; Santa Rosa, CA
26. Woodard & Curran; San Francisco, CA
The Request for Proposals was also posted on Sonoma County Water Agency and County of Sonoma Purchasing Department websites, as well as the Small Business Administration and Minority Business Development Agency websites.
The two firms listed below submitted Proposals.
1. AECOM
2. HDR Engineering, Inc.
A team of Sonoma Water technical staff will review the proposals and select the most qualified consultant. The following criteria, listed in order of importance, will be used to evaluate each firm:
1) Professional qualifications and demonstrated ability to perform the work
2) Responsiveness to the work requirements
3) Exceptions to standard terms in the sample agreement
4) Thoroughness of proposal
Sonoma Water may seek to amend or enter into subsequent agreement(s) with Board approval if required, relying upon this competitive selection process, after the preliminary or initial work is completed for the Project.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the proposed agreement, consultant will conduct inventories, site visits, surveys, investigations, and alternatives development; prepare preliminary designs and economic analyses; conduct meetings, coordination, and planning necessary to provide vulnerability assessment of identified hazards and complete an NRCS-compliant Watershed Plan - Environmental Assessment for the Central Sonoma Watershed Project.
Prior Board Actions:
09/15/2020: Approved cooperative funding agreement between Sonoma Water and NRCS to conduct a vulnerability assessment of Project facilities and to develop a new Plan under the Watershed Flood Prevention Operations program.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 21-22 Adopted |
FY22-23 Projected |
FY 23-24 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$525,000 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$875,000 |
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Total Expenditures |
$1,400,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$1,200,000 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
$200,000 |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$1,400,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $525,000 is available from FY 2021/2022 appropriations for the Flood Control Zone 1A Fund with $525,000 in offsetting federal funds. Additional appropriations of $875,000 are required to process this expense. With Board approval, unused appropriations budgeted in FY 2020/2021 in the amount of $480,000 will be rolled over to FY 2021/2022, and appropriations added in the amount of $395,000 will be made in the Flood Control Zone 1A Fund pursuant to the attached budgetary resolution. Offsetting federal funds of $675,000 and $200,000 funded from Fund Balance in the Flood Control Zone 1A Fund will cover the costs of the contract.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Resolution
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None