The San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) Board of Directors discussed its progress on engineering for the district’s reservoir project at Running Iron Ranch at its July 21 special meeting.
SJWCD board member Randy Cooper updated the board on the district’s progress in securing engineering services for the reservoir project.
He explained that he had reached out to and met with four engineering firms and explained that the district is putting together a request for proposals (RFP) for engineering at the reservoir site and was looking for input on what should be included in this RFP.
He noted that all of the firms were “very responsive” and sent the district materials and comments about engineering on the project.
Cooper stated that SJWCD board member Charles Riehm worked with him on interviewing the firms, but that the RFP was not yet finalized since Riehm was out of town.
He stated that all the firms expressed that yield models for the reservoir, including historical and projected flows and evaporation, need to be redone.
Cooper added that all of the firms understood that the work would have to be done in “bite-sized chunks” since the district needs to seek funding or grants to support the engineering.
The RFP will likely be done next week, Cooper said, once Riehm returns.
He stated that all the firms would be able to provide expertise in the variety of disciplines needed for the reservoir engineering.
Cooper added that the RFP would need to be structured around government funding criteria since the district will likely be pursuing government funding for the project, which would mean the RFP would need to cover the qualifications of the engineering firm as well as the work.
In response to a question from SJWCD board member Rodney Proffitt, Cooper explained that most of the firms would need to contract out some aspects of the project since they did not have all the relevant expertise in-house.
Proffitt then asked about Cooper’s timeline on finishing the RFP.
Cooper stated that he planned to have the RFP done before the district’s August meeting and that the district could potentially sign a contract by the end of the year, assuming it has sufficient funding.
Cooper commented that he “thoroughly enjoyed” talking with the firms and that all the firms had experience of building reservoirs in the region.
Following more discussion of the details of the reservoir engineering, SJWCD board president Candace Jones concluded the discussion by commending Cooper for the “great progress” being made on the engineering.
The board’s next meeting is set for 4 p.m. on Aug. 18 at its office at 46 Eaton Drive, Suite 5.
josh@pagosasun.com
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