FY26 WSD Fish Hatchery Operation and Maintenance

The contract W912P7-26-C-A013 is a sole-source, firm-fixed-price award to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the operation and maintenance of the Don Clausen Fish Hatchery and Coyote Valley Fish Facility for FY26, with a base period from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027, and two one-year option periods extending through April 30, 2029. The scope of work involves propagating, rearing, and releasing 200,000 steelhead annually from each facility to mitigate habitat loss in Dry Creek and the East Branch of the Russian River, alongside relocating returning Chinook salmon adults, conducting 24/7 surveillance at the Coho salmon facility, and supporting spawning and transportation activities. The award is justified under FAR 6.302-1(a)(2) due to the unique and irreplaceable capabilities of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, including possession of the mandatory NMFS Section 10(a)(1)(A) Scientific Permit required to handle endangered species such as steelhead, Chinook, and coho salmon, with no other entity capable of performing the work or obtaining the necessary permits. Performance is conducted at the two facilities located in Geyserville, California, with inspection and acceptance occurring in-place by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel based on biological outcomes and regulatory compliance with the Endangered Species Act and associated NMFS biological opinions. The contract includes an option to extend services under FAR 52.217-9, and funding is provided through Operations and Maintenance appropriations, though no specific dollar value is disclosed. The contracting office is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, with administrative oversight provided by Nairi Freeman as the contracting officer and Nicole Davidson as the requirements specialist likely serving as COTR. No packaging, marking, invoicing, or payment instructions are specified in the contract, and no formal evaluation factors or line-item pricing are provided, consistent with its non-competitive, sole-source nature. The contract continues a decade-long pattern of sole-source awards to CA DFW under the same project authority, with no solicitation or competition conducted due to the absence of viable alternatives and the critical, continuous nature of the biological mitigation mission.