Solar Radiation, Temperature and Relative Humidity Sensors and Data Loggers

This notice is being published in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 5.101 requiring the dissemination of information for proposed contract actions. This is a notice of intent to award a sole source contract and is not a request for competitive proposals. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) intends to issue a sole source, firm-fixed-price contract to Stevens Water and Monitoring for the purchase of solar radiation, temperature and relative humidity sensors and data logger for the National Water and Climate Center in Portland Oregon. The National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) collects data from multiple Meteorburst master stations in order to obtain remote station data from SNOTEL and SCAN systems and is in need for modified Climate Sensors and Data Acquisition to include; Hydraprobe II - Digital Hydra Probes and Analog Hydra Probes that are USDA modified with special modifications/fabrications of refining the data reduction code for use in various soils and modifications to the shunt resistor assembly to connect to current data loggers allowing close track moisture patterns is needed for the standard it has set for its soil moisture monitoring programs. In addition the sensor probes are used to monitor soil moisture to mitigate drought and flood events. We also use the information in SNOTEL to produce water supply forecast. Two types of cabling interfacing needed from laptop to data loggers are one for the field readings and the other for in-house laboratory readings. Interfaces are not inter changeable. However, the interfacing of Moisture Temp Sensors with type A and HYD sensor are compatible and needed for current equipment and supplies to meet Soils Studies. Standardization prevents there from being wiring, wiring diagrams, data logger programs, and data processing problems. The defined sensing and algorithm converts analog voltages to meaningful soil parameters. The Hydra Probes are for replacements and/or new sites. A need for standardization also helps prevent duplicate costs in supplies, replacements, and training. These Hydra Probes are modified as per USDA-NRCS-NWCC request and with the exception of their communication protocols are identical in theory of operation. These Probes measure the electrical response of soils by monitoring both the dielectric constant and the conductivity of the soil simultaneously at a frequency of 50MHZ while imbedded thermisters measure the soil temperature. The small, precisely defined sensing area allows accurate measurements in regions where there are strong soil moisture gradients. The response time is immediate to changing soil moisture conditions. The data reduction algorithm converts analog voltages to the following outputs: real and imaginary dielectric constant, temperature, temperature corrected real and imaginary dielectric constants, water content, soil salinity, soil conductivity, temperature corrected soil conductivity and temperature corrected soil water conductivity. These sensors and dataloggers are used in essential engineering research and development projects with field applications throughout the USDA-NRCS. These projects range from helping to monitor and predict the snowmelt runoff and required reservoir storage to crop water uses. USDA-NRCS has invested many hours refining the interfacing between the MCC545 and 565 radio and the CRlOOO data logger as well as the programming of the logger to accommodate the customized sensors. All remote stations operate against a proprietary operating system. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals. However, all responsible sources may submit a capability statement demonstrating the ability to provide the requested items or exception to the intent to purchase on a sole source basis, which shall be considered by the Government if received by Saturday, 19 September 2015 at 3:00pm, local time, Fort Worth, Texas (Central Time). Written responses to this synopsis shall contain sufficient documentation to establish a bona-fide capability to fulfill the requirement. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination not to compete this requirement, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. NRCS will not be responsible for any costs incurred by interested parties in responding to this notice. The Government is not obligated to and will not pay for any information received from potential sources as a result of this synopsis. Please email Darin Wilson at george.wilson@ftw.usda.gov with responses or questions regarding this requirement. This notice will close on 19 September 2015 at 3:00pm. Central Time.