Z--Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements

The Bureau of Reclamation, under the San Joaquin River Restoration Program and the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act, is seeking industry input via Request for Information 140R2026R0020 for the Mendota Pool Bypass and Reach 2B Improvements. This large-scale civil works project in California is estimated to have a magnitude between 225 million and 300 million dollars. The primary objective is to construct channel and structural improvements to ensure a conveyance of at least 4,500 cfs from Reach 2B downstream to Reach 3. The project is divided into two phases: Phase 1 focuses on the Mendota Pool Bypass Channel to provide passage for Chinook salmon, including the construction of a control structure, fish ladder, and auxiliary water supply, with a goal of being operational by spring 2030. Phase 2 involves replacing intake locations in Reach 2B with a headworks structure, canal, and siphon or pipeline to maintain water delivery to the Columbia Mowry Delivery System. The government aims to begin construction on the channel and levee in 2027 and is currently evaluating the most effective delivery method, considering design-bid-build, design-build, or a hybrid approach. The project must comply with several environmental mandates, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the National Historic Preservation Act, and will require a Project Labor Agreement. As this is currently an RFI for market research and planning, the agency is soliciting feedback on risk allocation, constructability, and schedule estimates. Interested parties must execute a Federal Non-Disclosure Agreement to access detailed geotechnical reports, design drawings, and specifications. The primary point of contact for this effort is Stephanie Lindner.