Valley Water requires experienced, and qualified firms to provide professional services to characterize existing habitat conditions using field data collection and topographic surveys as the basis for ecohydraulic habitat modeling and bioenergetics modeling for salmonids in the Stevens Creek watershed.
Goal 1: Accurately Quantify Spatiotemporal Habitat Capacity for CCC Steelhead
· Objective 1.1: Move beyond static acreage by outputting models that translate depth and velocity directly into Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) parameters (abundance, productivity, spatial structure, and diversity) to evaluate carrying capacity against recovery targets for Stevens Creek steelhead.
· Objective 1.2: Stratify carrying capacity models by distinct juvenile size classes (Fry, Parr, Smolt) to ensure flow management prioritizes the entire life cycle of steelhead.
Goal 2: Integrate Thermodynamic Realities into Flow Management
· Objective 2.1: Ensure biological effectiveness by coupling hydraulic outputs with recognized thermal thresholds, cross-referencing mapped habitat against the limits for steelhead metabolism, incubation, and smoltification.
Goal 3: Support Life-History Diversity and Resilience
· Objective 3.1: Design the habitat simulation to measure floodplain and channel capacity for diverse rearing strategies, validating habitat for extended-residence phenotypes versus rapid outmigrants.
· Objective 3.2: Establish quantitative flow-habitat relationships that test the efficacy of managed pulse flows, and validating triggers to stimulate safe outmigration across the salmonid assemblage.
Minimum Qualifications:
· The Proposer [or Proposer’s employees] shall have 10 years of experience in ecohydraulic and bioenergetics modeling for fishery habitat.
· The Proposer [or Proposer’s employees] shall have the following certifications, licenses or affiliations: drone operator license.
· The Proposer shall possess knowledge of regulations and codes regarding riparian and aquatic ecology and shall be familiar with local conditions relating to riparian and aquatic ecology in Santa Clara County. All applicable regulations for drone operation.
· Demonstrated experience developing an eco-hydraulic model.
· Demonstrated experience working with salmonid populations in similar sized watersheds and hydrologic conditions.
Additional RFP Timeline information:
Submittals for RFP Questions due by 3:00 PM on November 6, 2026
Valley Water Response to Questions will be posted on November 19, 2026
Oral Interviews Tentatively Scheduled for workdays between of January 6, 2027 through January 14, 2027.
Procurement Portal Support:
Issues regarding the SCVWD Procurement Portal, account registration, and/or electronic submittal, should be directed to PlanetBids, in a timely manner that does not impact your proposal submittal. Contact the PlanetBids Vendor Line Support at:
SCVWD Procurement Portal: https://vendors.planetbids.com/portal/48397/portal-home
Phone: (818) 992-1771
Business Hours: 5:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. / M – F (PST)
