RFQ/RFP #3-2021 Lake Quonnipaug Management Plan Town of Guilford, CT March 16, 2021 // ESS Proposal 17776
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QUALIFICATIONS FOR RFQ/RFP #3-2021 Lake Quonnipaug Management Plan Town of Guilford, CT March 16, 2021 // ESS Proposal 17776 © 2021 ESS Group, Inc. Environmental Consulting & Engineering Services | www.essgroup.com | March 16, 2021 Mr. Matthew Hoey, III First Selectman Office of the First Selectman, 2nd Floor 31 Park Street Guilford, Connecticut 06437 Re: Request for Qualifications and Proposals for Lake Quonnipaug, Gilford, CT RFQ/RFP #3-2021 ESS Proposal No. 17776 Dear Mr. Hoey: ESS Group, Inc. (ESS) is pleased to provide this proposal to the Town of Guilford in response to the Request for Qualifications and Proposals (RFQ/P) for Lake Quonnipaug. We have organized our response to include all of the requested information in your RFQ/P. ESS routinely works with lake associations, state agencies, waters suppliers and municipalities such as yours to advise on lake management actions that maintain or improve on in-lake conditions using a variety of management approaches. Our approach to lake management is based on science and our recommendations will be tailored to meet the needs of the lake and the community based on the latest understanding of the science while working within the financial constraints of the town. ESS believes that we will set ourselves apart from the competition in the following ways: 1. The size and diverse capabilities of our company allow us to provide a highly qualified and experienced project staff, including two Certified Lake Managers (CLM), as well as other scientists and engineers to help prioritize actions for moving forward to solve management issues. 2. We have experience with every type of lake or reservoir in southern New England including lakes in southern Connecticut. 3. ESS’s Project Manager for this work will be Carl Nielsen, a CLM with over 30 years of experience managing lakes in the region and with a long history of working as the “limnologist (lake scientist) of record” for the Town of Guilford at the Guilford Commons site. This familiarity with the Town and local experience will be an asset to the project. 4. Carl will be joined on this team by Matt Ladewig, also a CLM. Matt has worked with Carl for over 12 years at ESS and they have worked on numerous lakes in Connecticut over that time. 5. Lastly, ESS does not apply herbicides or nutrient inactivation products, we do not design sewer systems, we do not perform any construction activities, we do not sell or install aeration systems, nor do we own weed management or dredging equipment. We are solely a science and permitting company. Therefore, we can provide the Town with a truly unbiased evaluation of the best management options for Lake Quonnipaug. Town of Guilford – Lake Quonnipaug March 16, 2021 Although the work envisioned for this project will be conducted by several staff from ESS’s two northeastern offices (Waltham, MA and East Providence, RI), Carl Nielsen, a Connecticut resident, will serve as the lead scientist and principal point of contact for ESS on this project. Mr. Nielsen can be reached at the following: ESS Group, Inc. 10 Hemingway Drive East Providence, RI 02915 Office: 401-330-1224 Mobile: 401-524-5108 (preferred) Email: [email protected] Thank you for the opportunity to submit this response to the Town of Guilford’s RFQ/P. Please do not hesitate to contact Carl Nielsen at (401) 524-5108 with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, ESS GROUP, INC. Carl Nielsen, CLM Director of Water Resources Attachments: ESS Proposal ii Town of Guilford – Lake Quonnipaug March 16, 2021 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 QUALIFICATIONS .................................................................................................................................. 1 2.0 PROJECT TEAM .................................................................................................................................... 2 3.0 EXPERIENCE & CLIENT REFERENCES .............................................................................................. 3 Aquarion Water Company, Aquatic Macrophyte Surveys of Ponds and Reservoirs ............................. 3 Quaboag/Quacumquasit Lake Association (QQLA) – Sturbridge, MA ................................................... 4 Memorial Pond Restoration – Walpole, MA ........................................................................................... 4 White Pond & Warner’s Pond Watershed Management Plans – Concord, MA ..................................... 4 Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) Aquatic Macrophyte Survey and Management Recommendations for Ten Reservoirs ................................................................................................... 5 4.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES .......................................................................................................................... 5 Task A. Review of Prior Studies and Data ............................................................................................. 5 Task B. Summary of Site Resources...................................................................................................... 6 Task C. Recommendations for Monitoring Lake Water Quality ............................................................. 6 Task D. Recommendations for Management of Non-Native/Invasive Species ..................................... 6 Task E. Recommendations for Southern Section of Lake and Dam ...................................................... 7 Task F. Recommendations for Watershed Management ....................................................................... 7 Task G. Text, Tables, and Maps ............................................................................................................ 8 Task H. Lake Management Report and Five-year Implementation Strategy ......................................... 8 5.0 SCHEDULE AND WORKLOAD .............................................................................................................. 8 6.0 ASSUMPTIONS ...................................................................................................................................... 9 7.0 COSTS .................................................................................................................................................... 9 APPENDIX A: REQUIRED FORMS APPENDIX B: KEY PERSONNEL RESUMES iii Town of Guilford – Lake Quonnipaug March 16, 2021 1.0 QUALIFICATIONS ESS is a locally based mid-size, full-service environmental consulting and engineering firm with extensive experience in aquatic resource management that has been in operation since 1979 and under the current ownership since 1997. Our team of lake managers, aquatic ecologists, fisheries biologists, geologists and engineers in our Waltham, Massachusetts and East Providence, Rhode Island offices excels at conducting accurate analyses and developing solutions to vegetation and water quality issues that will provide both immediate results and holistic, long-term success. ESS completes multiple lake management plans for southern New England water bodies every year. We regularly work with state agencies, municipalities, and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) on lake and watershed studies to locate pollutant sources, develop nutrient budgets, and prepare appropriate management strategies to meet ecological, recreational, and water quality goals specific to each water body. Our experience ranges from small mill impoundments to large drinking water reservoirs. As such, we approach each lake and pond with a respect for the uniqueness of the water body and its watershed. ESS is distinguished from our competitors by having two Certified Lake Managers on staff. Our reports are prepared by a Certified Lake Manager, ensuring that you receive high-quality deliverables and expert, custom-tailored management recommendations every time. Carl Nielsen, the proposed project manager for this work, is a Certified Lake Manager, a Fisheries Manager, a Connecticut resident, and has been working for the past 10 years in the Town of Guilford at Guilford Common’s Spinning Mill Brook site as the “Limnologist of Record”. Carl has been with ESS working on water resource projects since 1998. Carl is ideally suited to help the Town of Guilford move forward with effective solutions for the lake. Lastly, ESS does not apply herbicides or nutrient inactivation products, we do not design sewer systems, we do not perform any construction activities, we do not sell or install aeration systems, nor do we own weed management or dredging equipment. Therefore, we can provide the Town of Guilford with a truly unbiased assessment of work performed to date and a sound evaluation of management options that will work in the future. Organization Name ESS Group, Inc. Incorporation State Delaware Incorporation Year 1997 Chief Executive – Name/Title Charles J. Natale, Jr., President & CEO Telephone 781-419-7701 Email [email protected] Headquarters Street Address 404 Wyman Street, Suite 375 Headquarters City/State/Zip Waltham, MA 02451 Lead Point of Contact for Quote – Name/Title Carl Nielsen, VP Water Resources Telephone 401-330-1224 Email [email protected] Street Address 10 Hemingway Drive, 2nd Floor City/State/Zip East Providence, RI 02915 Town of Guilford – Lake Quonnipaug March 16, 2021 2.0 PROJECT TEAM For this project, ESS envisions the need for a range of scientific expertise. The ESS team proposed here specializes in lake and watershed assessment and management and routinely permits, designs, and oversees lake improvement and restoration projects of all