SAM #1240LT26P0018

Sole Source Justification for Pine Valley Dam Flood Damage Repairs

This document is a sole source justification for additional construction services at Pine Valley Dam in Dixie National Forest, Utah, following post-fire flood damage. - The USDA Forest Service (CSA Intermountain 8) is seeking to add work to an existing contract with Jackson Excavation Inc. - Scope of work includes: - Excavation and slope grading - Outlet excavation widening - Spillway repairs - Masonry reconstruction - Riprap installation - Related earthwork for dam safety restoration - No specific part numbers or product quantities are listed, as this is a construction services requirement. - The justification states that the additional work is physically and operationally integrated with the ongoing dam reconstruction, making it impractical to separate and compete due to safety, schedule, and operational risks. - Jackson Excavation Inc. is the incumbent contractor, already mobilized and working under approved plans, and is considered uniquely qualified for this work.

Description

DESCRIPTION:

Justification for Other Than Full and Open Competition Notification: 1240LT26P0018

1. Description of Services/Scope:

Construction work is required due to post-fire flooding that occurred in October of 2025 on the Pine Valley Reservoir and Dam, Dixie National Forest, Utah. The flooding introduced significant sediment into the reservoir basin, altered excavation limits, caused erosion on the downstream slope, and damaged the spillway dissipation basin. The work includes excavation, slope grading, outlet excavation widening, spillway repairs, masonry reconstruction, riprap installation, and related earthwork necessary to restore planned design grades and ensure dam safety.

2. Rationale for Other than Full and Open Competition:

There is a current active contract to reconstruct the Pine Valley Dam that had been awarded prior to the flood event.  Market research consisted of discussions with engineering staff, review of the project schedule, analysis of the construction sequencing requirements, and evaluation of whether any portion of the added flood-related work could be reasonably separated and competitively awarded. The team reviewed similar dam and embankment projects and confirmed that when additional earthwork and spillway repairs are interwoven with an active construction contract, splitting tasks between contractors reliably results in schedule impacts, safety conflicts, and claims.

The reconstruction work at Pine Valley Dam occurs on limited work platforms with constrained access and requires continuous sequencing of excavation, embankment placement, compaction, and structural construction. Engineering staff confirmed that inserting an additional contractor would prevent proper control of moisture, density, grades, and safety zones. Because the added work occurs within the same trench, slope, or foundation zones as the current Pine Valley Dam Reconstruction contract work, no distinct portion could be competitively separated without creating operational conflicts.

Given the integrated nature of the work, the incumbent’s existing mobilization, and the risks associated with multiple contractors performing interdependent tasks, competitive procedures are not practicable and would not meet the Government’s minimum needs.

3. Unique Qualifications of Selected Source:

The incumbent contractor, Jackson Excavation Inc., is the only contractor capable of performing the required post-fire flood repair work because the added work is physically and operationally integrated with the current ongoing contract construction activities. The additional excavation, embankment reconstruction, outlet widening, slope grading, spillway repairs, and masonry restoration occur in the same locations, on the same work platforms, and within the same tightly sequenced construction phases as the original contract work. These tasks cannot be isolated or separated for performance by a second contractor without creating overlapping responsibilities, conflicting site control, unsafe work conditions, and significant risk of delays or claims.

Much of the added work directly precedes or follows base contract tasks involving compaction, foundation preparation, concrete placements, and embankment stabilization. These operations rely on continuous control of moisture, density, equipment staging, and grade management; conditions that require a single contractor’s uninterrupted execution. If another contractor attempted to perform portions of the work, the original contractor would have to re-enter the same work areas to complete subsequent phases, leading to disputes over workmanship, access, responsibility boundaries, and rework.

The incumbent contractor already has mobilized equipment, established staging areas, implemented environmental controls, and is actively performing work under approved quality-control and safety plans. Introducing a second contractor would require duplicating these setups and would create congestion on narrow haul routes, limited work benches, and constrained access points. Based on site configuration and the integrated nature of dam reconstruction, only the incumbent can perform the work without unacceptable risk to cost, schedule, continuity, and project safety.

View original listing