Dive Brief:
- Bozeman, Montana-based Barnard Construction was selected as construction manager-at-risk and awarded a $1 million initial pre-construction contract for the over $6 billion Sites Reservoir Project in Northern California, according to a Jan. 16 news release. The total cost of the project is estimated between $6.2 billion and $6.8 billion, according to the California Water Commission.
- The 1.5 million acre-foot, off-stream, water storage project will divert high flows from the Sacramento River, particularly during and after storms, to a man-made basin for use during dry periods. Scope of the project includes the construction of two large dams and nine smaller embankments that will create Sites Reservoir, according to the announcement.
- However, the project has drawn controversy over local hiring goals. In December, the Nor Cal Carpenters Union challenged Barnard’s experience with California dam projects and what it characterized as the firm’s lack of local labor ties.
Dive Insight:
The total cost of the reservoir and roads package of work that Barnard will oversee as construction manager-at-risk has a bonding capacity of $3 billion, according to JP Robinette, engineering and construction manager for the Sites Project Authority. That work has yet to be awarded, Robinette told Construction Dive.
The project, which will be located west of the town of Maxwell in the Sacramento Valley, cleared another procedural hurdle as President Donald Trump’s administration approved plans to proceed on the job via a “record of decision” on Jan. 23. The move completed the federal environmental review for the project and authorized the federal government to pay for up to 25% of the project’s total cost, according to E&E News. The state of California has allocated $1.1 billion so far for construction, per the Sacramento Bee.
Preconstruction planning is scheduled for two phases. In the first phase, the Sites Project Authority, which is overseeing the build, will work with Barnard to advance select preconstruction work under the $1 million lump sum arrangement, according to a draft contract reviewed by Construction Dive.
That phase will cover coordination with the Sites Authority, a constructibility review of haul roads, in-person staff workshops and two local community working group meetings, per the scope of preconstruction services detailed in the document.
The second phase will begin once all project funding is secured and all guaranteed maximum price construction packages are developed and awarded. In addition to the reservoir, the project will also comprise the three-quarter mile Sites-Lodoga Bridge and an inlet/outlet structure that will manage water imports and exports from the reservoir and other key facilities.
By engaging early with the CMAR team, the project authority said it aims to use Barnard’s large-scale infrastructure experience and technical strengths to ready the reservoir project for a smooth transition into construction, according to the announcement.
Barnard’s portfolio includes heavy civil, hydropower and power delivery projects, according to its website. Featured jobs include the Chimney Hollow Reservoir in Larimer County, Colorado, and the Gross Reservoir Expansion in Boulder County, Colorado.
However, Sites’ selection of Barnard has spurred controversy. Jay Bradshaw, executive officer for the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, told CBS News that he didn’t believe that Barnard would be able to meet local hiring goals.
Barnard, in a letter to the Sites Project Authority, pushed back on what it called “misinformation” from the Carpenters Union and said other bidders on the project were also located out of state.
“While headquartered in Montana, Barnard has worked in California for nearly 40 years completing hundreds of projects. The other two proposers are headquartered in Nebraska and New York and overseas,” wrote Mike Fuller, Barnard vice president, in the letter.
Barnard didn’t respond to Construction Dive’s requests for comment.
The project authority’s Robinette said that the selection process was stringent, and that Barnard will be able to meet hiring goals. On the job, 20% of labor must be from Yolo, Colusa and Glenn counties, while 50% of workers would need to live in the surrounding Sacramento Valley, Robinette confirmed.
“I can assure you that the evaluation committee considered a multitude of factors, making its decision or recommending Barnard for negotiations, and they were the highest ranked contractor on the variety of criteria that was prioritized by the board,” Robinette said.
The selection committee came to the same conclusion in a Jan. 16 report.
“After reviewing these materials, Sites Authority Staff have determined that nothing presented to date changes the recommendation that Barnard is the highest ranked proposer offering the best value selection,” the report noted.
Physical construction is slated to begin in early 2027, according to the Jan. 16 report. Officials expect the reservoir to be completed and operating in 2033, according to the Sacramento Bee.
