Memorandum
Date: July 28, 2026
To: The Honorable Lake County Board of Supervisors, serving as the Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District
From: Dr. Pawan Upadhyay, Water Resources Director
Chris Childers, Water Resources Program Coordinator
Subject: (Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District) Approve the Agreement for Bell Hill Road at Adobe Creek Culvert Replacement Planning and Design in the amount of $774,499.80 and authorize the Chair to sign.
Executive Summary:
The Lake County Water Resources Department requests that the Board of Supervisors, acting as the Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District (District), approve the award of contract to Balance Hydrologics, Inc. for the Bell Hill Road at Adobe Creek Culvert Replacement Planning and Design project in the amount of $774,499.80. Funding for this project is provided by the Wildlife Conservation Board and will support planning and design efforts to improve habitat conditions for the Clear Lake hitch, including fish passage improvements and water management planning within key watershed areas.
Project Description:
Bell Hill Road at Adobe Creek Culvert Replacement Planning and Design
The purpose of this project is to generate plans for replacement of the current Bell Hill Road crossing over Adobe Creek to improve water flow, remove barriers to fish migration, reduce sedimentation buildup, and minimize shoreline erosion and localized flooding risk.
The need for this project has been demonstrated through previously completed technical studies and consultation between State, tribal, and local agencies. The current Bell Hill Road crossing over Adobe Creek is an earthen embankment containing nine circular culverts. The roadway exhibits a reverse vertical curve along this crossing that enables high water flows in Adobe Creek to crest and submerge the roadway. These existing conditions lead to the buildup of sediment upstream of the crossing, increasing shoreline erosion and presenting a physical barrier to upstream and downstream fish migration, particularly for the Clear Lake hitch, an endemic and State-listed endangered minnow species. The aforementioned technical studies and consultations determined that the removal of the existing culverts was an important part of the solution for improving water flow and aiding fish migration at the crossing.
In accordance with the County’s procurement policies, District staff issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to qualified engineering and environmental consulting firms with demonstrated expertise in fisheries habitat restoration, hydrology, and water resources planning. Following evaluation of the submitted proposals, Balance Hydrologics, Inc. was determined to be the most qualified firm to perform the requested services.
If not budgeted, fill in the blanks below only:
Estimated Cost: Amount Budgeted: Additional Requested: ________ Future Annual Cost: ________
Consistency with Vision 2028 (check all that apply): ☐ Not applicable
☒ Well-being of Residents ☐ Public Safety ☐ Disaster Preparedness, Prevention, Recovery
☐ Economic Development ☐ Infrastructure ☐ County Workforce
☒ Community Collaboration ☐ Business Process Efficiency ☒ Clear Lake
If request for exemption from competitive bid in accordance with County Code Chapter 2 Sec. 2-38, fill in blanks below:
Which exemption is being requested? N/A
How long has Agreement been in place? N/A
When was purchase last rebid? N/A
Reason for request to waive bid? N/A
Recommended Action: (Sitting as the Board of Directors of the Lake County Watershed Protection District) Approve the agreement for Bell Hill Road at Adobe Creek Culvert Replacement Planning and Design in the amount of $774,499.80 and authorize the Chair to sign.