Lake Powell Evaporation Study #2 | BOR UC 18 N003

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 18 N003

Lake Powell Evaporation Study #2 is a Bureau of Reclamation (Department of the Interior) cooperative agreement focused on improving how evaporation is measured and estimated at Lake Powell, a key factor in water accounting and operational decision-making for Glen Canyon Dam. Because evaporation losses affect how much water is credited, delivered, and managed under the Colorado River Compact framework, the project is aimed at updating and strengthening the evaporation estimation methods used for this major reservoir. In practical terms, the work supports better reservoir operations and more defensible accounting of water losses tied to Glen Canyon Dam management.

The technical centerpiece of the project is the use of eddy-covariance equipment, a specialized micrometeorological approach that directly measures exchanges of water vapor (and energy) between the lake surface and the atmosphere. The Desert Research Institute (DRI) is responsible for providing a substantial amount of this equipment for the duration of the project and for handling the specialized work needed to deploy it over open water. DRI will manufacture and install the monitoring setup at Lake Powell, collect the initial field measurements, process and quality-check the data, evaluate how well the equipment performs under real lake conditions, and produce the final project report. A major purpose is also capacity building: as DRI completes each task, they will train Reclamation staff so that the agency can replicate the work, operate similar stations, and carry out comparable evaporation studies in the future without needing the same level of outside support.

Reclamation is expected to be heavily involved throughout, which is consistent with the cooperative agreement structure where the federal agency plays an active role rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. From the beginning, Reclamation will participate in project management and collaborate with DRI during each phase. Importantly, after Reclamation personnel have been trained, the routine and ongoing functions initially performed by DRI are planned to transition to Reclamation. Those functions include installing and maintaining the equipment, collecting data, performing post-processing and analysis, and producing the evaporation estimates. The project is therefore structured not just to deliver a one-time study, but to leave Reclamation with the practical knowledge to sustain and extend the approach.

This opportunity was not competed through full and open competition. The justification given is a single-source award based on unique qualifications, an unsolicited proposal, and continuation of existing work. DRI is described as uniquely qualified due to extensive experience with evaporation measurement systems, including eddy-covariance instrumentation, and a track record installing in-situ evaporation stations, processing the resulting datasets, and converting measurements into evaporation rate estimates. The notice also points to DRI’s prior collaboration with Reclamation’s Technical Service Center on evaporation studies at other Reclamation reservoirs and on eddy-covariance tower deployments for agricultural water-use studies. Another key factor in the selection is DRI’s willingness and ability to train Reclamation staff in installation, data processing, and analysis. The award is also framed as a continuation of labor costs associated with a related project funded under a different award, reinforcing the continuity rationale.

Legally, the agreement is supported by Reclamation’s research agreement authority (cited as Section 9509), which allows the Secretary to enter into contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements for research for periods up to five years. The notice also connects the work to the broader statutory and operational context for Glen Canyon: construction and operation authorized under the Colorado River Storage Project Act of 1956, grounded in the Reclamation Act of 1902, and tied to delivery requirements under the Colorado River Compact of 1922. The core argument is that because evaporation estimates influence Glen Canyon operational decisions and water accounting, improving those estimates directly advances Reclamation’s mission and responsibilities.

From the administrative details provided, the opportunity is listed as discretionary and categorized under Natural Resources, with CFDA number 15.560. Eligible applicants are public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, and the opportunity anticipates a single award. The posting shows an award ceiling of $64,450, with key dates indicating it was created on December 12, 2017 and had an original closing date of December 26, 2017. Overall, the project is a targeted research-and-implementation effort: deploy high-quality evaporation measurement technology at Lake Powell, generate improved evaporation estimates, and transfer the skills to Reclamation staff so the methodology can be sustained and applied going forward.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Lake Powell Evaporation Study #2" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Dec 12, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 26, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $64,450.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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