Construction Contracting Framework
In July 2022, the Sites Project Authority (Authority) adopted a Construction Contracting Strategy that outlines how the overall Sites Reservoir Project will be divided into multiple construction contracts using various delivery methods. As of January 2026, the Sites Authority has awarded the first major construction contract, the Reservoir Construction Management at Risk (CMAR), to Barnard Construction. More information on the scope of that contract and award can be found here.
The schedule for all future procurements that the Authority is planning can be found here.
Construction Subcontracting and Workforce Opportunities
The Project is expected to begin construction in 2027 in a limited capacity, with work ramping up in 2028 as design, land acquisition, and permitting/mitigation activities progress. Construction will continue through 2033, with peak activity anticipated around 2030. The project will require a significant number of skilled workers, both individual tradespeople and subcontractors. Interested parties should coordinate directly with Barnard Construction at sitesreservoir@barnard-inc.com.
As the Authority hires additional contractors, this website will be updated with additional contact information.
Field Support Services
Various support services will be required during construction, such as traffic control, security personnel, janitorial services, and temporary facilities. These services are not outlined on our Procurement webpage because they will not be contracted directly by the Authority; instead, they will be procured by the Authority-hired CMARs at the appropriate time.
Sites Owner Delivery Support
The Authority plans to contract for various technical support services to help manage the Project. The scope of these services can be found here.
Terrestrial Compensatory Mitigation Contracting Strategy
On February 13, 2026, the Authority released a Request for Qualifications for the Project’s Terrestrial Compensatory Mitigation efforts. The RFQ is available here.
The Sites Project Authority (Authority) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) have secured or will soon secure certain key state and federal environmental authorizations (collectively, the Resource Agency Permits) required for construction of the Sites Reservoir Project (Project). The Resource Agency Permits, and the requirements of the Final EIR/EIS, include numerous measures requiring the avoidance and minimization of impacts to Protected Terrestrial Resources and, for those impacts which are unavoidable, the implementation of mitigation projects to compensate for the impacted resource values (compensatory mitigation). In fact, the Project’s largest construction mitigation cost is expected to be compensatory mitigation for Protected Terrestrial Resources. Because implementing large-scale compensatory mitigation of any kind is a complex endeavor, let alone on the scale proposed for the Project, the Authority has developed a Terrestrial Mitigation Contracting Strategy (Mitigation Strategy) to assure that its mitigation effort is well-coordinated, timely, efficient, and effective.
This draft Mitigation Contracting Strategy is now being provided for further industry feedback. For the purpose of continuing to maintain fair and equitable competition as the Authority prepares to solicit a contractor for these services, the Authority requests that the mitigation industry not have verbal communications with the Authority or the Authority’s team working on this strategy. Any and all communications should be in writing to the email address above. Please be aware that any written communications may be shared with all of the mitigation industry and/or posted to the Authority’s website.
