REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 23, 2026
FROM
NOEL CASTILLO, Chief Flood Control Engineer, Flood Control District
SUBJECT
Title
Agreement with CWE to Implement the Receiving Water Monitoring Program for the Mojave River Watershed Group
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Flood Control District, approve Agreement with CWE, to provide professional engineering and regulatory compliance services to the Mojave River Watershed Group to implement the Receiving Water Monitoring Program, in an amount not to exceed $1,200,000, for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031.
(Presenter: Noel Castillo, Chief Flood Control Engineer, 387-7906)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies and Stakeholders.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). San Bernardino County (County) annually allocates Discretionary General Funding to the San Bernardino County Flood Control District (District) to administer the County’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (NPDES MS4) Phase 2 General Permit implementation activities.
Adequate appropriation and revenue have been included in the District’s 2026-27 recommended budget (1990002548 D20410) and will be included in future recommended budgets.
The total cost of the proposed five-year agreement with CWE, is $1,200,000 and is funded by the Mojave River Watershed Group (MRWG) member agencies.
The estimated annual cost will be:
|
Entity/Participant |
Percentage |
Amount |
|
County |
21.36 |
$51,264 |
|
Incorporated Cities (3) |
78.64 |
$188,736 |
|
Total Annual Cost |
100.00 |
$240,000 |
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On June 25, 2013, the District, acting on behalf of the County, obtained coverage for specified unincorporated areas in the High Desert under the NPDES MS4 Phase 2 General Permit, No. CAS000004 - Order No. 2013-0001-DWQ. The County then formed the Mojave River Watershed Group (MRWG) to efficiently implement the regional compliance requirements of the Phase 2 Permit, via Implementation Agreement No. 14-59, with the Town of Apple Valley, City of Hesperia and City of Victorville, approved by the Board of Supervisors (Board) on February 25, 2014 (Item No. 39) because the Town of Apple Valley, and Cities of Hesperia and Victorville, are also covered under the Phase 2 Permit. Implementation Agreement No. 14-59 designated the County as the facilitator to represent and act on behalf of the MRWG in implementing the programs required by the Phase 2 Permit. Each jurisdiction covered under the Permit is responsible for implementing programs to achieve compliance within its boundaries.
The current NPDES Phase 2 MS4 General Permit requires the permittees to develop a water quality monitoring plan to comprehensively evaluate the water quality conditions within the Mojave River watershed. More specifically, in accordance with provision E.13.d.1 (Receiving Water Monitoring) of the 2013 Phase 2 MS4 General Permit, selection of one upstream urban/rural interface monitoring site and one downstream urban area monitoring site was required as part of the development of a Receiving Water Monitoring Program (RWMP).
During the April 23, 2014, MRWG meeting, the group requested information and guidance from Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board (LRWQCB) staff regarding the selection of the upstream and downstream receiving water monitoring locations. On May 28, 2014, LRWQCB staff responded through a letter providing recommendations on the selection of regional monitoring locations within the MRWG jurisdictional boundaries. Following the LRWQCB’s recommendations, the MRWG developed the RWMP by November 13, 2014, and secured the appropriate access permits for the recommended sampling sites from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, before initiating RWMP activities in late Spring/Summer of 2015. The MRWG submitted the RWMP, Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), and the Baseline Receiving Water Monitoring Report as part of the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Annual Report to fulfill the requirements of the 2013 Phase 2 MS4 General Permit.
Every year after that, the RWMP has been implemented to meet the Permit requirements. The above-mentioned contract with CWE will provide services to continue implementing this RWMP monitoring program for the current Phase 2 Permit and any subsequent permit that may be issued.
The District is acting on behalf of the County as facilitator for the MRWG and is entering into this Agreement with CWE. The District is fiscally responsible for the MRWG member agencies contributions and tracks expenditures specific to the MRWG Program.
The District may terminate the Agreement in whole or in part upon 30 calendar days’ written notice to CWE. If the Agreement is terminated in this manner, then CWE shall receive equitable compensation for services rendered and expenses incurred prior to the effective date of termination.
Approval of the Agreement is aligned with the CEO’s Goals and Objectives by providing the District with an experienced consultant to assist in the implementation of the Phase 2 MS4 General Permit’s water quality monitoring requirements in the most cost-effective manner, utilizing a cooperative cost sharing agreement amongst the MRWG participants, as described above. Achieving and maintaining compliance with the Phase 2 MS4 General Permit will reduce the potential for incurring permit violations and significant fines and penalties, as well as protect the beneficial uses of the Mojave River watershed.
PROCUREMENT
On December 16, 2025, Request for Proposal (RFP) No. PWG126-LANDD-6108 was approved and released through the San Bernardino County Electronic Procurement Network (ePro). As a result, three vendors submitted proposals by the deadline of February 2, 2026. The three proposers were the following:
|
Vendor |
Location |
|
Bancroft Construction Services |
La Jolla, CA |
|
CWE |
Fullerton, CA |
|
Mountainview Biological Consulting |
Murrieta, CA |
A selection committee comprised of District staff conducted a thorough evaluation of the proposals. The selection committee received and determined that the three proposers met the minimum RFP requirements and were deemed qualified consultants. Finally, the MRWG committee members reviewed the submitted proposals and completed an evaluation score sheet to rank the proposers. CWE was selected as the most qualified proposer. After the evaluation process, all the fee schedules were unsealed. No appeal or protest letters were received.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Sophie A. Curtis, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 6, 2026; Purchasing (Dylan Newton, Lead Buyer, 387-3377) on May 15, 2026; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Dalton, Administrative Analyst, 387-5005) on June 4, 2026.