Engineered Systems, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska, was awarded the contract on July 7, 2003, and will complete the work by October 1, 2004. The contractor will install and replace a variety of electronics equipment located throughout the Grand Coulee Project.

The new radio system is required to meet federal requirements, which mandate that all government radio operations in the VHF (Very High Frequency) bands must be narrow-banded in order to take advantage of advanced technology and to enhance system operations.

Grand Coulee Dam is a key feature of Reclamation's Columbia Basin Project in central Washington. A multi-purpose project, it provides flood control, irrigation, hydropower production, recreation, stream flows, and fish and wildlife benefits. The dam includes three powerplants, a pump-generating plant, and three switchyards. Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake behind the dam is 151 miles long with over 5,000,000 acre-feet of active storage. Water is pumped for irrigation in the Columbia Basin to irrigate approximately 550,000 acres with an ultimate potential of 1.1 million acres.