Quarterly Status Report of Water Service and Repayment Contract Negotiations

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Quarterly Status Report of Water Service and Repayment Contract

Negotiations

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that are new,

modified, discontinued or completed since the last publication of this

notice on July 28, 1994. The May 6, 1994, notice should be used as a

reference point to identify changes. The number in parenthesis

corresponds to the number in the May 6, 1994, notice. This notice is

one means in which the public is informed about contractual actions for

capital recovery and management of project resources and facilities.

Additional Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announcements of

individual contract actions may be published in the Federal Register

and in newspapers of general circulation in the areas determined by

Reclamation to be affected by the proposed action. Announcements may be

in the form of news releases, legal notices, official letters,

memorandums, or other forms of written material. Meetings, workshops,

and/or hearings may also be used, as appropriate, to provide local

publicity. The public participation procedures do not apply to proposed

contracts for sale of surplus or interim irrigation water for a term of

1 year or less. Either of the contracting parties may invite the public

to observe any contract proceedings. All public participation

procedures will be coordinated with those involved in complying with

the National Environmental Policy Act.

ADDRESSES: The identity of the approving officer and other information

pertaining to a specific contract proposal may be obtained by calling

or writing the appropriate regional office at the address and telephone

number given for each region in the supplementary information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alonzo Knapp, Manager, Reclamation

Law, Contracts, and Repayment Office, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box

25007, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-236-1061 extension

224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 226 of the Reclamation

Reform Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1273) and 43 CFR 426.20 of the rules and

regulations published in 52 FR 11954, Apr. 13, 1987, Reclamation will

publish notice of proposed or amendatory contract actions for any

contract for the delivery of project water for authorized uses in

newspapers of general circulation in the affected area at least 60 days

prior to contract execution. Pursuant to the ``Final Revised Public

Participation Procedures'' for water resource-related contract

negotiations, published in 47 FR 7763, Feb. 22, 1982, a tabulation is

provided of all proposed contractual actions in each of the five

Reclamation regions. Each proposed action is, or is expected to be, in

some stage of the contract negotiation process in 1994. When contract

negotiations are completed, and prior to execution, each proposed

contract form must be approved by the Secretary of the Interior, or

pursuant to delegated or redelegated authority, the Commissioner of

Reclamation or one of the regional directors. In some instances,

congressional review and approval of a report, water rate, or other

terms and conditions of the contract may be involved.

Public participation in and receipt of comments on contract

proposals will be facilitated by adherence to the following procedures:

1. Only persons authorized to act on behalf of the contracting

entities may negotiate the terms and conditions of a specific contract

proposal.

2. Advance notice of meetings or hearings will be furnished to

those parties that have made a timely written request for such notice

to the appropriate regional or project office of Reclamation.

3. Written correspondence regarding proposed contracts may be made

available to the general public pursuant to the terms and procedures of

the Freedom of Information Act (80 Stat. 383), as amended.

4. Written comments on a proposed contract or contract action must

be submitted to the appropriate regional officials at the locations and

within the time limits set forth in the advance public notices.

5. All written comments received and testimony presented at any

public hearings will be reviewed and summarized by the appropriate

regional office for use by the contract approving authority.

6. Copies of specific proposed contracts may be obtained from the

appropriate regional director or his designated public contact as they

become available for review and comment.

7. In the event modifications are made in the form of a proposed

contract, the appropriate regional director shall determine whether

republication of the notice and/or extension of the comment period is

necessary.

Factors considered in making such a determination shall include,

but are not limited to: (i) the significance of the modification, and

(ii) the degree of public interest which has been expressed over the

course of the negotiations. As a minimum, the regional director shall

furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in

response to the initial public notice.

Acronym Definitions Used Herein

(BCP) Boulder Canyon Project

(CAP) Central Arizona Project

(CUP) Central Utah Project

(CVP) Central Valley Project

(CRSP) Colorado River Storage Project

(D&MC) Drainage and Minor Construction

(FR) Federal Register

(IDD) Irrigation and Drainage District

(ID) Irrigation District

(M&I) Municipal and Industrial

(O&M) Operation and Maintenance

(P-SMBP) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program

(R&B) Rehabilitation and Betterment

(SRPA) Small Reclamation Projects Act

(WCUA) Water Conservation and Utilization Act

(WD) Water District

The following contract actions are either new, modified, or

completed in the Bureau of Reclamation since the May 6, 1994 Federal

Register notice.

Pacific Northwest Region

Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis Road, Boise, Idaho 83706-

1234, telephone 208-378-5346.

1. Contract Action Discontinued

(1) Cascade Reservoir Water Users, Boise Project, Idaho: Repayment

contracts for irrigation and M&I water: 19,201 acre-feet of stored

water in Cascade Reservoir. Storage water no longer available due to

environmental considerations.

2. Contract Action Discontinued

(6) City of Cle Elum, Yakima Project, Washington: Amendatory or

replacement M&I water service contract; 2,200 acre-feet (1,350 gallons

per minute) annually for the term of the contract. Storage water no

longer available due to environmental considerations.

3. Contract Action Discontinued

(7) Baker Valley ID, Baker Project, Oregon: Irrigation water

service contract on a surplus interruptible basis to serve up to 13,000

acres; sale of excess capacity in Mason Reservoir (Phillips Lake) for

the term of the contract. No action will occur in next quarter and none

is likely to occur next year.

4. Contract Action Modified

(4) Willamette Basin Water Users, Willamette Basin Project, Oregon:

Water service contracts: $8 per acre-foot per annum.

5. Contract Action Completed

(19) Willamette Basin water users, Willamette Basin Project,

Oregon: Add language to water service contract to provide for periodic

reviews, with adjustments if necessary to mitigate for impacts to

natural resources. This language has been added to the current form of

contract.

6. Contract Action Completed (Not on May 6, 1994 notice)

Umatilla Project Irrigation Districts, Oregon: Temporary contracts

with Hermiston, Stanfield, Westland, and West Extension Irrigation

Districts to provide water service for 1994 to lands lying outside of

their boundaries. Temporary contracts were not executed for 1994 water

service.

Mid-Pacific Region

Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California

95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5030.

1. New Contract Action

Glide WD, CVP, California: Assignment of Tehama WD's water service

contract to Glide WD.

2. Contract Action Discontinued

(11) San Luis WD, CVP, California: Amendment to Contract No. 14-06-

200-7773A to include assigned lands and allocated share of CVP water

supply to San Luis WD from Romero WD. Amendment will not take place.

3. Contract Action Modified

(12) Romero WD, CVP, California: Amendment to Contract No. 14-06-

200-7758 to assign lands and allocated share of CVP water supply to San

Luis WD. Will be assigned, amendment not necessary.

4. Contract Action Modified

(16) Del Puerto WD, CVP, California: Amend water service Contract

No. 14-06-200-922 to include M&I use. This contract will not be

amended. It will be considered as a renewal or will not take place.

5. Contract Action Modified

(22) Gateway WD, CVP, California: Combine by assignment 12 Delta-

Mendota Canal water service contracts into 1 entity to be renamed

Gateway WD for administrative and operation purposes. Change in water

district name. Del Puerto WD, CVP, California: Assignment of 12 Delta-

Mendota Canal water service contracts to Del Puerto WD for

administrative and operational purpose.

Lower Colorado Region

Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470 (Nevada Highway and Park

Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone 702-293-8536.

1. Contract Action Completed

(25) Southern Nevada Water Authority, BCP, Nevada: Assignment or

transfer of 14,550 acre-feet of Basic Management, Inc.'s water

entitlement to the Southern Nevada Water Authority as a result of Basic

Management, Inc.'s water conservation efforts.

Upper Colorado Region

Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 11568 (125 South State Street) Salt

Lake City, Utah 84147, telephone 801-524-5435.

1. New Contract Action

Florida Water Conservancy District, Florida Project, Colorado:

Water service contract to market for municipal and industrial use 114

acre-feet of water rights held by the United States.

Great Plains Region

Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 36900, Federal Building, 316 North

26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900, telephone 406-657-6413.

1. Contract Action Discontinued

(2) Fort Shaw ID, Sun River Project, Montana: R&B loan repayment

contract; up to $1.5 million. There is no activity by the Fort Shaw

Irrigation District.

2. Contract Action Modified

(13) Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, Canadian River

Project, Texas: Amendatory contract to reflect credit for project lands

transferred to the National Park Service under Pub. L. 101-628 for the

Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. Issue of credit for transferred

lands under review.

3. Contract Action Modified

(17) Thirty Mile Canal Company, Nebraska: SRPA contract for a loan

of $2,264,000 to reline the main canal, replace open laterals with

buried pipe, and replace bridges. Pending appropriation of funds.

Dated: October 12, 1994.

Wayne O. Deason,

Assistant Director, Program Analysis Office.

[FR Doc. 94-25847 Filed 10-18-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-94-P