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.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of proposed contractual actions that

are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last

publication of this notice on February 5, 1996. The February 5, 1996,

notice should be used as a reference point to identify changes. The

number in parenthesis corresponds to the number in the February 5,

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 new 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, Contract, and Repayment Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box

25007,

[[Page 19088]]

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 1996. 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 area 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 request 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,

discontinued, or completed in the Bureau of Reclamation since the

February 5, 1996 Federal Register notice.

Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis

Road, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5346.

1. New Contract Actions:

(20) South Boise Mutual Irrigation Company, Ltd. and United Water

Idaho, Boise project, Idaho: Agreement amending contracts to approve

the acquisition and municipal use of Anderson Ranch Reservoir water by

United Water Idaho, and the transfer of Lucky Peak Reservoir water to

the United States.

2. Contract Actions Modified:

(12) North Unit Irrigation District, Deschutes Project, Oregon:

Municipal water service contract for approximately 125 acre-feet

annually from the project water supply. This water supply was

previously under contract with City of Madras; contract expired.

(16) Stanfield and Westland Irrigation Districts and 69 individual

contractors, Umatilla Project, Oregon: Repayment contracts for

reimbursable cost of dam safety repairs to McKay Dam. Modified to

included 69 individual contractors.

3. Contract Actions Completed:

(19) Hermiston, Stanfield, Westland, and West Extension Irrigation

Districts, Umatilla Project, Oregon: Temporary contracts to provide

water service for 1996 to lands lying outside of their boundaries.

(Contract for 1996 has been executed with Westland Irrigation

District.)

Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way,

Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5030.

1. New Contract Actions:

(19) Colusa County Water District, CVP, California: Amendment of

existing distribution system repayment contract to allow for delivery

of M&I water through the distribution system and payment of interest by

the District for the portion of the costs of the distribution system

allocated to the conveyance of the M&I water.

2. Contracts Actions Modified:

(9) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish

and Game, Grassland WD, CVP, California: Water service contracts to

provide water supplies for refuges and private wetlands within the CVP

pursuant to Federal Reclamation Laws; exchange agreements and wheeling

contracts to deliver some of the increased refuge water supplies;

quantity to be contracted for is approximately 450,000 acre-feet.

(3) Contract Actions Completed:

(10) San Juan Water District, CVP, California: Execute Warren Act

contract to replace expiring long-term wheeling contract with San Juan

WD and the Placer County Water Agency allowing the Agency to use CVP

facilities to deliver its water to the District for use on District

land within Placer County. Action: Contract executed February 29, 1996.

Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada

Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone

702-293-8536.

1. New Contract Actions:

(48) City of Yuma, BCP, Arizona: Proposed supplemental and

amendatory water delivery contract to amend the city's 50,000 acre-feet

of Colorado River water diversion entitlement to a 50,000 acre-feet

consumptive use entitlement.

Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State

Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-

4419.

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1. New Contract Actions:

(23) Ragged Mountain Water User Association, Paonia Project,

Colorado; renewal for 5 years of an existing Supplemental Water Sales

Contract No. 1-07-4-R1310 for the right to divert annually 2,000 acre-

feet of Paonia Project water from storage in Paonia Reservoir.

(24) Collbran Conservancy District and Fourteen Private Ditch

owners, Collbran Project, Colorado: 5-year water carriage agreements

for nonproject irrigation water.

(25) Strawberry Water Users Association, Strawberry Valley Project,

Utah: Contract to authorize the conversion of up to 71,000 acre-feet of

irrigation water to municipal and industrial use, the replacement of

some project facilities, and participation in construction of the

Spanish Fork System with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District.

Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal

Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900,

telephone 406-247-7730.

1. New Contract Action:

(23) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Kansas and Nebraska;

Negotiate interim water service contracts with irrigation districts in

the Republican River Basin in Kansas and Nebraska to continue delivery

of the project water supplies pending completion of contract renewal

process for renewal of long-term water supply contracts.

Dated: April 15, 1996.

Wayne O. Deason,

Assistant Director, Program Analysis Office.

[FR Doc. 96-10577 Filed 4-29-96; 8:45 am]

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