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 April 30, 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,

1996, 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, 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,

[[Page 41425]]

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

proposal 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

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(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.

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The following contract actions are either new, modified,

discontinued, or completed in the Bureau of Reclamation since the April

30, 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:

(21) Baker Valley Irrigation District, Baker Project, Oregon:

Warren Act contract with cost of service charge to allow for use of

project facilities to store nonproject water.

2. Contract Actions Completed:

(19) Contracts for 1996 have been executed with Stanfield ID and

Westland ID.

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

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

1. New Contract Actions:

(20) Solano County Water Agency and Solano Irrigation District,

Solano Project, California: Contract to transfer responsibility for

operation and maintenance of Monticello Dam, Putah Diversion Dam,

Headworks of Putah South Canal, and Parshall Flume at Milepost 0.18 of

Putah South Canal to Solano Irrigation District and provide that the

Solano County Water Agency shall provide the funds necessary for

operation and maintenance of the facilities.

2. Contract Action Completed:

(12) Pershing County Water Conservation District, Nevada: Repayment

contract for Safety of Dams work on Rye Patch Dam. 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:

(49) Pacific Gas and Electric Company, BCP, California: Short-term

delivery contract for surplus and/or unused apportionment Colorado

River water for domestic and industrial use at the Topock Compressor

Station, California.

(50) Mr. Don Schuler, BCP, California: Proposed short-term delivery

contract for surplus and/or unused apportionment Colorado River water

for domestic and industrial use on 18 lots of recreational homes in

California.

(51) Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, CAP, Arizona: O&M

Contract for their water distribution system.

(52) Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power

District, Salt River Project, Arizona: Funding Agreement for Safety of

Dams construction activities at Horse Mesa Dam and Mormon Flat Dam.

(53) U.S. Army Proving Ground, BCP, Arizona: Proposed permanent

allocation of 1,883 acre-feet of Colorado River water.

(54) Arizona Public Service, BCP, Arizona: Colorado River water

diversion contract for 1,500 a.f. for domestic use at Yucca Power

Plant, near Yuma, Arizona.

(55) Arizona State Lands, BCP, Arizona: Approval of assignment of

water delivery contract with Lakeview City for 400 a.f. of Colorado

River water for domestic use.

(56) Murphy Broadcasting, Inc., BCP, California: Change of use and

assignment of the Schroeder's PPR entitlement for 12.0068 a.f.

(57) Brooke Water L.L.C., CAP, Arizona: Approval of assignment of

Consolidated Water Utilities LTD M&I water subcontract for 3,932 a.f.

of CAP water.

2. Contract Actions Modified:

(43) County of San Bernardino, San Savaine Creek Project,

California: Repayment Contract is in negotiation, covering $20,079,000

reimbursable costs and a Grant for $27,371,000. Total project cost is

$81,171,000.

3. Contract Actions Deleted:

(8 and 26) Kent Sea Farms, Yuma, AZ: Contract to divert and return

32,000 acre-feet of water per year from ad to, respectively, the Main

Outlet Drain Extension for one or more fish farms.

Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State

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

4419.

[[Page 41426]]

1. New Contract Actions:

(26) Department of Energy, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico.

Reassignment of rights under Contract No. 7-07-51-X0883 from the

Department of Energy to the County of Los Alamos for 1,200 acre-feet of

San Juan-Chama Project water to be used for municipal, commercial,

residential, and scientific purposes.

(27) City of Albuquerque, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico. Amend

water storage Contract No. 3-CS-53-01510 to exempt the City of

Albuquerque from acreage limitation and reporting provisions.

(28) The State of Colorado, the State of New Mexico, the Southern

Ute Indian Tribe, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and certain other

entities that executed the June 30, 1986 ``Agreement in Principle

Concerning the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement and Binding

Agreement for Animas-La Plata Project Cost Sharing'': Amendment to the

terms of that cost sharing agreement in order for that agreement to

conform with Phase I, Stage A of the project. The proposed amendment

would allow cost sharing contributions from Colorado non-federal

entities to be credited to the municipal and industrial repayment

obligation on an interim basis, rather than to the Colorado non-Indian

irrigation.

2. Contract Actions Modified:

(9) The National Park Service, Colorado Water Conservation Board,

Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, CRSP, Colorado: Contract to provide specific

flow patterns in the Gunnison River through the Black Canyon of the

Gunnison National Monument.

(10) Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, Wayne N.

Aspinall Unit, CRSP, Colorado: Long-term water service contract for

municipal, domestic, and irrigation use.

3. Contract Actions Deleted:

(12) Collbran Conservancy District, Collbran project, Colorado:

Amendatory contract defining priority of use of project water.

(13) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, North Fork Water Conservancy

District, Paonia Project, Colorado: Contract for releases to support

endangered fish in the Gunnison and Colorado Rivers: water available

for releases will come from reserve capacity held by Reclamation as a

sediment pool, estimated to be 1,800 acre-feet annually; contract will

define the terms and conditions associated with delivery of this water.

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

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

telephone 406-247-7730.

1. Contract Actions Modified:

(11) City of Rapid City and Rapid Valley Water Conservancy

District, Rapid Valley Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: Contract renewal for

up to 55,000 acre-feet of storage capacity in Pactola Reservoir.

2. Contract Actions Completed:

(4) Cedar Bluff Irrigation District No. 6, Cedar Bluff Unit, P-

SMBP, Kansas: In accordance with Section 901 of Public law 102-575, 106

Stat. 4600, terminate the Cedar Bluff Irrigation District's repayment

contract and transfer use of the District's portion of the reservoir

storage capacity to the State of Kansas for fish, wildlife, recreation,

and other purposes.

(15) Mountain Park Master Conservancy District, Mountain Park

Project, Oklahoma: Pursuant to Title IV of Pub. L. 103-434, amend the

District's contract to reallocate the project costs to reflect the

environmental activities authorized by Title IV and provide for a

discounted prepayment of all or a portion of the reimbursable costs

allocated for its M&I water supply.

(17) Canadian River Municipal Water Authority, Canadian River

Project, Texas: Contract for the United States to pay up to 33 percent

of the costs of the salinity control project. These costs are to be

used for the design and construction management of the project

facilities.

3. Contract Actions Discontinued:

(7) Foss Reservoir Master Conservancy District, Washita Basin

Project, Oklahoma: Amendatory repayment contract for remedial work.

(8) Arbuckle Master Conservancy District, Arbuckle Project,

Oklahoma: Contract for the repayment of costs of the construction of

the Sulphur, Oklahoma, pipeline and pumping plant (if constructed).

(12) Belle Fourche Irrigation District, Belle Fourche Unit, P-SMBP,

South Dakota: Amendment to Contract No. 5-07-60-WR170. The amendment

will initiate the repayment period for the rehabilitation and

betterment work to begin June 30, 1996. The amendment will also provide

an additional $10.5 million for additional rehabilitation and

betterment work.

Dated: July 18, 1996.

Wayne O. Deason,

Assistant Director, Program Analysis Office.

[FR Doc. 96-20230 Filed 8-7-96; 8:45 am]

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