[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46365-46367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18354]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
[G63-0982-9832-100-96-76, 84-55000]
Quarterly Status Report of Water Service, Repayment, and Other
Water-Related Contract Actions
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been
proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and are new,
modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this
notice. This notice is one of a variety of means used to inform the
public about proposed contractual actions for capital recovery and
management of project resources and facilities consistent with section
9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional 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.
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 section.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Kelly, Water and
Environmental Resources Division, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box
25007, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-445-2888.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with section 9(f) of the
Reclamation Project Act of 1939, and the rules and regulations
published in 52 FR 11954, April 13, 1987 (43 CFR 426.22), 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
[[Page 46366]]
contract execution. Please use the first quarter notice, 78 FR 21969,
dated April 12, 2013, as a reference. 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
the 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 contract proceedings. All public participation procedures will
be coordinated with those involved in complying with the National
Environmental Policy Act. Pursuant to the ``Final Revised Public
Participation Procedures'' for water resource-related contract
negotiations, published in 47 FR 7763, February 22, 1982, a tabulation
is provided of all proposed contractual actions in each of the five
Reclamation regions. 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, 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 or her 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. At a minimum, the regional director will
furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in
response to the initial public notice.
Definitions of Abbreviations Used in the Reports
ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
BCP Boulder Canyon Project
Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation
CAP Central Arizona Project
CUP Central Utah Project
CVP Central Valley Project
CRSP Colorado River Storage Project
FR Federal Register
IDD Irrigation and Drainage District
ID Irrigation District
LCWSP Lower Colorado Water Supply Project
M&I Municipal and Industrial
NMISC New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
O&M Operation and Maintenance
P-SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program
PPR Present Perfected Right
RRA Reclamation Reform Act of 1982
SOD Safety of Dams
SRPA Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
WD Water District
Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis
Road, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5344.
Modified contract action:
8. Three irrigation water user entities, Rogue River Basin Project,
Oregon: Long-term contracts for exchange of water service with three
entities for the provision of up to 292 acre-feet of stored water from
Applegate Reservoir (a USACE project) for irrigation use in exchange
for the transfer of out-of-stream water rights from the Little
Applegate River to instream flow rights with the State of Oregon for
instream flow use.
Completed contract action:
11. Prineville Reservoir Water Users, Crooked River Project,
Oregon: Repayment agreements with spaceholder contractors for
reimbursable cost of SOD modifications to Arthur R. Bowman Dam.
Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way,
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5250.
New contract action:
57. Fresno County Waterworks No. 18, Friant Division, CVP,
California: Execution of an agreement to provide for the O&M of select
Federal facilities by Fresno County Waterworks No. 18.
Completed contract actions:
21. Oro Loma WD, CVP, California: Proposed partial assignment of
4,000 acre-feet of the District's CVP supply to Westlands WD for
irrigation and M&I use. Assignment executed on March 1, 2012.
39. Tea Pot Dome WD and Saucelito ID, CVP, California: Partial
assignment of 300 acre-feet of Tea Pot Dome's current Friant Division
contract class 1 water supply to Saucelito ID. Assignment executed on
April 14, 2013.
40. Lewis Creek WD and Hills Valley ID, CVP, California: Partial
assignment of 250 acre-feet of Lewis Creek's current Friant Division
contract class 1 water to Hills Valley ID. Assignment executed on April
12, 2013.
41. Porterville ID and Hills Valley ID, CVP, California: Partial
assignment of 1,000 acre-feet of Porterville's class 1 water to Hills
Valley ID. Assignment executed on April 14, 2013.
42. Exeter ID and Tri-Valley WD, CVP, California: Partial
assignment of 400 acre-feet of Exeter's class 1 water to Tri-Valley WD.
Assignment executed on April 15, 2013.
49. Virginia L. Lempesis Separate Property Trust, CVP, California:
Contract for the adjustment and settlement of certain claimed water
rights in the Fresno Slough tributary to the San Joaquin River in
fulfillment of such rights pursuant to contract No. I1r-1145 for the
purchase of Miller & Lux Water Rights, dated July 27, 1939. Contract
executed on April 6, 2013.
Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470
(Nevada Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470,
telephone 702-293-8192.
Completed contract action:
10. Gila River Indian Community and Apache Junction, CAP, Arizona:
Approve a CAP water lease for 1,000 acre-feet per year which will end
on the 100th anniversary of the option effective date as described in
the lease. Lease executed on May 24, 2013.
[[Page 46367]]
Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-
3864.
Modified contract actions:
3. Various Contactors, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: The
United States proposes to continue leasing water from various project
contractors to stabilize flows in a critical reach of the Rio Grande in
order to meet the needs of irrigators and preserve habitat for the
silvery minnow. Reclamation expects to lease approximately 20,000 acre-
feet of water from willing lessors in 2013.
4. Individual Irrigators, Carlsbad Project, New Mexico: The United
States proposes to continue entering into forbearance contracts and
lease agreements with individuals who have privately held water rights
to divert nonproject water either directly from the Pecos River or from
shallow/artesian wells in the Pecos River Watershed. Reclamation is in
negotiations with Fort Sumner ID for partial and full-season fallowing.
This action will result in additional water in the Pecos River to make
up for the water depletions caused by changes in operations at Sumner
Dam which were made to improve conditions for a threatened species, the
Pecos Bluntnose Shiner.
17. Contracts with various water user entities responsible for
payment of O&M costs for Reclamation projects in Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming: Contracts for extraordinary
maintenance and replacement funded pursuant to Subtitle G of Pub. L.
111-11 to be executed as project progresses.
27. Weber Basin Project, Utah: The North Summit Pressurized
Irrigation Company has requested a carriage contract for up to 7,000
acre-feet of nonproject water through Wanship Dam and outlet works,
Weber Basin Project. Negotiations are anticipated to begin shortly.
28. Blue Cut Mitigation Project and Emery County Project, Utah:
Reclamation has proposed an exchange under which it would provide an
augmentation to flows in the San Rafael River to the Fish and Wildlife
Service in exchange for the Fish and Wildlife Service transferring
water right No. 93-2241 to Reclamation, Emery County Project.
Reclamation will enter into a water service contract with the
Cottonwood Creek Consolidated Irrigation Company for approximately
2,300 acre-feet of water.
2. San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: The United States and the
Town of Taos, with passage of The Taos Indian Water Rights Settlement
legislation by the Congress, entered into a new contract, No. 12-WC-40-
462, for an additional 366 acre-feet annually of project water. The
settlement legislation provided for a third repayment contract for 40
acre-feet of project water to be delivered to the El Prado Water and
Sanitation District, contract No. 12-WC-40-463. The United States is
holding the remaining 369 acre-feet of project water for potential use
in Indian water rights settlements in New Mexico.
Completed contract actions:
2. San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: With passage of The Taos
Indian Water Rights Settlement legislation by the Congress, the United
States, entered into repayment contract No. 12-WC-40-462 with the Town
of Taos for an additional 366 acre-feet annually of project water and
repayment contract No. 12-WC-40-463 for 40 acre-feet of project water
to be delivered to the El Prado Water and Sanitation District. Both
contracts were executed on July 3, 2012.
8. State of Colorado, Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New
Mexico: Cost-sharing/repayment contract for up to 10,440 acre-feet per
year of M&I water; contract terms to be consistent with the Colorado
Ute Settlement Act Amendments of 2000 (Title III of Pub. L. 106-554).
Contract executed on June 18, 2012.
29. Jensen Unit, CUP, Utah: Temporary water service contract with
the Uintah Water Conservancy District for use of the 3,300 acre-feet of
Jensen Unit M&I water during drought years. Contract executed on June
30, 2012.
Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 36900, Federal
Building, 2021 4th Avenue North, Billings, Montana 59101, telephone
406-247-7752.
New contract action:
49. Harlan County Dam and Reservoir, Bostwick Division, P-SMBP,
Nebraska and Kansas: Consideration of a contract with Bostwick ID in
Nebraska and Kansas-Bostwick ID No. 2 for repayment of extraordinary
O&M at Harlan County Dam and Reservoir.
Modified contract actions:
4. Ruedi Reservoir, Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Colorado: Proposed
repayment contracts for the remaining water from the regulatory
capacity of Ruedi Reservoir.
19. Green Mountain Reservoir, Colorado-Big Thompson Project,
Colorado: Consideration of a request for a long-term contract for
municipal-recreational purposes.
20. Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Colorado-Big
Thompson Project, Colorado: Supplement to contract No. 9-07-70-W0020 to
allow Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to contract for
delivery of 5,412.5 acre-feet of water annually out of Lake Granby to
the 15-Mile Reach.
Completed contract actions:
14. Big Horn Canal ID, Boysen Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: Intent to
enter into a long-term water service contract. Contract executed on May
1, 2013.
15. Hanover ID, Boysen Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: Intent to enter into
a long-term water service contract with the District. Contract executed
May 1, 2013.
29. Republican River Basin, P-SMBP, Kansas/Nebraska: Consideration
of short-term contract(s) for use of Reclamation facilities during non-
irrigation season. Contract executed on May 10, 2013.
Dated: June 20, 2013.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Policy and Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-18354 Filed 7-30-13; 8:45 am]
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