[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8969-8970]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5130]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Operation and Maintenance Rate Adjustment: Wapato Irrigation
Project, Washington
ACTION: Notice of operation and maintenance rate increase.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs is changing the assessment rates
for operating and maintaining the Wapato Irrigation Project for 1996
and subsequent years. The assessment rates are based on a prepared
estimate of the cost of normal operation and maintenance of the
irrigation project. Normal operation and maintenance means the expenses
we incur to provide direct support or benefit to the project's
activities for administration, operation, maintenance, and
rehabilitation. We must include at least:
(a) Personnel salary and benefits for the project engineer/manager
and our employees under his management control,
(b) Materials and supplies, Major and minor vehicle and
equipment repairs,
(d) Equipment, including transportation, fuel, oil, grease, lease
and replacement,
(e) Capitalization expenses,
(f) Acquisition expenses, and
(g) Other expenses we determine necessary to properly perform the
activities and functions characteristic of an irrigation project
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Area Director, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Portland Area Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon
97232-4169, telephone (503) 231-6702.
DATE: This rate is effective for the 1996 irrigation season and all
subsequent years until modified.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The authority to issue this document is
vested in the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs by 5 U.S.C. 301 and
the Act of August 15, 1914 (38 Stat. 583, 25 U.S.C. 385). The Secretary
has delegated this authority to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs
pursuant to part 209 Departmental Manual, Chapter 8. 1A and Memorandum
dated January 25, 1994, from Chief of Staff, Department of the
Interior, to Assistant Secretaries, and Heads of Bureaus and Offices.
This notice is given in accordance with Section 171.1(e) of part
171, Subchapter H, Chapter 1, of Title 25 of the Code of Federal
Regulations, which provides for the Area Director to fix and announce
the rates for annual operation and maintenance assessments and related
information of the Wapato Irrigation Project for Calendar Year 1996 and
subsequent years.
The purpose of this notice is to announce an increase in the Wapato
Project assessment rates proportionate with actual operation and
maintenance costs. The assessment rates for 1996 will amount to an
increase of 11% for the Wapato Satus Unit A Lands and 21% for B lands
due to increased storage charges and an 11% increase for the Toppenish-
Simcoe & Ahtanum Units.
Charges for Special Services
Charges will be collected for various special services requested by
the general public, water users and other organizations during the
Calendar Year 1996 and subsequent years until further notice, as
detailed below:
(1) Requests for Irrigation Accounts and Status Reports, Per
Report...........................................................$15.00
(2) Requests for Verification of Account Delinquency Status, Per
Report...........................................................$10.00
(3) Requests for Splitting of Operation and Maintenance Bills (In
addition to minimum billing fee)
Per Bill.........................................................$10.00
(4) Requests for Billing of Operation and Maintenance to Other than
Owner or Lessee of Record (in addition to minimum billing fee)
Per Bill.........................................................$10.00
(5) Requests for Other Special Services Similar to the above, when
appropriate,
Per Report.......................................................$10.00
(6) Requests for elimination of lands from the Project. In the
event that the elimination is approved, a portion of the fee will
be used to pay the Yakima County Recording Fee...................$10.00
(7) Review of subdivision plats..................................$10.00
Ahtanum Unit
Charges
(A) The operation and maintenance rate on lands of the Ahtanum
Irrigation Unit for the Calendar Year 1996 and subsequent years until
further notice, is fixed at $10.00 per acre per annum for land to which
water can be delivered from the project works.
(B) In addition to the foregoing charges there shall be collected a
billing charge of $5.00 for each tract of land for which operation and
maintenance bills are prepared. The bill issued for any tract will,
therefore, be the basic rate per acre times the number of acres plus
$5.00. A one acre charge shall be levied on all tracts of less than one
acre.
[[Page 8970]]
Toppenish-Simcoe Unit
Charges
(A) The operation and maintenance rate for the lands under the
Toppenish-Simcoe Irrigation Unit for the Calendar Year 1996 and
subsequent years until further notice, is fixed at $10.00 per acre per
annum for land for which an application for water is approved by the
Project Engineer.
(B) In addition to the foregoing charges there shall be collected a
billing charge of $5.00 for each tract of land for which operation and
maintenance bills are prepared. The bills issued for any tract will,
therefore, be the basic rate per acre times the number of acres plus
$5.00. A one acre charge shall be levied on all tracts of less than one
acre.
Wapato-Satus Unit
Charges
(A) The basic operation and maintenance rates on assessable lands
under the Wapato-Satus Unit are fixed for the Calendar Year 1996 and
subsequent years until further notice as follows:
(1) Minimum charge for all tracts................................$40.00
(2) Basic rate upon all farm units or tracts for each assessable
acre except Additional Works lands...............................$40.00
(3) Rate per assessable acre for all lands with a storage water
rights, known as .b. lands, in addition to other charges per acre
$8.00
(4) Basic rate upon all farm units or tracts for each assessable
acre of Additional Works lands...................................$44.00
(5) Basic rate for each assessable acre of Water Rental Agreement
Lands............................................................$49.00
(B) In addition to the foregoing charges there shall be collected a
billing charge of $5.00 for each tract of land for which operation and
maintenance bills are prepared. The bill issued for any tract will,
therefore, be the basic rate per acre times the number of acres plus
$5.00. A one acre charge shall be levied against all tracts of less
than one acre.
Payments
The water charge becomes due on April 1 of each year and are
payable on or before that date. No water shall be delivered to any of
these lands until all irrigation charges have been paid.
Interest and Penalty Fees
Interest and penalty fees will be assessed, where required by law,
on all delinquent operation and maintenance assessment charges as
prescribed in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 4, Part 102,
Federal Claims Collection Standards; and 42 BIAM Supplement 3, part 3.8
Debt Collection Procedures.
The Notice proposing this increase to the Wapato Irrigation
Project's operation and maintenance assessment rate was published on
December 21, 1995 (60 FR 66315). A 30-day comment period was allowed.
The Bureau received 23 comments. All, except one comment, came from the
Yakima Reservation Irrigation District and its members or the tribe.
The Bureau held a meeting with the Irrigation District and the tribe on
February 13, 1996. All issues were fully discussed and the need for the
increase explained to every one. The one comment from a congressional
representative was answered directly by the Portland Area office.
Dated: February 28, 1996.
Ada E. Deer,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 96-5130 Filed 3-5-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P