[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 209 (Monday, October 28, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55651-55653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27546]



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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 August 8, 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 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, 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, 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 
August 8, 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:
    (22) Okanogan Irrigation District, Okanogan Project, Washington: 
Safety of Dams contract to repay District's share of cost to install an 
Early Warning System.
    (22) Rogue River Valley and Medford Irrigation Districts, Rogue 
River Basin Project, Oregon: Safety of Dams contract to repay each 
district's share of cost to repair Fish Lake Dam.
    2. Completed Contract Actions:
    (4) Amendatory contracts to conform to the RRA have been executed 
with 10 of the 19 districts to conform to the Reclamation Reform Act of 
1982 (Pub.L. 97-293). The districts that have executed contracts are: 
American Falls Reservoir District Number 2, Burgess Canal Company, 
Craig-Mattson Canal Company, Danskin Ditch Company, Farmers Friend 
Irrigation Company, Ltd., Long Island Irrigation Company, Parks and 
Lewisville Irrigation Company, Ltd, Peoples Canal and Irrigation 
Company, Rigby Canal and Irrigation Company, and Rudy Irrigation Canal 
Company, Ltd., all in the Minidoka Project, Idaho.

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    (7) Contract has been executed for 1996 for Ochoco Dam.
    (17) Fremont-Madison ID, Minidoka Project, Idaho-Wyoming: 
Supplemental and amendatory contract providing for the transfer of 
operation and maintenance for the remaining reserved works of the Upper 
Snake Storage Division (including Cascade Creek Diversion Dam, Grassy 
Lake Dam and Reservoir, and Island Park Dam and Reservoir). Contract 
executed.
    (19) Hermiston and West Extension Irrigation Districts, Umatilla 
Project, Oregon: Temporary contracts to provide water service for 1996 
to lands lying outside of their boundaries. A contract for 1996 has 
been executed with Hermiston Irrigation District; no contract action 
anticipated for West Extension in 1996.
    3. Contract Actions Modified:
    (12) City of Madras and North Unit Irrigation District, Deschutes 
Project, Oregon: Temporary and long-term municipal water service 
contracts for approximately 125 acre-feet annually from the project 
water supply. A temporary contract for 1996 with the City of Madras and 
a long-term contract with North Unit Irrigation District for provision 
of the 125 acre-feet water supply to the City of Madras.
    Mid Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-979-2401.
    1. New Contract Actions:
    (21) Mercy Springs WD, CVP, California: Assignment of Mercy Springs 
WDs water service contract to Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency. 
The assignment will provide for delivery of up to 13,300 acre-feet 
annually of water to the Agency from the CVP for agricultural purposes.
    (22) Santa Clara WD, CVP, California: Agreement for the conditional 
reallocation of a portion of Santa Clara Valley WDs annual CVP contract 
water supply to San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority members. The 
purpose of the conditional reallocation is to improve overall 
management and establishment of more reliable water supplies without 
imposing additional demands or operation changes upon the CVP.
    2. Contract Actions Completed:
    (15) City of Folsom, CVP, California: Amendment of existing water 
rights conveyance contract to allow delivery of an additional 5,000 
acre-feet of water from Folsom Reservoir that has been acquired from 
the Southern California Water Company. ACTION: Amendment not required. 
Transfer of 5,000 acre-feet of water from Folsom Reservoir accomplished 
by Letter of Agreement.
    3. Contract Actions Modified:
    (5) Truckee Carson ID, Newlands Project, Nevada: New contract for 
the operation and maintenance of Newlands Project facilities. The 
United States terminated the original contract, and this was upheld by 
the U.S. District Court in Nevada on August 17, 1983. Modification: 
District has repaid its construction obligation.
    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:
    (59) Santa Ana Project Watershed Authority (SAWPA), SRPA, 
California: Amend current contract with the United States to shorten 
repayment schedule from 30 years to 20 years.
    (60) Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, SRPA, California: 
Amend current contract with United States to transfer certain project 
facilities and certain O&M responsibilities from District to City of 
Lake Elsinore.
    2. Contract action completed:
    (10) W.F. West, BCP, California: Miscellaneous Present Perfected 
Rights contract for 0.8774 acre-feet of domestic water. Contract 
executed July 22, 1996.
    (34) City of Scottsdale and other M&I water subcontractors, CAP, 
Arizona: Subcontract amendments associated with assignment of M&I water 
service subcontracts from City of Prescott, Rio Rico Utilities, Inc., 
and the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe to provide the City of Scottsdale 
with additional CAP water. Contract executed September 27, 1996. (Note: 
Other subcontracts listed in No. 34, i.e., Mayer Domestic Water 
Improvement District, City of Nogales, and Cottonwood Water Works Inc., 
have not executed contracts to date.)
    Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation 125, South State 
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-
4419.
    1. New contract actions:
    (29) Pine River Irrigation District, Pine River Project, Colorado: 
Contract to allow the conversion of up to 3,000 acre-feet of project 
irrigation water to municipal, domestic, and industrial uses.
    2. Contract actions modified:
    (9) The National Park Service, Colorado Water Conservation Board, 
Wayne N. Aspinall Unit, Colorado River Storage Project, Colorado: 
Contract to provide specific flow patterns in the Gunnison River 
through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument.
    3. Contract actions discontinued:
    (4) Navajo Indian Tribe, Animas-La Plata Project, New Mexico: 
Repayment contract for 7,600 acre-feet per year for M&I use. No 
activity expected until 1997.
    (5) La Plata Conservancy District, Animas-La Plata Project, New 
Mexico: Repayment contract for 9,900 acre-feet per year for irrigation 
use. No activity expected until 1997.
    (12) Collbran Conservancy District, Collbran Project, Colorado: 
Amendatory contract defining priority of use of project water. No 
activity expected in 1996.
    (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. 
No activity expected in 1996.
    (14) Rio Grand Water Conservation District, Closed Basin Division, 
San Luis Valley Project, Colorado: Water service contract for 
furnishing priority 4 water to third parties; contract will allow 
District to market priority water, when available, for agricultural, 
municipal and/or industrial use. Discontinued for lack of interest.
    Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal 
Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 59197-6900, 
telephone 406-247-7730.
    1. New Contract Actions:
    (24) Northwest Area Water Supply, North Dakota: Long-term contract 
for water supply from Garrison Diversion Unit facilities.
    (25) Fort Shaw and Greenfields Irrigation Districts, Sun River 
Project, Montana: Contract for Safety of Dams costs for repairs to 
Willow Creek Dam.
    (26) Canyon Ferry Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Water service contract 
with Montana Tunnels Mining, Inc., expires June 1997. Renewal of 
existing contract for an additional 5 years.
    (27) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Kansas: Interim water 
service contracts with the Kirwin and Webster IDs in the Solomon River 
Basin, Kansas, to continue deliver of project water supply pending 
completion of contract renewal process for long-term water supply 
contracts.
    (28) Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program, Nebraska: Interim water 
service contracts with the Loup Basin Reclamation District for the 
Sargent and Farwell IDs in the Middle Loup River Basin, Nebraska, to 
continue delivery of project water supplies pending

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completion of contract renewal process for long-term water supply 
contracts.
    2. Contract Actions Modified:
    (1) Lakeview Irrigation District, Shoshone Project, Wyoming: New 
long-term water service contract for up to 3,200 acre-feet of firm 
water supply annually and up to 11,800 acre-feet of interim water from 
Buffalo Bill Reservoir. Pursuant to Section 9(c) of the Reclamation 
Project Act of 1939 and Public Law 100-516.
    (14) Bostwick ID in Nebraska and Kansas-Bostwick ID, Farwell and 
Sargent IDs, Frenchman-Cambridge ID, Frenchman Valley ID, Webster ID, 
and Kirwin ID, P-SMBP, Kansas and Nebraska: Extension of existing water 
service contracts for irrigation water supplies, pursuant to Public Law 
104-206.
    (18) Angostura Irrigation District, Angostura Unit, P-SMBP, South 
Dakota: The District's current contract for water service expired on 
December 31, 1995. An interim 3-year contract provides for the District 
to operate and maintain the dam and reservoir. The proposed contract 
would provide a continued water supply for the District and the 
District's continued operation and maintenance of the facility.
    3. Contract Actions Discontinued:
    (6) Corn Creek Irrigation District, Glendo Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: 
Repayment contract for 10,350 acre-feet of supplemental irrigation 
water from Glendo Reservoir pending completion of NEPA review. NEPA 
compliance on hold.
    (19) Shadehill Water User District, Shadehill Unit, P-SMBP, South 
Dakota: Water service contract expired June 10, 1995. The proposed 
contract would provide irrigation water to the District pursuant to 
terms acceptable to both the United States and the District. No action 
expected in 1996.
    4. Contract Actions Completed:
    (21) Belle Fourche Irrigation District, Belle Fourche Unit, P-SMBP, 
South Dakota: D&MC contract for rehabilitation work on water control 
structures, lining additional canals, and rehabilitation of bridges and 
laterals. Public Law 103-434, enacted October 31, 1994, authorized an 
additional $10.5 million in Federal funds and $4 million in non-Federal 
cost share for completion of minor construction.

    Dated: October 18, 1996.
Wayne O. Deason,
Deputy Director, Program Analysis Office.
[FR Doc. 96-27546 Filed 10-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P