[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 207 (Monday, October 27, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55655-55657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28345]


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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 July 24, 1997. The February 10, 1997, 
notice should be used as a reference point to identify changes. 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. 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 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, CO 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 the 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 1997. 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 (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.

[[Page 55656]]

    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 requested 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
(PPR)  Present Perfected Right
(RRA)  Reclamation Reform Act
(NEPA)  National Environmental Policy Act
(SOD)  Safety of Dams
(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 July 
24, 1997, Federal Register notice:
    Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis 
Road, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5346.
    New contract actions: 28. Burley and Southwest IDs, Minidoka 
Project, Idaho: Warren Act contract with charge to allow for use of 
project facilities to convey non-district water to Southwest ID.
    Modified contract actions: 4. Consolidated ID, Spokane Valley 
Project, Washington; Individual Contractors, Crooked River Project, 
Oregon; Lower Payette Ditch Company Ltd., Pioneer Ditch Company, Boise 
Project, Idaho; Tumalo ID, Crescent Lake Dam Project, Oregon; Monroe 
Creek ID, Mann Creek Project, Idaho; Clark and Edwards Canal and 
Irrigation Company, Enterprise Canal Company, Ltd., Lenroot Canal 
Company, Liberty Park Canal Company, Parsons Ditch Company, Poplar ID, 
Wearyrick Ditch Company, all in the Minidoka Project, Idaho; Juniper 
Flat District Improvement Company, Wapinitia Project, Oregon; Roza ID, 
Yakima Project, Washington: Amendatory repayment and water service 
contracts; purpose is to conform to the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 
(Pub. L. 97-293).
    23. Trendwest Resorts, Yakima Project, Washington: Long-term water 
exchange contract for assignment of Teanaway River and Big Creek water 
rights to Reclamation for instream flow use in exchange for annual use 
of up to 3,500 acre-feet of water from Cle Elum Reservoir for a 
proposed resort development.
    Discontinued contract actions: 12. Willamette Basin water users, 
Willamette Basin Project, Oregon: One water service contract for the 
exchange of up to 112 acre-feet of water for diversion above project 
reservoirs.
    Completed contract actions: 7. Sidney Irrigation Cooperative, 
Willamette Basin Project, Oregon: Irrigation water service contract for 
approximately 2,300 acre-feet . Contract executed July 21, 1997.
    Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-979-2401.
    New contract actions: 29. Casitas Municipal WD, Ventura Project, 
California: Repayment contract for SOD work on Casitas Dam.
    30. Centerville Community Services District, CVP, California: A 
long-term supplemental repayment contract for reimbursement to the 
United States for conveyance costs associated with CVP water conveyed 
to Centerville.
    Modified contract actions: 3. Contractors from the American River 
Division, Buchanan Division, Cross Valley Canal, Delta Division, Friant 
Division, Hidden Division, Sacramento River Division, Shasta Division, 
and Trinity River Division, CVP, California: Renewal of existing long-
term and interim renewal water service contracts with contractors whose 
contracts expire between 1997 and 1998; water quantities for these 
contracts total in excess of 1.7M acre-feet. These contract actions 
will be accomplished through interim renewal contracts pursuant to Pub. 
L. 102-575.
    Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada 
Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone 
702-293-8536.
    Contract actions modified: 1. Milton and Jean Phillips, Kenneth or 
Ann Easterday, Robert E. Harp, Cameron Brothers Construction Co., Ogram 
Farms, Bruce Church, Inc., Sunkist Growers, Inc., Clayton Farms, BCP, 
Arizona: Water service contracts, as recommended by Arizona Department 
of Water Resources, with agricultural entities located near the 
Colorado River for up to an additional 15,557 acre-feet per year total.
    34. San Diego County Water Authority, San Diego, California, San 
Diego Project: Title transfer of the first and second barrels of the 
San Diego Aqueduct.
    54. Arizona State Lands, BCP, Arizona: Water delivery contract for 
1,400 acre-feet of Colorado River water for domestic use.
    60. Arizona State Land Department, BCP, Arizona: Water delivery 
contract for delivery of up to 9,000 acre-feet per year of unused 
apportionment and surplus Colorado River water for irrigation use.
    Contract actions completed: 1. Sturges Farms, Inc., BCP, Arizona: 
Water delivery contract for 8,500 acre-feet of irrigation water.
    56. City of Yuma, BCP, Arizona: 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.
    New contract actions: 1.(f) Harrison F. Russell and Patricia E. 
Russell; Aspinall Unit, CRSP; Colorado: Contract for 1 acre-foot to 
support an augmentation plan, Case No. 97CW39, Water Division Court No. 
4, State of Colorado, to provide for a single-family residential well, 
including home lawn and livestock watering (non-commercial).
    25. Emery County Water Conservancy District, Emery County Project, 
Utah: Warren Act contract to allow temporary storage of non-project 
water in Joes Valley Reservoir and/or Huntington North Reservoir.
    26. Town of Taos, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: Contract to 
purchase water from Town of Taos to increase native flows in Rio Grande 
for benefit of the Silvery Minnow.
    Completed contract actions: 19. Department of Energy, San Juan-
Chama Project, New Mexico: Reassignment of

[[Page 55657]]

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
    22. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Weber Basin Project, 
Utah: Repayment contract for SOD modification of Lost Creek Dam. The 
estimated cost of the modification is $16,000,000 of which 15 percent 
must be repaid from both irrigation and M&I use.
    Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal 
Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900, 
telephone 406-247-7730.
    New contract actions: 33. Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Colorado: 
Repayment contract with Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy 
District for repayment of cost of SOD modifications to Pueblo Dam.
    Modified contract actions: 5. Tom Green County Water Control and 
Improvement District No. 1, San Angelo Project, Texas: Pursuant to 
section 501 of Public Law 101-434, negotiate amendatory contract to 
increase irrigable acreage within the project.
    15. Northwest Area Water Supply, North Dakota: Long-term contract 
for water supply from Garrison Diversion Unit facilities. Draft basis 
of negotiation has been submitted to the Regional Office for review.
    17. Canyon Ferry Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Water service contract with 
Montana Tunnels Mining, Inc., expires June 1997. Basis of negotiation 
completed for renewal of existing contract for an additional 10 years. 
A temporary contract has been issued pending negotiation of the long-
term contract for water service. A 10-year contract was signed on 
August 20, 1997.
    20. City of Cheyenne, Kendrick Project, Wyoming: Negotiation of 
contract to renew for an additional term of 5 years. Contract for up to 
10,000 acre-feet of storage space for replacement water on a yearly 
basis in Seminoe Reservoir. A temporary contract will be issued pending 
negotiation of the long-term contract.
    27. Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Water service contract 
expires June 1997. Initiating renewal of existing contract for 25 years 
for up to 480 acre-feet of storage from Tiber Reservoir to irrigate 160 
acres. Basis of negotiation is in the process of being completed; 
existing contract was extended for 1 year pending negotiation of long-
term contract.
    32. Belle Fourche Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: Basis of negotiation 
has been approved for the negotiation of a long-term repayment contract 
deferring the Belle Fourche ID's 1997 construction payment and also 
reduction of the District's annual payment.
    Completed contract actions: 17. Canyon Ferry Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: 
Water service contract with Montana Tunnels Mining, Inc., expires June 
1997. Basis of negotiation completed for renewal of existing contract 
for an additional 10 years. A temporary contract has been issued 
pending negotiation of the long-term contract for water service. A 10-
year contract was signed on August 20, 1997.

    Dated: October 20, 1997.
Maryanne C. Bach,
Acting Deputy Director, Program Analysis Office.
[FR Doc. 97-28345 Filed 10-24-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P