[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 143 (Monday, July 27, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40134-40136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-19925]


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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 April 22, 1998. The January 27, 1998, 
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, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-445-2889.

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 1998. 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

[[Page 40135]]

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.
    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
    Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis 
Road, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5346.
    New contract actions:
    22. Juniper Flat District Improvement Company, Wapinitia Project, 
Oregon: Repayment contract for reimbursable cost of dam safety repairs 
to Wasco Dam Modified contract actions:
    4. West Extension ID, Umatilla Project, Oregon; Pioneer Ditch 
Company, Boise 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 RRA (Pub. L. 97-293).
    Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-979-2401.
    New contract actions:
    30. Warren Act Contracts, CVP, California: Execution of long-term 
Warren Act contracts with various entities for conveyance of non-
project water in the Delta-Mendota Canal.
    Modified contract actions:
    8. Glenn-Colusa ID, Sutter Extension WD, Biggs-West Gridley WD, 
Buena Vista Water Storage District, and the State of California 
Department of Water Resources, CVP, California: Pursuant to Public Law 
102-575, conveyance agreements for the purpose of wheeling refuge water 
supplies and funding district facility improvements and exchange 
agreements to provide water for refuge and private wetlands.
    Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada 
Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone 
702-293- 8536.
    New contract actions:
    50. Canyon Forest Village II Corporation, BCP, Arizona: Water 
delivery contract for the diversion of up to 400 acre-feet of unused 
Arizona apportionment or surplus apportionment of Colorado River water 
for domestic use.
    51. Gila Project Works, Gila Project, Arizona: Proposed title 
transfer of facilities and certain lands in the Wellton-Mohawk 
Division, Arizona, to be transferred from the United States to the 
Wellton-Mohawk IDD.
    52. City of Tucson, CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 9,500 acre-feet of 
M&I water to First Trust of Arizona.
    53. First Trust of Arizona, CAP, Arizona: Partial assignment of 
8,852 acre-feet of M&I water to Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement 
District.
    54. First Trust of Arizona, CAP, Arizona: Partial assignment of 642 
acre-feet of M&I water to Oro Valley.
    55. Camp Verde Water System, CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 1,443 
acre-feet of M&I water to the City of Scottsdale.
    56. Cottonwood Water Works, Inc., CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 1,789 
acre-feet of M&I water to the City of Scottsdale.
    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) LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation, Glen Canyon Unit, CRSP, 
Arizona: Long-term contract for 200 acre-feet of water for municipal 
purposes.
    1(g) TransColorado Gas Transmission Company, Aspinall Unit, CRSP, 
Colorado: One-year contract for 15 acre-feet of water to be used for 
hydrostatic testing of a natural gas pipeline and dust abatement in 
construction area.
    1(h) Stephens, Walter Daniel, Aspinall Unit, CRSP, Colorado: 
Contract for 2 acre-feet to support an augmentation plan, Case No. 
97CW49, Water Division Court No. 4, State of Colorado, to provide for 
pond evaporative depletions during the nonirrigation season.
    Modified contract actions:
    23. Carlsbad ID, Carlsbad Project, New Mexico: Multi-year contract 
to allow the district to lease water to the New Mexico Interstate 
Stream Commission to fulfill New Mexico's water obligation to Texas 
under Supreme Court's Amended Decree in Texas v. New Mexico 485 U.S. 
288(1988).
    Completed contract actions:
    12. Country Aire Estates, Forrest Groves Estates, and Los 
Ranchitos,

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Florida Project, Colorado: Water service contracts for a total of 86 
acre-feet annually of domestic water as replacement water in State of 
Colorado approved augmentation plans. The water supply for these 
contracts are flow rights purchased and owned by the United States for 
project development and are not specifically a part of the project 
water supply.
    22. Carbon Water Conservancy District, Scofield Project, Utah: 
Amendment to SOD contract to raise contract repayment ceiling on the 
M&I obligation and replace estimated SOD costs with actuals.
    Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal 
Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900, 
telephone 406-247-7730.
    Modified contract actions:
    7. 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.
    14. Northwest Area Water Supply, North Dakota: Long-term contract 
for water supply from Garrison Diversion Unit facilities. Basis of 
negotiation has been approved by Commissioner. Negotiations will begin 
this summer.
    26. Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Initiating 25-year water 
service contract for up to 750 acre-feet of storage from Tiber 
Reservoir to irrigate 250 acres. A 1-year temporary contract has been 
issued to allow additional time to complete necessary actions required 
for the long-term contract. Water service contract expired May 31, 
1998. Initiating renewal of the long-term water service contract to 
provide 4,570 acre-feet of storage from Tiber Reservoir to irrigate 
2,285 acres. A 1-year interim contract has been issued to continue 
delivery of water until the necessary actions can be completed to renew 
the long-term contract.
    Completed contract actions:
    17. P-SMBP, Nebraska: Water service contracts with the Loup Basin 
Reclamation District for the Sargent and Farwell IDs in the Middle Loup 
River Basin in Nebraska will be extended for a period of 4 years in 
accordance with Public Law 104-326 enacted October 19, 1996. Contract 
extension has been signed.
    29. Belle Fourche Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: Negotiations have 
been held with the Belle Fourche ID to amend their long-term repayment 
contract deferring their 1997 construction payment and reducing their 
annual construction payment. Contract amendment has been signed.
    32. Greenfields ID, Sun River Project, Montana: Contract for SOD 
costs for repairs to Pishkun Dike No. 4. A 1-year SOD repayment 
contract has been issued.

    Dated: July 20, 1998.
Margaret W. Sibley,
Director Program Analysis Office.
[FR Doc. 98-19925 Filed 7-24-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P