[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 185 (Thursday, September 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51094-51095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25544]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Evaluating
Water Management Plans
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of draft decision of evaluation of water management
plans.
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SUMMARY: To meet the requirements of the Central Valley Project
Improvement Act (CVPIA) and the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982,
Reclamation developed and published the Criteria for Evaluating Water
Conservation Plans, dated April 30, 1993, and revised and renamed in
September 1996 to Criteria for Evaluating Water Management Plans
(Criteria). These Criteria were developed based on information provided
during public scoping and review sessions held throughout Reclamation's
Mid-Pacific (MP) Region. Reclamation uses these Criteria to evaluate
the adequacy of all water management plans developed by Central Valley
Project contracts in the
[[Page 51095]]
MP Region. These Criteria were developed and the plans evaluated for
the purpose of promoting the most efficient water use reasonably
achievable by all MP Region contractors. Reclamation made a commitment
(stated within the Criteria) to publish a notice of its draft
determination of the adequacy of each contractor's water management
plan in the Federal Register to allow the public a minimum of 30 days
to comment on its preliminary determinations.
DATES: All public comments must be received by October 26, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Please mail comments to Lucille Billingsley, U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento CA 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
To be placed on a mailing list for any subsequent information, please
contact Lucille Billingsley at the address above, or by telephone at
(916) 978-5215 (TDD 978-5608).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under provision of Section 3405 (e) of the
CVPIA (Title 34, Public Law 102-575), ``The Secretary [of the Interior]
shall establish and administer an office on Central Valley Project
water conservation best management practices that shall . . . develop
criteria for evaluating the adequacy of all water conservation plans
developed by project contractors, including those plans required by
Section 210 of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982.'' Also, according to
Section 3405(e)(1), these criteria will be developed ``. . . with the
purpose of promoting the highest level of water use efficiency
reasonably achievable by project contractors using best available cost-
effective technology and best management practices.''
The MP Criteria states that all parties (districts) that contract
with Reclamation for water supplies (municipal and industrial contracts
over 2,000 irrigable acre-feet and agricultural contracts over 2,000
irrigable acres) will prepare water management plans which will be
evaluated by Reclamation based on the following required information
detailed in the steps listed below to develop, implement, monitor, and
update their water management plans. The steps are:
1. Describe the district.
2. Inventory water resources available to the district.
3. Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Agricultural Contractors.
4. BMPs for Urban Contractors.
5. Exemption Process.
The MP Contractors listed below have developed water management
plans which Reclamation has evaluated and preliminarily determined to
meet the requirements of the Criteria. These MP Contractors include:
Citrus Heights Water District, Fair Oaks Water District, City of
Folsom, Lindmore Irrigation District, Lindsey-Strathmore Irrigation
District, Orange Cove Irrigation District, and Orange Vale Water
Company.
The MP Contractors listed below have developed a ``cooperative''
water management plan which Reclamation has evaluated and preliminarily
determined meet the requirements of the Criteria. These MP Contractors
include: Central California Irrigation District, Columbia Canal
Company, Firebaugh Canal Water District, and San Luis Canal Company.
These districts are known as the San Joaquin Valley Exchange
Contractors.
Public comment on Reclamation's preliminary (i.e., draft)
determinations is invited at this time. Copies of the plans listed
above will be available for review at Reclamation's MP Regional Office
and area office locations. If you wish to review a copy of the plans,
please contact Ms. Billingsley to find the office nearest you.
Dated: September 17, 1998.
Robert F. Stackhouse,
Regional Resources Manager, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 98-25544 Filed 9-23-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M