[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 246 (Wednesday, December 23, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 71153]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-33950]


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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.

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SUMMARY: To meet the requirements of the Central Valley Project 
Improvement Act (CVPIA) and the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982, the 
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) developed and published the 
Criteria for Evaluating Water Conservation Plans, dated April 30, 1993. 
In September 1996, Reclamation revised and renamed the Criteria for 
Evaluating Water Conservation Plans to Criteria for Evaluating Water 
Management Plans (Criteria). These Criteria were developed based on 
information provided during public scoping and public 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 contractors. The 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 January 22, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Please mail comments to Lucille Billingsley, 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 of the Reclamation Reform act or 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 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 contract 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.
    Tulare Irrigation District has developed a water management plan 
which Reclamation has evaluated and preliminarily determined to meet 
the requirements of the Criteria.
    Public comment on Reclamation's preliminary (i.e., draft) 
determinations is invited at this time. A copy of the plan will be 
available for review at Reclamation's MP Regional Office located in 
Sacramento, California and MP's South-Central California Area Office 
located in Fresno, California, If you wish to review a copy of the 
plan, please contact Ms. Billingsley to find the office nearest you.

    Dated: November 9, 1998.
Robert F. Stackhouse,
Regional Resources Manager, Mid-Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 98-33950 Filed 12-22-98; 8:45 am]
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