[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 151 (Monday, August 6, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41038-41040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19556]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Quarterly Status Report of Water Service, Repayment, and Other 
Water-Related 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 27, 2001. The March 5, 2001, 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: Sandra L. Simons, Manager, Water 
Contracts and Repayment Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 25007, 
Denver, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-445-2902.

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 2001. 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.
    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

BON  Basis of Negotiation
BCP  Boulder Canyon Project
Reclamation  Bureau of Reclamation
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
NEPA  National Environmental Policy Act
O&M--Operation and Maintenance
P-SMBP--Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program
PPR--Present Perfected Right
RRA--Reclamation Reform Act

[[Page 41039]]

R&B--Rehabilitation and Betterment
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, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5223.
    New contract actions:
    21. Wenatchee Heights Reclamation District, Washington: Deferment 
contract for the deferment of the District's annual installments due in 
2001 and 2002 under a Drought Act loan contract.
    22. Individual irrigation water users, Rogue River Basin Project, 
Oregon: Water service contract to provide 1,029 acre-feet of stored 
water from Lost Creek Reservoir (a Corps of Engineers project) for the 
purpose of irrigation.
    Completed contracts actions:
    9. North Unit ID, Deschutes Project, Oregon: Repayment contract for 
reimbursable cost of dam safety repairs to Wickiup Dam under the SOD 
program. Contract executed on April 4, 2001.
    15. Ochoco ID, Crooked River Project, Oregon: Contract for the 
deferment the District's annual installment due December 31, 2000 and 
2001, under the Ochoco Dam, SOD repayment contract. Contract executed 
on April 12, 2001.
    Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5250.
    New contract action:
    49. Contra Costa WD, CVP, California: Amend water service contract 
No. I75r 3401A to extend the date for renegotiation of the provisions 
of contract Article 12, ``Water Shortage and Apportionment.''
    Discontinued contract actions:
    16. Madera and Lindsay-Strathmore IDs, and Delta Lands Reclamation 
District No. 770, CVP, California: Execution of 2- to 3-year Warren Act 
contracts for conveyance of non-Project water in the Friant-Kern and/or 
Madera Canals when excess capacity exists.
    18. 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.
    24. City of Folsom, CVP, California: Contract to amend their water 
rights settlement contract's point of diversion.
    Completed contract action:
    40. Clear Creek Community Services District, CVP, California: 
Contract to transfer title of distribution system to the District. 
Contract was executed May 29, 2001.
    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:
    62. Robson Communities, Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement 
Act, Arizona: United States contract with Robson Communities for the 
sale of 1,618 acre-feet of long-term water storage credits accrued in 
Tucson during calendar year 2000.
    63. Cites of Chandler and Mesa, CAP, Arizona: Amendments to the CAP 
M&I water service subcontracts of the cities of Chandler and Mesa to 
remove the language stating that direct effluent exchange agreements 
with Indian Communities are subject to the ``pooling concept.''
    Completed contract actions:
    33. ASARCO Inc., CAP, Arizona: Amendment to extend deadline for 
giving notice of termination on exchange subcontract to December 31, 
2001.
    34. BHP Copper, Inc., CAP, Arizona: Amendment to extend deadline 
for giving notice of termination on exchange subcontract to December 
31, 2001.
    35. Cyprus Miami Mining Corporation, CAP, Arizona: Amendment to 
extend deadline for giving notice of termination on exchange 
subcontract to December 31, 2001.
    Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State 
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1147, telephone 801-524-
3691.
    The Upper Colorado Region has no updates to report for this 
quarter. Please refer to the March 5 and April 27, 2001, publications 
of this notice for current contract actions.
    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:
    44. Clark Canyon Water Supply Company, East Bench Unit, Montana: 
Initiating renewal of contract No. 14-06-600-3592 which expires 
December 31, 2005.
    45. East Bench ID, East Bench Unit, Montana: Initiating renewal of 
contract No. 14-06-600-3593 which expires December 31, 2005.
    46. Pueblo Board of Water Works, Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, 
Colorado: Water conveyance contract expires in October of 2002. 
Initiating negotiation for renewal of a water conveyance contract for 
annual conveyance of up to 750 acre-feet of non-project water through 
the Nast and Boustead Tunnel System.
    47. City of Dickinson, P-SMBP, North Dakota: In accordance with 
Public Law 106-566, a BON has been prepared to amend contract No. 9-07-
60-W0384 which will allow the City to pay a lump-sum payment in lieu of 
its remaining repayment obligation for construction costs associated 
with the bascule gate. Modified contract actions:
    5. City of Rapid City, Rapid Valley Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: 
Contract renewal for storage capacity in Pactola Reservoir. A temporary 
(1 year not to exceed 10,000 AF) water service contract will be 
executed with the City of Rapid City, Rapid Valley Unit, for use of 
water from Pactola Reservoir. A long-term storage contract is being 
negotiated for water stored in Pactola Reservoir.
    34. Glendo Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: Contract renewal for long-term 
water service contracts with Burbank Ditch, New Grattan Ditch Company, 
Torrington ID, Lucerne Canal and Power Company, and Wright and Murphy 
Ditch Company.
    35. Glendo Unit, P-SMBP, Nebraska: Contract renewal for long-term 
water service contracts with Bridgeport, Enterprise, and Mitchell IDs, 
and Central Nebraska Public Power and ID.
    37. Belle Fourche ID, Belle Fourche Project, South Dakota: Belle 
Fourche ID has requested a $25,000 reduction in construction repayment. 
Negotiations are pending resolution of contract language.
    40. Louis F. Polk, Jr. (Individual), Shoshone Project, Buffalo Bill 
Dam, Wyoming: Renewal of exchange water service contract not to exceed 
500 acre-feet of water to service 249 acres. Completed contract 
actions:
    7. Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, Yellowtail Unit, Lower 
Bighorn Division, P-SMBP, Montana: The Northern Cheyenne Reserved Water 
Rights Settlement Act of 1992 allocates to the Tribe, 30,000 acre-feet 
of water per year stored at Bighorn Reservoir, Montana. In accordance 
with section 9 of the Act, Reclamation and the Tribe must negotiate an 
agreement for the water. The Tribe is to pay the United States both 
capital and O&M costs for water the Tribe uses or sells from this 
storage for M&I purposes. Reclamation and the Tribe are continuing to 
negotiate the terms of the Agreement. The agreement has been sent to 
the Tribe for signature. A date for execution has not been scheduled. 
Storage agreement was signed June 12, 2001, at the Tribal Headquarters 
in Lame Deer, Montana.

[[Page 41040]]

    17. Nueces River Project, Texas: Recalculate existing contract 
repayment schedule to conform with the provisions of the Emergency 
Drought Relief Act of 1996. The revised schedule is to reflect a 5-year 
deferment of payments. Received approval of the BON from the 
Commissioner and a public notice has been printed in the Corpus Christi 
Caller-Times. Contract amendment for deferment and extension of 
repayment obligation has been executed.
    25. Green Mountain Project, Colorado: Historic user pool surplus 
water for municipal recreation. This agreement is with the City of 
Grand Junction, City of Fruita, and the Town of Palisade. Contract has 
been executed.
    32. Virginia L. and Earl K. Sauerwein (Individual), Shoshone 
Project, Buffalo Bill Dam, Wyoming: Exchange water service contract not 
to exceed 100 acre-feet of water to service 126 acres. Contract has 
been executed.
    36. Tom Green County and Improvement District No. 1, San Angelo 
Project, Texas: The District has requested a deferment of its 2001 
construction payment. Received approval of the BON and delegation of 
authority to execute an amendment for deferment of the 2001 
construction charge installment from the Commissioner. A public notice 
has been printed in the San Angelo Times. Contract amendment for 
deferment of the 2001 repayment obligation has been executed.

    Dated: July 31, 2001.
Elizabeth Cordova-Harrison,
Deputy Director, Office of Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-19556 Filed 8-3-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P