[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 207 (Thursday, October 25, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54031-54033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26871]


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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 August 6, 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
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 action:
    23. Roza ID, Yakima Project, Washington: Deferment contract for the 
deferment of the District's 2001 construction obligation under the 
Drought Act of 1959.
    Modified contract action:
    14. Farmer's and Buck and Jones Ditch Associations or the Applegate 
Irrigation Corporation, Rogue River Basin Project, Oregon: Long-term 
irrigation water service contract for provision of up to 4,475 acre-
feet of stored water from Applegate Reservoir (a Corps of Engineers' 
project) in exchange for the assignment of Little Applegate River 
natural flow rights to Reclamation for instream flow use. Contract may 
be executed with Applegate Irrigation Corporation representing and 
comprising the

[[Page 54032]]

participating members of the Ditch Associations.

Mid-Pacific Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 
95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5250.
    Modified contract action:
    13. Santa Barbara County Water Agency, Cachuma Operations and 
Maintenance Board (as acknowledged by the Santa Barbara County Water 
Agency), Cachuma Project, California: Temporary interim contract (not 
to exceed 1 year) to transfer responsibility of certain Cachuma Project 
facilities to member units.
    Completed contract actions:
    15. East Bay Municipal Utility District, CVP, California: Amendment 
to long-term water service contract No. 14-06-200-5183A to change the 
points of diversion and adjust water quantities. The amended contract 
will conform to current Reclamation law. Amendatory contract No. 14-06-
200-5183A-1 was executed July 20, 2001.
    36. Monterey County Water Resources Agency, SRPA, California: 
Proposed contract amendment to provide for deferral of installments of 
construction charges under a SRPA loan repayment contract. Amendatory 
contract No. 5-07-20-W1283A was executed September 5, 2001.
    37. Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency, SRPA, 
California: Proposed contract amendment to provide for deferral of 
installments of construction charges under a SRPA loan repayment 
contract. Amendatory contract No. 5-07-W1284A was executed September 5, 
2001.
    39. Truckee-Carson ID, Newlands Project, Nevada: Amendment to O&M 
contract No. 7-07-20-X0348 to include mutually agreed upon Consumer 
Price Index for the current year and incorporation of a new Consumer 
Price Index as determined by the Contracting Officer applicable to 
Fallon, Nevada (or the nearest urban area in the event that such index 
is not determined for Fallon, Nevada). Amendatory contract No. 7-07-20-
X0348A was executed September 10, 2001.

Lower Colorado Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada Highway and Park 
Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone 702-293-8536.
    Modified contract action:
    3. Brooke Water Company, BCP, Arizona: Contract amendment for 
additional Colorado River water to entities located along the Colorado 
River in Arizona for up to 120 acre-feet per year for domestic uses as 
recommended by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
    Discontinued contract actions:
    54. City of Chandler, CAP, Arizona: Proposed amendment of CAP water 
delivery subcontract to delete provision requiring offsetting reduction 
of Chandler's CAP water entitlement for quantities of water received in 
a direct effluent exchange with an Indian community. This action was 
combined with item No. 55 of the March 5, 2001, report and is now item 
No. 63 as published in the August 6, 2001, report.
    55. City of Mesa, CAP, Arizona: Proposed amendment of CAP water 
delivery subcontract to delete provision requiring offsetting reduction 
of Mesa's CAP water entitlement for quantities of water received in a 
direct effluent exchange with an Indian community. This action was 
combined with item No. 54 of the March 5, 2001, report and is now item 
No. 63 as published in the August 6, 2001, report.
    Completed contract actions:
    3. Havasu Water Co., BCP, Arizona: Contracts for additional 
Colorado River water to entities located along the Colorado River in 
Arizona for up to 1,420 acre-feet per year for domestic uses as 
recommended by the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
    23. Southern Nevada Water Authority, Robert B. Griffith Water 
Project, BCP, Nevada: Amend the repayment contract to provide for the 
incorporation of the Griffith Project into the expanded Southern Nevada 
Water System, funded and built by Southern Nevada Water Authority, to 
facilitate the diversion, treatment, and conveyance of additional water 
out of Lake Mead for which the Authority has an existing entitlement to 
use.
    37. Southern Nevada Water Authority, Robert B. Griffith Water 
Project, Nevada: Title transfer of physical facilities with interest in 
acquired lands and grant or assignment of perpetual rights or easements 
over Federal lands.
    41. BHP Copper, Inc., CAP, Arizona: Proposed agreement and 
amendments to CAP water delivery subcontracts to transfer BHP Copper's 
CAP water allocation to the City of Scottsdale, Town of Carefree, and 
Tonto Hills Utility Company.
    59. Yuma County Water Users Association, Colorado River Front Work 
and Levee System, Arizona: Contract providing for operation, 
maintenance, and replacement of drainage facilities.
    60. North Baja Pipeline, BCP, Arizona: Contract assignment of 
agricultural water from Jamar Produce Corporation to North Baja 
Pipeline.

Upper Colorado Region:

    Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84138-1147, telephone 801-524-3691.
    New contract actions:
    24. Provo River Water Users Association, Provo River Project, Utah: 
Contract to provide for repayment of reimbursable portion of 
construction costs of SOD modifications to Deer Creek Dam.
    25. Village of Taos Ski Valley, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: 
Conversion of M&I water service contract for 15 acre-feet per year to a 
repayment contract.
    26. City of Espanola, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: 
Conversion of M&I water service contract for 1,000 acre-feet per year 
to a repayment contract.
    Modified contract action:
    11. Sanpete County Water Conservancy District, Narrows Project, 
Utah: Application for a SRPA loan and grant to construct a dam, 
reservoir, and pipeline to annually supply approximately 5,000 acre-
feet of water through a transmountain diversion from upper Gooseberry 
Creek in the Price River drainage (Colorado River Basin) to the San 
Pitch--Sevier River (Great Basin).
    Completed contract action:
    16. Twining Water and Sanitation District, San Juan-Chama Project, 
New Mexico: Assignment of M&I water service contract for 15 acre-feet 
per year to the Village of Taos Ski Valley and conversion of contract 
from water service to repayment contract. Assignment executed September 
6, 2001.

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:
    48. Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Initiating 25-year water 
service contract for up to 910 acre-feet of storage from Tiber 
Reservoir to irrigate 303.2 acres. A 1-year temporary contract has been 
issued to allow additional time to complete necessary actions required 
for the long-term contract. Another 1-year temporary has been issued to 
continue delivery of water until the long-term renewal process can be 
completed.
    49. Tom Green County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, 
San Angelo Project, Texas: The District has requested deferment of its 
2002 repayment obligation. A BON has been

[[Page 54033]]

prepared requesting approval to amend contract No. 14-06-500-369.
    Modified contract actions:
    42. Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: City of Chester water 
service contract expires January of 2002. Initiating negotiation for 
renewal of a water service contract for an annual supply of raw water 
for domestic use from the Milk River not to exceed 500 acre-feet. A 1-
year interim contract may be issued to continue delivery of water from 
the Milk River below Fresno Reservoir until the necessary actions can 
be completed to renew the long-term contract.
    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. The BON has been approved by the Commissioner.

    Dated: October 17, 2001.
Elizabeth Cordova-Harrison,
Deputy Director, Office of Policy.
[FR Doc. 01-26871 Filed 10-24-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P