[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 147 (Wednesday, July 31, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46365-46367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-18354]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

[G63-0982-9832-100-96-76, 84-55000]


Quarterly Status Report of Water Service, Repayment, and Other 
Water-Related Contract Actions

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been 
proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and are new, 
modified, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this 
notice. 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 consistent with section 
9(f) of the Reclamation Project Act of 1939. Additional 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.

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 section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Kelly, Water and 
Environmental Resources Division, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 
25007, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-445-2888.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Consistent with section 9(f) of the 
Reclamation Project Act of 1939, and the rules and regulations 
published in 52 FR 11954, April 13, 1987 (43 CFR 426.22), Reclamation 
will publish notice of 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

[[Page 46366]]

contract execution. Please use the first quarter notice, 78 FR 21969, 
dated April 12, 2013, as a reference. 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 
the 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. Pursuant to the ``Final Revised Public 
Participation Procedures'' for water resource-related contract 
negotiations, published in 47 FR 7763, February 22, 1982, a tabulation 
is provided of all proposed contractual actions in each of the five 
Reclamation regions. 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, 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 or her 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. At a minimum, the regional director will 
furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in 
response to the initial public notice.

Definitions of Abbreviations Used in the Reports

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
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
FR Federal Register
IDD Irrigation and Drainage District
ID Irrigation District
LCWSP Lower Colorado Water Supply Project
M&I Municipal and Industrial
NMISC New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
O&M Operation and Maintenance
P-SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program
PPR Present Perfected Right
RRA Reclamation Reform Act of 1982
SOD Safety of Dams
SRPA Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
WD Water District

    Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis 
Road, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5344.
    Modified contract action:
    8. Three irrigation water user entities, Rogue River Basin Project, 
Oregon: Long-term contracts for exchange of water service with three 
entities for the provision of up to 292 acre-feet of stored water from 
Applegate Reservoir (a USACE project) for irrigation use in exchange 
for the transfer of out-of-stream water rights from the Little 
Applegate River to instream flow rights with the State of Oregon for 
instream flow use.
    Completed contract action:
    11. Prineville Reservoir Water Users, Crooked River Project, 
Oregon: Repayment agreements with spaceholder contractors for 
reimbursable cost of SOD modifications to Arthur R. Bowman Dam.
    Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5250.
    New contract action:
    57. Fresno County Waterworks No. 18, Friant Division, CVP, 
California: Execution of an agreement to provide for the O&M of select 
Federal facilities by Fresno County Waterworks No. 18.
    Completed contract actions:
    21. Oro Loma WD, CVP, California: Proposed partial assignment of 
4,000 acre-feet of the District's CVP supply to Westlands WD for 
irrigation and M&I use. Assignment executed on March 1, 2012.
    39. Tea Pot Dome WD and Saucelito ID, CVP, California: Partial 
assignment of 300 acre-feet of Tea Pot Dome's current Friant Division 
contract class 1 water supply to Saucelito ID. Assignment executed on 
April 14, 2013.
    40. Lewis Creek WD and Hills Valley ID, CVP, California: Partial 
assignment of 250 acre-feet of Lewis Creek's current Friant Division 
contract class 1 water to Hills Valley ID. Assignment executed on April 
12, 2013.
    41. Porterville ID and Hills Valley ID, CVP, California: Partial 
assignment of 1,000 acre-feet of Porterville's class 1 water to Hills 
Valley ID. Assignment executed on April 14, 2013.
    42. Exeter ID and Tri-Valley WD, CVP, California: Partial 
assignment of 400 acre-feet of Exeter's class 1 water to Tri-Valley WD. 
Assignment executed on April 15, 2013.
    49. Virginia L. Lempesis Separate Property Trust, CVP, California: 
Contract for the adjustment and settlement of certain claimed water 
rights in the Fresno Slough tributary to the San Joaquin River in 
fulfillment of such rights pursuant to contract No. I1r-1145 for the 
purchase of Miller & Lux Water Rights, dated July 27, 1939. Contract 
executed on April 6, 2013.
    Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470 
(Nevada Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, 
telephone 702-293-8192.
    Completed contract action:
    10. Gila River Indian Community and Apache Junction, CAP, Arizona: 
Approve a CAP water lease for 1,000 acre-feet per year which will end 
on the 100th anniversary of the option effective date as described in 
the lease. Lease executed on May 24, 2013.

[[Page 46367]]

    Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State 
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-
3864.
    Modified contract actions:
    3. Various Contactors, San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: The 
United States proposes to continue leasing water from various project 
contractors to stabilize flows in a critical reach of the Rio Grande in 
order to meet the needs of irrigators and preserve habitat for the 
silvery minnow. Reclamation expects to lease approximately 20,000 acre-
feet of water from willing lessors in 2013.
    4. Individual Irrigators, Carlsbad Project, New Mexico: The United 
States proposes to continue entering into forbearance contracts and 
lease agreements with individuals who have privately held water rights 
to divert nonproject water either directly from the Pecos River or from 
shallow/artesian wells in the Pecos River Watershed. Reclamation is in 
negotiations with Fort Sumner ID for partial and full-season fallowing. 
This action will result in additional water in the Pecos River to make 
up for the water depletions caused by changes in operations at Sumner 
Dam which were made to improve conditions for a threatened species, the 
Pecos Bluntnose Shiner.
    17. Contracts with various water user entities responsible for 
payment of O&M costs for Reclamation projects in Arizona, Colorado, New 
Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming: Contracts for extraordinary 
maintenance and replacement funded pursuant to Subtitle G of Pub. L. 
111-11 to be executed as project progresses.
    27. Weber Basin Project, Utah: The North Summit Pressurized 
Irrigation Company has requested a carriage contract for up to 7,000 
acre-feet of nonproject water through Wanship Dam and outlet works, 
Weber Basin Project. Negotiations are anticipated to begin shortly.
    28. Blue Cut Mitigation Project and Emery County Project, Utah: 
Reclamation has proposed an exchange under which it would provide an 
augmentation to flows in the San Rafael River to the Fish and Wildlife 
Service in exchange for the Fish and Wildlife Service transferring 
water right No. 93-2241 to Reclamation, Emery County Project. 
Reclamation will enter into a water service contract with the 
Cottonwood Creek Consolidated Irrigation Company for approximately 
2,300 acre-feet of water.
    2. San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: The United States and the 
Town of Taos, with passage of The Taos Indian Water Rights Settlement 
legislation by the Congress, entered into a new contract, No. 12-WC-40-
462, for an additional 366 acre-feet annually of project water. The 
settlement legislation provided for a third repayment contract for 40 
acre-feet of project water to be delivered to the El Prado Water and 
Sanitation District, contract No. 12-WC-40-463. The United States is 
holding the remaining 369 acre-feet of project water for potential use 
in Indian water rights settlements in New Mexico.
    Completed contract actions:
    2. San Juan-Chama Project, New Mexico: With passage of The Taos 
Indian Water Rights Settlement legislation by the Congress, the United 
States, entered into repayment contract No. 12-WC-40-462 with the Town 
of Taos for an additional 366 acre-feet annually of project water and 
repayment contract No. 12-WC-40-463 for 40 acre-feet of project water 
to be delivered to the El Prado Water and Sanitation District. Both 
contracts were executed on July 3, 2012.
    8. State of Colorado, Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New 
Mexico: Cost-sharing/repayment contract for up to 10,440 acre-feet per 
year of M&I water; contract terms to be consistent with the Colorado 
Ute Settlement Act Amendments of 2000 (Title III of Pub. L. 106-554). 
Contract executed on June 18, 2012.
    29. Jensen Unit, CUP, Utah: Temporary water service contract with 
the Uintah Water Conservancy District for use of the 3,300 acre-feet of 
Jensen Unit M&I water during drought years. Contract executed on June 
30, 2012.
    Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 36900, Federal 
Building, 2021 4th Avenue North, Billings, Montana 59101, telephone 
406-247-7752.
    New contract action:
    49. Harlan County Dam and Reservoir, Bostwick Division, P-SMBP, 
Nebraska and Kansas: Consideration of a contract with Bostwick ID in 
Nebraska and Kansas-Bostwick ID No. 2 for repayment of extraordinary 
O&M at Harlan County Dam and Reservoir.
    Modified contract actions:
    4. Ruedi Reservoir, Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Colorado: Proposed 
repayment contracts for the remaining water from the regulatory 
capacity of Ruedi Reservoir.
    19. Green Mountain Reservoir, Colorado-Big Thompson Project, 
Colorado: Consideration of a request for a long-term contract for 
municipal-recreational purposes.
    20. Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Colorado-Big 
Thompson Project, Colorado: Supplement to contract No. 9-07-70-W0020 to 
allow Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District to contract for 
delivery of 5,412.5 acre-feet of water annually out of Lake Granby to 
the 15-Mile Reach.
    Completed contract actions:
    14. Big Horn Canal ID, Boysen Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: Intent to 
enter into a long-term water service contract. Contract executed on May 
1, 2013.
    15. Hanover ID, Boysen Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming: Intent to enter into 
a long-term water service contract with the District. Contract executed 
May 1, 2013.
    29. Republican River Basin, P-SMBP, Kansas/Nebraska: Consideration 
of short-term contract(s) for use of Reclamation facilities during non-
irrigation season. Contract executed on May 10, 2013.

    Dated: June 20, 2013.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Policy and Administration.
[FR Doc. 2013-18354 Filed 7-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P