[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 150 (Tuesday, August 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47235-47238]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16881]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[201A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]


Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns or has an interest in 
irrigation projects located on or associated with various Indian 
reservations throughout the United States. We are required to establish 
irrigation assessment rates to recover the costs to administer, 
operate, maintain, and rehabilitate these projects. We are notifying 
you that we have adjusted the irrigation assessment rates at several of 
our irrigation projects and facilities to reflect current costs of 
administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

DATES: The irrigation assessment rates are current as of January 1, 
2020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For details about a particular BIA 
irrigation project or facility, please use the tables in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section to identify contacts at the regional 
or local office at which the project or facility is located.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Proposed Rate Adjustment was 
published in the Federal Register on February 25, 2020 (85 FR 10715) to 
propose adjustments to the irrigation assessment rates at several BIA 
irrigation projects. The public and interested parties were provided an 
opportunity to submit written comments during the 60-day period that 
ended April 27, 2020.

Did BIA defer or change any proposed rate increases?

    Yes. The 2021 Operation and Maintenance (O&M) rate for San Carlos 
Irrigation Project--Indian Works of $104.00 per acre will not be 
implemented as originally proposed. A component of the San Carlos 
Irrigation Project--Indian Works rate is established by the San Carlos 
Irrigation Project Joint Control Board (comprised of representatives 
from the Gila River Indian Community and the San Carlos Irrigation and 
Drainage District), which is responsible for maintenance of the San 
Carlos Irrigation Project Joint Delivery Facilities. The Joint Control 
Board has changed its 2021 rate from $22.22 per acre to $16.00 per 
acre. The other two components of the San Carlos Irrigation Project--
Indian Works rate (San Carlos Irrigation Project--Indian Works and San 
Carlos Irrigation Project--Joint Works) are established by BIA and will 
be implemented as proposed in the Federal Register. Because the Joint 
Control Board changed its rate component, this notice of rate 
adjustment reflects an equivalent change and a final 2021 O&M rate of 
$97.78 per acre for San Carlos Irrigation Project--Indian Works. All 
other rates are to be implemented at the respective irrigation projects 
as proposed.

Did BIA receive any comments on the proposed irrigation assessment rate 
adjustments?

    No. BIA did not receive any comments on the proposed irrigation 
assessment rate adjustments.

Does this notice affect me?

    This notice affects you if you own or lease land within the 
assessable acreage of one of our irrigation projects or if you have a 
carriage agreement with one of our irrigation projects.

Where can I get information on the regulatory and legal citations in 
this notice?

    You can contact the appropriate office(s) stated in the tables for 
the irrigation project that serves you, or you can use the internet 
site for the Government Publishing Office at www.gpo.gov.

What authorizes you to issue this notice?

    Our authority to issue this notice is vested in the Secretary of 
the Interior (Secretary) by 5 U.S.C. 301 and the Act of August 14, 1914 
(38 Stat. 583; 25 U.S.C. 385). The Secretary has in turn delegated this 
authority to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs under Part 209, 
Chapter 8.1A, of the Department of the Interior's Departmental Manual.

Whom can I contact for further information?

    The following tables are the regional and project/agency contacts 
for our irrigation facilities.

[[Page 47236]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Project name                    Project/agency contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Northwest Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Mercier, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest
 Regional Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232-4169,
 Telephone: (503) 231-6702.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Flathead Indian Irrigation Project  Robert Compton, Acting
                                     Superintendent, Larry Nelson,
                                     Acting Irrigation Project Manager,
                                     P.O. Box 40, Pablo, MT 59855,
                                     Telephones: (406) 675-0207 Acting
                                     Superintendent, (406) 745-2661
                                     Project Manager.
Fort Hall Irrigation Project......  Tim Gardner, Acting Irrigation
                                     Project Manager, Building #2
                                     Bannock Avenue, Fort Hall, ID 83203-
                                     0220, Telephone: (208) 238-1992.
Wapato Irrigation Project.........  Wyeth Wallace, Acting
                                     Superintendent, Pete Plant, Acting
                                     Project Administrator, 413 South
                                     Camas Avenue, Wapato, WA 98951-
                                     0220, Telephones: (509) 865-2421
                                     Acting Superintendent, (509) 877-
                                     3155 Acting Project Administrator.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Rocky Mountain Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Susan Messerly, Acting Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
 Rocky Mountain Regional Office, 2021 4th Avenue North, Billings, MT
 59101, Telephone: (406) 247-7943.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackfeet Irrigation Project......  Thedis Crowe, Superintendent, Greg
                                     Tatsey, Irrigation Project Manager,
                                     Box 880, Browning, MT 59417,
                                     Telephones: (406) 338-7544
                                     Superintendent, (406) 338-7519
                                     Irrigation Project Manager.
Crow Irrigation Project...........  Clifford Serawop, Superintendent,
                                     Jim Gappa, Acting Irrigation
                                     Project Manager, (Project O&M
                                     performed by Water Users
                                     Association), P.O. Box 69, Crow
                                     Agency, MT 59022, Telephones: (406)
                                     638-2672 Superintendent, (406) 247-
                                     7998 Acting Irrigation Project
                                     Manager.
Fort Belknap Irrigation Project...  Mark Azure, Superintendent, Jim
                                     Gappa, Acting Irrigation Project
                                     Manager (BIA), (Project O&M
                                     contracted to Tribes under PL 93-
                                     638), R.R.1, Box 980, Harlem, MT
                                     59526, Telephones: (406) 353-2901
                                     Superintendent, (406) 353-8454
                                     Irrigation Project Manager (Tribal
                                     Office).
Fort Peck Irrigation Project......  Howard Beemer, Superintendent, Jim
                                     Gappa, Acting Irrigation Project
                                     Manager, (Project O&M performed by
                                     Fort Peck Water Users Association),
                                     P.O. Box 637, Poplar, MT 59255,
                                     Telephones: (406) 768-5312
                                     Superintendent, (406) 653-1752
                                     Huber Wright--Lead ISO.
Wind River Irrigation Project.....  Leslie Shakespeare, Superintendent,
                                     Jim Gappa, Acting Irrigation
                                     Project Manager, (Project O&M for
                                     Little Wind, Johnstown, and
                                     Lefthand Units contracted to Tribes
                                     under PL 93-638; Little Wind-Ray
                                     and Upper Wind Units O&M performed
                                     by Ray Canal, A Canal, and
                                     Crowheart Water Users
                                     Associations), P.O. Box 158, Fort
                                     Washakie, WY 82514, Telephones:
                                     (307) 332-7810 Superintendent,
                                     (406) 247-7998 Acting Irrigation
                                     Project Manager.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Southwest Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia L. Mattingly, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
 Southwest Regional Office, 1001 Indian School Road, Albuquerque, NM
 87104, Telephone: (505) 563-3100.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pine River Irrigation Project.....  Priscilla Bancroft, Superintendent,
                                     Vickie Begay, Irrigation Project
                                     Manager, P.O. Box 315, Ignacio, CO
                                     81137-0315, Telephones: (970) 563-
                                     4511, Superintendent, (970) 563-
                                     9484, Irrigation Project Manager.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Western Region Contacts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bryan Bowker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Western
 Regional Office, 2600 North Central Avenue, 4th Floor Mailroom,
 Phoenix, AZ 85004, Telephone: (602) 379-6600.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colorado River Irrigation Project.  Davetta Ameelyenah, Superintendent,
                                     Gary Colvin, Irrigation Project
                                     Manager, 12124 1st Avenue, Parker,
                                     AZ 85344, Telephone: (928) 669-
                                     7111.
Duck Valley Irrigation Project....  Joseph McDade, Superintendent,
                                     (Project O&M compacted to Tribes),
                                     2719 Argent Avenue, Suite 4,
                                     Gateway Plaza, Elko, NV 89801,
                                     Telephone: (775) 738-5165, (208)
                                     759-3100 (Tribal Office).
Yuma Project, Indian Unit.........  Denni Shields, Superintendent, 256
                                     South Second Avenue, Suite D, Yuma,
                                     AZ 85364, Telephone: (928) 782-
                                     1202.
San Carlos Irrigation Project       Ferris Begay, Project Manager, Kyle
 (Indian Works and Joint Works).     Varvel, Acting Supervisory Civil
                                     Engineer, 13805 North Arizona
                                     Boulevard, Coolidge, AZ 85128,
                                     Telephone: (520) 723-6225.
Uintah Irrigation Project.........  Antonio Pingree, Superintendent, Ken
                                     Asay, Irrigation System Manager,
                                     (Project O&M performed by Uintah
                                     Indian Irrigation Project Operation
                                     and Maintenance Company), P.O. Box
                                     130, Fort Duchesne, UT 84026,
                                     Telephone: (435) 722-4300, (435)
                                     722-4344.
Walker River Irrigation Project...  Robert Eben, Superintendent, 311
                                     East Washington Street, Carson
                                     City, NV 89701, Telephone: (775)
                                     887-3500.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

What irrigation assessments or charges are adjusted by this notice?

    The rate table below contains final rates for the 2020 and 2021 
calendar years for all irrigation projects where we recover costs of 
administering, operating, maintaining, and rehabilitating them. An 
asterisk immediately following the rate category notes the irrigation 
projects where 2020 rates are different from the 2021 rates.

[[Page 47237]]



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                                                                                                                            Final 2020      Final 2021
                                     Project name                                                Rate category                 rate            rate
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                                                               Northwest Region Rate Table
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Flathead Irrigation Project..........................................................  Basic per acre--A................          $33.50          $33.50
                                                                                       Basic per acre--B................           16.75           16.75
                                                                                       Minimum Charge per tract.........           75.00           75.00
Fort Hall Irrigation Project.........................................................  Basic per acre...................           58.50           58.50
                                                                                       Minimum Charge per tract.........           39.00           39.00
Fort Hall Irrigation Project--Minor Units............................................  Basic per acre...................           38.00           38.00
                                                                                       Minimum Charge per tract.........           39.00           39.00
Fort Hall Irrigation Project--Michaud Unit...........................................  Basic per acre...................           63.50           63.50
                                                                                       Pressure per acre *..............           98.50           99.50
                                                                                       Minimum Charge per tract.........           39.00           39.00
Wapato Irrigation Project--Toppenish/Simcoe Units....................................  Minimum Charge per bill..........           25.00           25.00
                                                                                       Basic per acre...................           25.00           25.00
Wapato Irrigation Project--Ahtanum Units.............................................  Minimum Charge per bill..........           30.00           30.00
                                                                                       Basic per acre...................           30.00           30.00
Wapato Irrigation Project--Satus Unit................................................  Minimum Charge per bill..........           79.00           79.00
                                                                                       ``A'' Basic per acre.............           79.00           79.00
                                                                                       ``B'' Basic per acre.............           85.00           85.00
Wapato Irrigation Project--Additional Works..........................................  Minimum Charge per bill..........           80.00           80.00
                                                                                       Basic per acre...................           80.00           80.00
Wapato Irrigation Project--Water Rental..............................................  Minimum Charge per bill..........           86.00           86.00
                                                                                       Basic per acre...................           86.00           86.00
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                                                            Rocky Mountain Region Rate Table
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Blackfeet Irrigation Project.........................................................  Basic per acre *.................          $20.00          $20.50
Crow Irrigation Project--Willow Creek O&M (includes Agency, Lodge Grass #1, Lodge      Basic per acre *.................           28.00           28.50
 Grass #2, Reno, Upper Little Horn, and Forty Mile Units).
Crow Irrigation Project--All Others (includes Bighorn, Soap Creek, and Pryor Units)..  Basic per acre *.................           28.00           28.50
Crow Irrigation Project--Two Leggins Unit............................................  Basic per acre...................           14.00           14.00
Crow Irrigation Two Leggins Drainage District........................................  Basic per acre...................            2.00            2.00
Fort Belknap Irrigation Project......................................................  Basic per acre...................           17.00           17.00
Fort Peck Irrigation Project.........................................................  Basic per acre...................           27.00           27.00
Wind River Irrigation Project--Units 2, 3 and 4......................................  Basic per acre...................           25.00           25.00
Wind River Irrigation Project--Unit 6................................................  Basic per acre...................           22.00           22.00
Wind River Irrigation Project--LeClair District (See Note #1)........................  Basic per acre...................           47.00           47.00
Wind River Irrigation Project--Crow Heart Unit.......................................  Basic per acre...................           16.50           16.50
Wind River Irrigation Project--A Canal Unit..........................................  Basic per acre...................           16.50           16.50
Wind River Irrigation Project--Riverton Valley Irrigation District (See Note #1).....  Basic per acre...................           30.65           30.65
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                                                               Southwest Region Rate Table
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Pine River Irrigation Project........................................................  Minimum Charge per tract.........           50.00           50.00
                                                                                       Basic per acre *.................           21.50           22.00
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                                                                Western Region Rate Table
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Colorado River Irrigation Project....................................................  Basic per acre up to 5.75 acre-             59.00           61.50
                                                                                        feet *.
                                                                                       Excess Water per acre-foot over             18.00           18.00
                                                                                        5.75 acre-feet.
Duck Valley Irrigation Project (See Note #2).........................................  Basic per acre...................            5.30            5.30
Yuma Project, Indian Unit (See Note #3)..............................................  Basic per acre up to 5.0 acre-             154.50           ( + )
                                                                                        feet.
                                                                                       Excess Water per acre-foot over             30.00           ( + )
                                                                                        5.0 acre-feet.
                                                                                       Basic per acre up to 5.0 acre-             154.50           ( + )
                                                                                        feet (Ranch 5).
San Carlos Irrigation Project (Joint Works) (See Note #4)............................  Basic per acre *.................           20.00           25.78
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                                                                                      Final 2020 and 2021 Construction Water Rate Schedule:
                                                                       ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                      On project          On project
                                                                                                 Off project        construction--      construction--
                                                                                                 construction        gravity water        pump water
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Administrative Fee.  $300.00............  $300.00...........  $300.00.
                                                                        Usage Fee..........  $250.00 per month..  No Fee............  $100.00 per acre
                                                                                                                                       foot.
                                                                        Excess Water Rate    $5.00 per 1,000 gal  No Charge.........  No Charge.
                                                                         [dagger].
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                                                                                                                            Final 2020      Final 2021
                                     Project name                                                Rate category                 rate            rate
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San Carlos Irrigation Project (Indian Works) (See Note #5)...........................  Basic per acre *.................          $86.00          $97.78
Uintah Irrigation Project............................................................  Basic per acre...................           23.00           23.00
                                                                                       Minimum Bill.....................           25.00           25.00
Walker River Irrigation Project......................................................  Basic per acre...................           31.00           31.00
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* Notes irrigation projects where rates are adjusted.
+ The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) rate component has not been established. See Note #3.
[dagger] The excess water rate applies to all water used in excess of 50,000 gallons in any one month.
Note #1 O&M rates for LeClair and Riverton Valley Irrigation Districts apply to Trust lands that are serviced by each irrigation district. The annual
  O&M rates are based on budgets submitted by LeClair and Riverton Valley Irrigation Districts, respectively.
Note #2 The annual O&M rate is established by the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes who perform O&M under a self-governance compact.

[[Page 47238]]

 
Note #3 The O&M rate for the Yuma Project, Indian Unit has two components. The first component of the O&M rate is established by the Bureau of
  Reclamation (BOR), the owner and operator of the Project. BOR's rate, which is based upon the annual budget submitted by BOR, is $151.00 for 2020 but
  has not been established for 2021. The second component of the O&M rate is established by BIA to cover administrative costs, which includes billing
  and collections for the Project. The final 2020 and 2021 BIA rate component is $3.50/acre.
Note #4 The Construction Water Rate Schedule identifies fees assessed for use of irrigation water for non-irrigation purposes.
Note #5 The O&M rate for the San Carlos Irrigation Project--Indian Works has three components. The first component is established by the BIA San Carlos
  Irrigation Project--Indian Works, the owner and operator of the Project; the final 2021 Indian Works rate component is $56.00 per acre. The second
  component is established by the BIA San Carlos Irrigation Project--Joint Works; the final 2021 Joint Works rate component is $25.78 per acre. The
  third component is established by the San Carlos Irrigation Project Joint Control Board and is $16.00 per acre for 2021.

Consultation and Coordination With Tribal Governments (Executive Order 
13175)

    The Department of the Interior strives to strengthen its 
government-to-government relationship with Indian Tribes through a 
commitment to consultation with Indian Tribes and recognition of their 
right to self-governance and Tribal sovereignty. We have evaluated this 
notice under the Department's consultation policy and under the 
criteria of Executive Order 13175 and have determined there to be 
substantial direct effects on federally recognized Tribes because the 
irrigation projects are located on or associated with Indian 
reservations. To fulfill its consultation responsibility to Tribes and 
Tribal organizations, BIA communicates, coordinates, and consults on a 
continuing basis with these entities on issues of water delivery, water 
availability, and costs of administration, operation, maintenance, and 
rehabilitation of projects that concern them. This is accomplished at 
the individual irrigation project by project, agency, and regional 
representatives, as appropriate, in accordance with local protocol and 
procedures. This notice is one component of our overall coordination 
and consultation process to provide notice to, and request comments 
from, these entities when we adjust irrigation assessment rates.

Actions Concerning Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, 
Distribution, or Use (Executive Order 13211)

    The rate adjustments are not a significant energy action under the 
definition in Executive Order 13211. A Statement of Energy Effects is 
not required.

Regulatory Planning and Review (Executive Order 12866)

    These rate adjustments are not a significant regulatory action and 
do not need to be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget under 
Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    These rate adjustments are not a rule for the purposes of the 
Regulatory Flexibility Act because they establish ``a rule of 
particular applicability relating to rates.'' 5 U.S.C. 601(2).

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    These rate adjustments do not impose an unfunded mandate on state, 
local, or Tribal governments in the aggregate, or on the private 
sector, of more than $130 million per year. They do not have a 
significant or unique effect on State, local, or Tribal governments or 
the private sector. Therefore, the Department is not required to 
prepare a statement containing the information required by the Unfunded 
Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Takings (Executive Order 12630)

    These rate adjustments do not effect a taking of private property 
or otherwise have ``takings'' implications under Executive Order 12630. 
The rate adjustments do not deprive the public, State, or local 
governments of rights or property.

Federalism (Executive Order 13132)

    Under the criteria in section 1 of Executive Order 13132, these 
rate adjustments do not have sufficient federalism implications to 
warrant the preparation of a federalism summary impact statement 
because they will not affect the States, the relationship between the 
national government and the States, or the distribution of power and 
responsibilities among various levels of government. A federalism 
summary impact statement is not required.

Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 12988)

    This notice complies with the requirements of Executive Order 
12988. Specifically, in issuing this notice, the Department has taken 
the necessary steps to eliminate drafting errors and ambiguity, 
minimize potential litigation, and provide a clear legal standard for 
affected conduct as required by section 3 of Executive Order 12988.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    These rate adjustments do not affect the collections of information 
which have been approved by the Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. The OMB Control Number is 1076-0141 and expires 
January 31, 2023.

National Environmental Policy Act

    The Department has determined that these rate adjustments do not 
constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality 
of the human environment and that no detailed statement is required 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321-
4370(d)), pursuant to 43 CFR 46.210(i). In addition, the rate 
adjustments do not present any of the 12 extraordinary circumstances 
listed at 43 CFR 46.215.

Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-16881 Filed 8-3-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P