[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3384-3385]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00903]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

[Docket ID: USA-2023-HQ-0014]


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Department of the Army, 
Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: 30-Day information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: The DoD has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for clearance the following proposal for collection of 
information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by February 
20, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed 
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of 
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular

[[Page 3385]]

information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lane Purvis, (571) 372-0460, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Managed Aquifer Recharge 
Planning and Guidance Study; OMB Control Number 0710-MARP.
    Type of Request: New.
    Number of Respondents: 1,600.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 1,600.
    Average Burden per Response: 15 minutes.
    Annual Burden Hours: 400.
    Needs and Uses: The survey will inform the development of a 
screening tool and other resources for USACE Districts to identify 
optimal sites for Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), which uses captured 
surface water to replenish groundwater. The Water Resources Development 
Act (WRDA) of 2016 provides authority for water supply conservation 
projects for drought resilience and water supply availability studies 
for water resources development (Sections 1116 and 1118, respectively). 
The WRDA of 2016 further requires USACE to consider natural and nature-
based features, such as MAR, as potential solutions to address various 
challenges along with other measures. However, USACE has not developed 
a strategic framework for incorporating MAR into its operations. 
Furthermore, the Institute for Water Research concluded that Districts 
only engage with aquifer recharge in an ``ad hoc'' manner and 
recommended that USACE ``upgrade its internal capacity in MAR.'' (IWR 
2020). The WRDA of 2022 instructs USACE to ``conduct a study at Federal 
expense to determine the feasibility of carrying out managed aquifer 
recharge projects to address drought, water resiliency, and aquifer 
depletion.'' Following these recommendations, the proposed work 
contributes to the development of guidance on MAR. This aligns with 
Civil Works strategies for flood risk management, restoration of 
aquatic ecosystems in floodplains, and developing environmentally 
sustainable technical services that enhance public safety and require 
collaborative partnerships.
    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers--Engineer Research and Development 
Center has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) through the 
Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Units (CESU) Network to complete the 
``Managed Aquifer Recharge Planning and Guidance Study'' and meet the 
above goals and directives. The design of an effective screening tool 
and other resources for implementing MAR requires information held by 
key stakeholders and decision-makers to understand the challenges and 
needs associated with implementing MAR in regions around the nation. 
Developing the screening tool and other resources will further require 
identifying practitioners and stakeholders interested in participating 
in pilot projects.
    The ASU Principal Investigator and research team will deploy a 
survey to inform the development of a MAR screening tool by gathering 
information about the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of 
stakeholders and decision-makers about MAR. The survey will target a 
purposively developed sample of key water and floodplain stakeholders 
and decision-makers from across the continental United States.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; not-for-profit 
Institutions; State, local or Tribal government.
    Frequency: One time.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    OMB Desk Officer: Mr. Matthew Oreska.
    You may also submit comments and recommendations, identified by 
Docket ID number and title, by the following method:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, Docket ID number, and title for this Federal Register document. 
The general policy for comments and other submissions from members of 
the public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on 
the internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.
    DOD Clearance Officer: Mr. Lane Purvis.
    Requests for copies of the information collection proposal should 
be sent to Mr. Purvis at [email protected].

    Dated: January 10, 2024.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2024-00903 Filed 1-17-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6001-FR-P