[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31678-31679]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13203]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[Docket No. USGS-2025-0004; OMB Control Number 1028-NEW;
GX25DJ70GY100000;]
Agency Information Collection Activities: USGS Generic Clearance
for Water Availability Information Collections
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS, we) is proposing a new information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments. To be
considered, your comments must be received on or before August 14,
2025.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
[ssquf] Internet: https://www.regulations.gov. Search for and
submit comments on Docket No. USGS-2025-0004.
[ssquf] U.S. Mail: USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer,
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Katrina Alger by email at
[email protected], or by telephone at 608-828-9901. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services. Individuals outside the United
States should use the relay services offered within their country to
make international calls to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public and
other Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on new, proposed,
revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps us
assess the impact of our information collection requirements and
minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public
understand our information collection requirements and provide the
requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice with a 60-day public comment period
soliciting comments on this collection of information was published on
November 7, 2024 (89 FR 88302). No comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other
Federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are
especially interested in public comment addressing the following:
(1) Whether or not the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including
whether or not the information will have practical utility;
(2) The accuracy of our estimate of the burden for this collection
of information, including the validity of the methodology and
assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
(4) How the agency might minimize the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to respond, including through the use of
appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g.,
permitting electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personally identifiable information (PII) in your
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your
PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us
in your comment to withhold your PII from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: Water information is fundamental to national and local
economic well-being, protection of life and property, and the effective
management of the Nation's water resources. The USGS works with
partners to monitor, assess, conduct targeted research, and deliver
information on a wide range of water resources and conditions, as
mandated by the SECURE Water Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11, title IX,
subtitle F of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009). This
legislation emphasizes the need for updated, reliable data to support
water resource planning and management, and specifically directs the
USGS to improve assessments and forecasts of water availability,
defined as ``the balance between water supply and demand, as determined
using a set of core components of water quality, quantity, and use.''
This generic information collection clearance will centralize
administration of USGS public data collections in the topic area of
water availability--encompassing both the supply and demand aspects, as
well as water quality, access, and usage patterns--and allow for more
systematic and timely collections that will benefit new and ongoing
research programs within the Water Resources Mission Area.
The USGS plans a variety of qualitative and quantitative data
collection methods under this clearance, which may include surveys,
interviews, and focus groups. The exact nature of the instruments and
samples is dependent on each individual project and details will be
provided for each individual information collection request submitted,
following OMB requirements. The bureau commits to ensuring that all
collections are voluntary, minimally burdensome, noncontroversial, and
only conducted with informed participant consent. All data collected
will protect respondent privacy to the extent permitted by law, with a
particular emphasis on protecting PII. Any information collected will
not be used to influence policy decisions directly and will only be
disseminated in aggregated or anonymized formats, adhering to strict
guidelines for scientific integrity and privacy. Respondents will be
informed of all planned data uses. Measures will be taken to minimize
public burden to the greatest extent possible, including review and
pre-testing of instruments to ensure clarity and relevance, and using
[[Page 31679]]
electronic collection means whenever possible.
The research anticipated under this request will be used to advance
both the scientific understanding of our socio-hydrological system and
bureau priorities to integrate social science, decision science, and
human-centered design more fully into Water Enterprise projects in a
strategic, rigorous, and consistent way. Collection of this information
supports the USGS by improving both national and regional assessments
of water quantity, quality, and use; advancing scientific understanding
related to the human drivers of water availability; informing product
development to maximize the utility and usability of USGS water data;
and framing future and ongoing research efforts within the bureau.
Outputs are likely to reduce costs and improve outcomes for both the
bureau and the public by ensuring our science is conducted efficiently,
effectively, and is serving its intended purpose.
Title of Collection: USGS Generic Clearance for Water Availability
Information Collections.
OMB Control Number: 1028-NEW.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: New.
Respondents/Affected Public: State, local and Tribal government;
individuals or households; universities; businesses or other for-profit
organizations; not-for-profit institutions; Federal Government.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 4,650.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies from 15 minutes to 2
hours, depending on the activity.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 3,500 (see chart
below).
Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
Frequency of Collection: As needed.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: $0.
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Number of
State, local, Number of Total hours
Type of collection or tribal public Average burden per response for instrument
respondents respondents
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Survey......................... 1,500 1,500 0.25 (15 minutes).............. 750
Individual Interview, Long-- 100 100 1.5 (90 minutes)............... 300
Structured or Semi-structured.
Individual Interview, Short-- 225 225 1 (60 minutes)................. 450
Structured or Semi-structured.
Focus Groups/Small Group 500 500 2 (120 minutes)................ 2,000
Discussion.
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Total Responses by 2,325 2,325 Total Burden Hours 3,500
Participant Group.
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An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person is required
to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the PRA of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et
seq.).
Emily Read,
Acting Director, Integrated Information Dissemination Division, Water
Resources Mission Area.
[FR Doc. 2025-13203 Filed 7-14-25; 8:45 am]
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