[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 25, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14583-14584]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-05756]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[Docket No. USGS-2025-0237; OMB Control Number 1028-0097; G26DUKGUK001]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; USGS Water 
Resources Research Act Program

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) is proposing to renew an information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
April 24, 2026.

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-2025-0237.
    [ssquf] U.S. Mail: USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christian Schmidt by email at [email protected], or by telephone at 208-861-2866. Individuals 
in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have 
a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or Tele Braille) 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. 
You may also view the ICR at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) and 5 CFR 1320.8(d)(1), we provide the 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 
January 22, 2026 (91 FR 2795). The following comment was received: 
``mkp-xex8-y7jo''
    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 comments 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 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 using 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 personal identifying information from 
public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    Abstract: The Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as amended (42 
U.S.C. 10301 et seq.), authorizes a research institute water resources 
or center in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Federated States of 
Micronesia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands, and 
American Samoa. There are currently 54 such institutes, one in each 
state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
and Guam. The institute in Guam is a regional institute serving Guam, 
the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands. The institute in Hawaii is also a regional 
institute serving Hawaii and American Samoa. Each of the 54 institutes 
submits an annual application for an allotment grant and provides an 
annual report on its activities under the grant. The State Water 
Resources Research Institute Program issues an annual call for 
applications from the institutes to support plans to promote research, 
training, information dissemination, and other activities meeting the 
needs of the States and Nation. The program also encourages regional 
cooperation among institutes in research into areas of water 
management, development, and conservation that have a regional or 
national character. The U.S. Geological Survey has been designated as 
the administrator of the provisions of the Act.
    Title of Collection: Annual Fiscal Year Reports.
    OMB Control Number: 1028-0097.
    Form Number: None.
    Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: The state water resources research 
institutes authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984, as 
amended, and listed at http://water.usgs.gov/wrri/index.php.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 54.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 173.
    Estimated Completion Time per Response: Varies by activity. We 
estimate approximately 100 hours per respondent to prepare and submit 
the annual application; 40 hours per respondent to complete the annual 
report; and 40 hours per national competitive grant application.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 10,160.
    Each respondent is expected to submit: 1 annual application 
(104c)--estimated 100 hours; 1 annual report--estimated 40 hours.
    National competitive grant applications (104g)--estimated 40 hours 
each; not all respondents will submit these, but we anticipate 65 
responses across the program.
    Respondent's Obligation: Mandatory.

[[Page 14584]]

    Frequency of Collection: Annually.
    Total Estimated Annual Non-Hour Burden Cost: 0.
    An agency may not conduct, or sponsor and a person is not 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.).

William H. Werkheiser,
Associate Director for Water Mission Area.
[FR Doc. 2026-05756 Filed 3-24-26; 8:45 am]
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