[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59265-59267]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-22263]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


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

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 on July 26, 2004. 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: Sandra L. Simons, Manager, Contract 
Services Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 
80225-0007; telephone (303) 445-2902.

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 contract execution. 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

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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 area 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 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 are 
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 shall 
furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in 
response to the initial public notice.
    The February 27, 2004, notice should be used as a reference point 
to identify changes. The numbering system in this notice corresponds 
with the numbering system in the February 27, 2004, notice.

Definitions of Abbreviations Used in This Document

BCP Boulder Canyon Project
Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation
CAP Central Arizona Project
CVP Central Valley Project
CRSP Colorado River Storage Project
FR Federal Register
IDD Irrigation and Drainage District
ID Irrigation District
M&I Municipal and Industrial
O&M Operation and Maintenance
P-SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program
PPR Present Perfected Right
SOD Safety of Dams
WD Water District

Pacific Northwest Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise, 
Idaho 83706-1234, telephone (208) 378-5223.
    Modified contract action:
    15. Vale and Warmsprings IDs, Vale Project, Oregon: Repayment 
contract for reimbursable cost of SOD modifications to Warm Springs 
Dam.

Mid-Pacific Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 
95825-1898, telephone (916) 978-5250.
    New contract action:
    41. PacifiCorp, Klamath Basin Area Office, Klamath Project, Oregon: 
Execution of long-term agreement for lease of power privilege and the 
O&M of Link River Dam. This agreement will provide for operations of 
Link River Dam, coordinated operations with the non-Federal Keno Dam, 
and provision of power by PacifiCorp for Klamath Project purposes to 
ensure project water deliveries and to meet Endangered Species Act 
requirements.
    Modified contract actions:
    7. City of Roseville, CVP, California: Execution of long-term 
Warren Act contract for conveyance of nonproject water provided from 
the Placer County Water Agency. The contract will allow CVP facilities 
to be used to deliver nonproject water to the City of Roseville for use 
within its service area.
    9. El Dorado ID, CVP, California: Execution of long-term Warren Act 
contracts for conveyance of nonproject water (one contract for ditch 
rights in the amount of 3,344 acre-feet, and one contract for Project 
184 in the amount of 11,000 acre-feet). The contracts will allow CVP 
facilities to be used to deliver nonproject water to El Dorado ID for 
use within its service area.
    25. Sacramento Suburban WD, CVP, California: Execution of long-term 
Warren Act contract for conveyance of nonproject water. The contract 
will allow CVP facilities to be used to deliver nonproject water to the 
Sacramento Suburban WD for use within its service area.
    39. Pershing County Water Conservation District, Pershing County, 
Lander County, and the State of Nevada; Humboldt Project; Nevada: Title 
transfer to lands and features of the Humboldt Project.

Lower Colorado Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada Highway and Park 
Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone (702) 293-8536.
    Completed contract action:
    30. Harquahala Valley ID, CAP, Arizona: The District has requested 
that Reclamation transfer title to the District's CAP distribution 
system and to assign to the District permanent easements acquired by 
the United States. Title transfer of the District's CAP distribution 
system is authorized by Pub. L. 101-628 and contract No. 3-07-30-W0289 
between the District and Reclamation, dated December 8, 1992.

Upper Colorado Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone (801) 524-3864.
    New contract actions:
    1.(f) Oxbow Mining, LLC, Aspinall Storage Unit, CRSP: Oxbow Mining, 
LLC has requested 242 acre-feet of M&I water out of Blue Mesa 
Reservoir, which requires submission of a Plan of Augmentation to the 
Division 4 Water Court.
    1.(g) United Companies, Aspinall Storage Unit, CRSP: United 
Companies has requested 7 acre-feet of M&I water out of Blue Mesa 
Reservoir for the Delta No. 1 Gravel Pit.
    1.(h) Mountain View Amish-Mennonite Church, Aspinall Storage Unit, 
CRSP: The Church has requested 1 acre-foot of M&I water out of Blue

[[Page 59267]]

Mesa Reservoir, Water Division 4, case No. 04CW106.
    28. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, San Juan River Basin Recovery 
Implementation Program, Aspinall Storage Unit, CRSP: The U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service has requested 14 acre-feet of water out of Blue Mesa 
Reservoir to be used at the Chipeta Unit ponds at the Hotchkiss 
National Fish Hatchery. The ponds are to be used to grow out the two 
San Juan River Basin endangered fish species.
    29. Town of Palisade, Palisade ID, Mesa County ID, Reclamation, and 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; CRSP: The Colorado River is 
critical habitat for four endangered fish species. These agencies are 
entering into an agreement for each to provide the following: 
Reclamation shall provide cost-share funding for the recovery 
monitoring and research and O&M (October 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1602, Pub. 
L. 106-392); the Districts are willing to allow the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service and Reclamation to construct the fish passage; and the 
Town proposes to provide recreational opportunities on or near the fish 
passage.
    30. Public Service Company of New Mexico, Reclamation, and the U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service; San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation 
Program: The agreement identifies that Reclamation may provide cost-
share funding for the recovery monitoring and research and O&M (October 
30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1602, Pub. L. 106-392) of the constructed fish 
passage.
    31. Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Colorado 
River Water Conservation District; the Recovery Implementation Program 
for Endangered Fish Species in the Upper Colorado River Basin: 
Reclamation will provide cost-share funding for enlargement of Elkhead 
Reservoir (October 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1602, Pub. L. 106-392) in a 
separate grant agreement.
    Completed contract action:
    27. South Cache Water Users Association, Hyrum Project, Utah: 
Contract for repayment of 15 percent of SOD costs at Hyrum Dam. 
Contract executed June 16, 2004.

Great Plains Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal Building, 316 North 
26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900, telephone (406) 247-7730.
    New contract actions:
    49. City of Fountain, Colorado; Fryingpan-Arkansas Project; 
Colorado: Consideration of a request for a long-term contract for the 
use of excess capacity in the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project.
    50. Colorado Springs Utilities; Colorado Springs, Colorado; 
Colorado-Big Thompson Project: Consideration of a request for a long-
term agreement for water substitution and power interference in the 
Colorado-Big Thompson Project.
    51. Pueblo West Metropolitan District; Pueblo West, Colorado; 
Fryingpan-Arkansas Project, Colorado: Consideration of a request for a 
5-to 10-year contract for the use of excess capacity in the Fryingpan-
Arkansas Project.
    Modified contract action:
    4. Garrison Diversion Unit, P-SMBP, North Dakota: Renegotiation of 
the master repayment contract with Garrison Diversion Conservancy 
District to conform with the Dakota Water Resources Act of 2000; 
negotiation of repayment contracts with irrigators and M&I users.
    Completed contract actions:
    34. Debbie A. Axtell (Individual), Boysen Unit, P-SMBP, Wyoming. 
Renew long-term contract for up to 100 acre-feet of irrigation water to 
service 17.2 acres. Contract executed July 2, 2004.
    38. Kansas-Bostwick ID No. 2 (KBID); Franklin, Superior-Courtland, 
and Courtland Units; Bostwick Division; P-SMBP; Courtland, Kansas: The 
District requested a deferment of its 2004 repayment obligation. A 
request was prepared to amend contract No. 009D6B0120 to defer payments 
in accordance with the Act of September 21, 1959. Amendatory contract 
executed August 27, 2004.

    Dated: September 13, 2004.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services.
[FR Doc. 04-22263 Filed 10-1-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P