Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 12197 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Indian Affairs 

[15X/A11220000.224100/AAK4004800/

AX.480ADM100000] 

Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation 

Projects 

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of rate adjustments. 

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: Effective Date: The irrigation 

assessment rates shown in the tables as 

final are effective as of January 1, 2014. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

details about a particular BIA irrigation 

project or facility, please use the tables 

in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section to contact the regional or local 

office where the project or facility is 

located. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice 

of Proposed Rate Adjustment was 

published in the Federal Register on 

January 22, 2014 (79 FR 3862) 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 March 24, 2014. 

Did the BIA defer or change any 

proposed rate increases? 

Yes. The proposed notice indicated 

that Proposed 2014 rate for Duck Valley 

and Fort Yuma Irrigation Projects was 

‘‘To Be Determined.’’ A final rate has 

been determined and is reflected in the 

Rate Table. The final rates established 

here differ from the proposed rates for 

the following Irrigation projects: 

Project name Rate category Proposed 

2014 rate 

Final 

2014 rate 

Fort Hall Irrigation Project—Michaud ........................................................ Basic—per acre ............................... $47.50 $47.00 

Fort Peck Irrigation Project ........................................................................ Basic—per acre ............................... 25.00 26.00 

Wind River Irrigation Project—Units 2, 3 and 4 ........................................ Basic—per acre ............................... 22.10 21.00 

Wind River Irrigation Project—LeClair District .......................................... Basic—per acre ............................... 28.82 28.80 

Wind River Irrigation Project—Riverton Valley Irrigation District .............. Basic—per acre ............................... 21.02 21.00 

Pine River Irrigation Project ....................................................................... Basic—per acre ............................... 16.00 15.00 

Did the BIA receive any comments on 

the proposed irrigation assessment rate 

adjustments? 

Yes. Written comments were received 

from the San Carlos Irrigation and 

Drainage District (SCIDD), by letter 

dated October 31, 2013, to the Assistant 

Secretary—Indian Affairs, related to the 

proposed rate adjustment for FY 2015 

for the San Carlos Irrigation Project. A 

letter from the Director, Bureau of 

Indian Affairs dated December 12, 2013, 

responded to SCIDD’s letter. 

What issues were of concern to the 

commenters? 

Comments received relate specifically 

to one component of the San Carlos 

Irrigation Project proposed FY 2015 rate: 

The planned expenditure for repair of 

the Coolidge Dam Cylinder Gates. 

The BIA’s summary of SCIDD’s issue 

and the BIA’s response are provided 

below. 

Comment: The recommended 2015 

assessment of $35 per acre and 

proposed budget of $3.5 million include 

a planned expenditure of $1.8 million, 

or $18 per acre, for the repair of the 

Coolidge Dam Cylinder Gates. This 

$1,800,000 was collected in three 

$500,000 previous payments in 2012, 

2013, and 2014, and the 2015 budget 

proposes an additional collection of 

$300,000. We now understand that this 

work will be funded through the BIA 

Safety of Dams Program. 

Response: The governing documents 

of the San Carlos Irrigation Project 

required the operation and maintenance 

costs for the Project to be paid for by 

assessments on the lands in the Project. 

Accordingly, the Project has correctly 

assessed and collected funds for repair 

of the Coolidge Dam Cylinder Gates. 

The BIA Safety of Dams Program is 

funding an independent engineering 

review of the designs and cost estimates 

for the gate repair. The review will 

produce final engineering designs and 

drawings which the Project expects to 

use for the repair work. The Project has 

reiterated this point to SCIDD at recent 

water user meetings. 

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 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. 

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12198 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 

Project name Project/Agency Contacts 

Northwest Region Contacts 

Stanley Speaks, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Regional Office, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232–4169, Telephone: (503) 231– 

6702. 

Fort Hall Irrigation Project Randy Thompson, Acting Superintendent, David 

Bollinger, Irrigation Project Manager, Fort Hall Agency, 

P.O. Box 220, Fort Hall, ID 83203–0220, Telephone: 

(208) 238–2301. 

Wapato Irrigation Project Edwin Lewis, Project Administrator, Wapato Irrigation 

Project, P.O. Box 220, Wapato, WA 98951–0220, 

Telephone: (509) 877–3155. 

Rocky Mountain Region Contacts 

Darryl LaCounte, Acting Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rocky Mountain Regional Office, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 

59101, Telephone: (406) 247–7943. 

Project Name Agency/Project Contacts 

Blackfeet Irrigation Project Thedis Crow, Acting 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 Vianna Stewart, Superintendent, Kyle Varvel, Irrigation 

Project Manager, P.O. Box 69, Crow Agency, MT 

59022, Telephones: (406) 638–2672, Superintendent, 

(406) 638–2863, Irrigation Project Manager. 

Fort Belknap Irrigation Project Susan Messerley, Acting Superintendent, Vacant, Irrigation Project Manager, (Project operations & management contracted to Tribes), 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, Huber Wright, Acting 

Irrigation Project Manager, P.O. Box 637, Poplar, MT 

59255, 602 6th Avenue North, Wolf Point, MT 59201, 

Telephones: (406) 768–5312, Superintendent, (406) 

653–1752, Irrigation Project Manager. 

Wind River Irrigation Project Norma Gourneau, Superintendent Vacant, Irrigation 

Project Manager, P.O. Box 158, Fort Washakie, WY 

82514, Telephones: (307) 332–7810, Superintendent 

(307) 332–2596, Irrigation Project Manager. 

Southwest Region Contacts 

William T. Walker, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southwest Regional Office, 1001 Indian School Road, Albuquerque, New Mexico 

87104, Telephone: (505) 563–3100. 

Pine River Irrigation Project Priscilla Bancroft, Acting 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 N. Central Ave., 4th Floor Mailroom, Phoenix, Arizona 85004, Telephone: (602) 379–6600. 

Project Name Project/Agency Contacts 

Colorado River Irrigation Project Kellie Youngbear, Superintendent, Gary Colvin, Irrigation 

Project Manager, 12124 1st Avenue, Parker, AZ 

85344, Telephone: (928) 669–7111. 

Duck Valley Irrigation Project Joseph McDade, Superintendent, (Project operations & 

management compacted by the Tribes), 2719 Argent 

Ave., Suite 4, Elko, NV 89801, Telephone: (775) 738– 

5165, (208) 759–3100 (Tribal Office). 

Fort Yuma Irrigation Project Irene Herder, Superintendent, 256 South Second Avenue, Suite D, Yuma, AZ 85364, Telephone: (928) 

782–1202. 

San Carlos Irrigation Project, Indian Works and Joint Works Ferris Begay, Project Manager, Clarence Begay, Irrigation Manager, 13805 N. Arizona Boulevard, Coolidge, 

AZ 85228, Telephone: (520) 723–6223. 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 12199 

Project name Project/Agency Contacts 

Uintah Irrigation Project Bart Stevens, Superintendent, P.O. Box 130, Fort 

Duchesne, UT 84026, Telephone: (435) 722–4300, 

Telephone: (435) 722–4341. 

Walker River Irrigation Project Marilyn Bitsillie, Acting Superintendent, 311 E. 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 the 

current rates for all irrigation projects 

where we recover costs of 

administering, operating, maintaining, 

and rehabilitating them. The table also 

contains the final rates for the 2014 

season and subsequent years where 

applicable. An asterisk immediately 

following the name of the project notes 

the irrigation projects where 2014 rates 

are different from the 2013 rates. 

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12200 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 

Northwest Region Rate Table 

 Project Name Rate 

Category 

Final 

2013 Rate 

Final 

2014 Rate 

Fort Hall Irrigation Project Basic per acre $47.00 $47.00 

Minimum Charge per tract $32.50 $32.50 

Fort Hall Irrigation Project - 

Minor Units 

Basic per acre $24.00 $24.00 

Minimum Charge per tract $32.50 $32.50 

Fort Hall Irrigation Project –

Michaud

Basic per acre $47.50 $47.00 

Pressure per acre $65.50 $65.00 

Minimum Charge per tract $32.50 $32.50 

Wapato Irrigation Project –

Toppenish/Simcoe Units* 

Minimum Charge for per bill $20.00 $23.00 

Basic per acre $21.00 $23.00 

Wapato Irrigation Project - 

Ahtanum Units

Minimum Charge per bill $24.00 $24.00 

Basic per acre $24.00 $24.00 

Wapato Irrigation Project - 

Satus Unit*

Minimum Charge for per bill $71.00 $76.00 

“A” Basic per acre $71.00 $76.00 

“B” Basic per acre $77.00 $82.00 

Wapato Irrigation Project - 

Additional Works

Minimum Charge per bill $71.00 $71.00 

Basic per acre $71.00 $71.00 

Wapato Irrigation Project - 

Water Rental* 

Minimum Charge $79.00 $84.00 

Basic per acre $79.00 $84.00 


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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 12201 


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Rocky Mountain Region Rate Table 

Project Name Rate Final Final 

Category 2013 Rate 2014 Rate 

Blackfeet Irrigation Project Basic-per acre $19.50 $19.50 

Crow Irrigation Project- Willow Basic-per acre $23.80 $24.80 

Creek O&M (includes Agency, 

Lodge Grass #1, Lodge Grass #2, 

Reno, Upper Little Hom, and Forty 

Mile Units)* 

Crow Irrigation Project- All Basic-per acre $23.50 $24.50 

Others (includes Bighorn, Soap 

Creek, and Pryor Units)* 

Crow Irrigation Two Leggins Basic-per acre $14.00 $14.50 

Drainage Unit* 

Crow Irrigation Two Leggins Basic-per acre $2.00 $2.00 

Drainage District 

Fort Belknap Irrigation Project Basic-per acre $15.00 $15.00 

Fort Peck Irrigation Project Basic-per acre $25.00 $26.00 

Wind River Irrigation Project- Basic-per acre $21.00 $21.00 

Units 2, 3 and 4* 

Wind River Irrigation Project- Basic-per acre $30.84 $28.80 

LeClair District* 

(see Note#1) 

Wind River Irrigation Project- Basic-per acre $14.00 $14.00 

Crow Heart Unit 

Wind River Irrigation Project- A Basic-per acre $14.00 $14.00 

Canal Unit 

Wind River Irrigation Project- Basic-per acre $16.00 $21.00 

Riverton Valley Irrigation District* 

Southwest Region Rate Table 

Project Name Rate Final Final 

Category 2013 Rate 2014 Rate 

Pine River Irrigation Project* Minimum Charge per $50.00 $50.00 

tract 

Basic-per acre $15.00 $15.00 
12202 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 

* Notes irrigation projects where rates 

are proposed for adjustment. 

Note #1—The Operation and 

Maintenance (O&M) rate varies yearly 

based upon the budget submitted by the 

LeClair District. 

Note #2—The O&M rate for the Yuma 

Project, Indian Unit has two 

components. The first component is the 

O&M rate established by the Bureau of 

Reclamation (BOR), the owner and 

operator of the Project. The BOR rate for 

2014 is $89.50/acre. The second 

component is for the O&M rate 

established by BIA to cover 

administrative costs including billing 

and collections for the Project. The 2014 


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Western Region Rate Table 

Project Name Rate Category Final Final Proposed 20 15 Rate 

2013 Rate 2014 Rate 

Colorado River Basic per acre $54.00 $54.00 To be determined 

Irrigation Project up to 5. 7 5 acre-feet 

Excess Water $17.00 $17.00 

per acre-foot 

over 5.75 acre-feet 

Duck Valley Basic per acre $5.30 $5.30 

Irrigation Project 

Yuma Project, Basic per acre up to 5.0 $86.00 $91.00 

Indian Unit acre-feet 

(See Note #2) Excess Water per acre- $14.00 $17.00 

foot over 5.0 acre-feet 

Basic per acre up to 5.0 $86.00 $91.00 

acre-feet (Ranch 5) 

San Carlos Basic per acre $30.00 $30.00 $35.00 

Irrigation Project 

(Joint Works) 

(See Note #3) Final2013- 2015 Construction Water Rate Schedule: 

Off Project On Project On Project 

Construction - Construction - Construction Gravity Water Pump Water 

Administrative $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 

Fee 

Usage Fee $250.00 per No Fee $100.00 per 

month acre-foot 

Excess Water $5 per 1000 gal No charge No charge Ratet 

tThe excess water rate applies to all water used in excess of 50,000 gallons in any one 

month. 

San Carlos Basic per acre $81.00 $81.00 To be determined 

Irrigation Project 

(Indian Works) 

(See Note#4) 

Uintah Irrigation Basic per acre $16.00 $18.00 

Project* Minimum Bill $25.00 $25.00 

Walker River Indian per acre $28.00 $28.00 

Irrigation Project 

non-Indian per acre $28.00 $28.00 
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 44 / Friday, March 6, 2015 / Notices 12203 

BIA rate remains unchanged at $1.50/

acre. 

Note #3—The FY 2014 rate was 

established by final notice in the 

Federal Register on January 23, 2014 

(79 FR 3862). The Construction Water 

Rate Schedule was established by final 

notice in the Federal Register on 

January 23, 2014 (79 FR 3862). The FY 

2015 rate was proposed by notice in the 

Federal Register on January 22, 2014 

(79 FR 3614). This notice establishes the 

final rate of $35/acre for FY 2015. 

Note #4—The 2014 O&M rate for the 

San Carlos Irrigation Project—Indian 

Works has three components. The first 

component is the O&M rate established 

by the San Carlos Irrigation Project— 

Indian Works, the owner and operator of 

the Project; this rate is proposed to be 

$45 per acre. The second component is 

for the O&M rate established by the San 

Carlos Irrigation Project—Joint Works 

and is determined to be $30.00 per acre. 

The third component is the O&M rate 

established by the San Carlos Irrigation 

Project Joint Control Board and is 

estimated to be $6 per acre. 

Consultation and Coordination With 

Tribal Governments (Executive Order 

13175) 

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 will have no 

adverse effects on energy supply, 

distribution, or use (including a 

shortfall in supply, price increases, and 

increase use of foreign supplies) should 

the proposed rate adjustments be 

implemented. This is a notice for rate 

adjustments at BIA-owned and operated 

irrigation projects, except for the Fort 

Yuma Irrigation Project. The Fort Yuma 

Irrigation Project is owned and operated 

by the Bureau of Reclamation with a 

portion serving the Fort Yuma 

Reservation. 

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. The rule does 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) 

The Department has determined that 

these rate adjustments do not have 

significant ‘‘takings’’ implications. The 

rate adjustments do not deprive the 

public, state, or local governments of 

rights or property. 

Federalism (Executive Order 13132) 

The Department has determined that 

these rate adjustments do not have 

significant Federalism effects 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. 

Civil Justice Reform (Executive Order 

12988) 

In issuing this rule, 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, 

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. The OMB Control Number is 

1076–0141 and expires March 31, 2016. 

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)). 

Data Quality Act 

In developing this notice, we did not 

conduct or use a study, experiment, or 

survey requiring peer review under the 

Data Quality Act (Pub. L. 106–554). 

Dated: February 26, 2015. 

Kevin K. Washburn, 

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2015–05265 Filed 3–5–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–W7–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

[MMAA 104000] 

Outer Continental Shelf, Gulf of 

Mexico, Oil and Gas Lease Sales, 

Western Planning Area Lease Sales 

246 and 248 

AGENCY: Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management (BOEM), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of the 

Final Supplemental Environmental 

Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: BOEM has prepared a Final 

Supplemental Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) for proposed Outer 

Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas 

Lease Sales 246 and 248, which are 

tentatively scheduled to be held in 

August 2015 and 2016, respectively, in 

the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Western 

Planning Area (WPA) offshore the States 

of Texas and Louisiana. This Final 

Supplemental EIS updates the 

environmental and socioeconomic 

analyses for proposed WPA Lease Sales 

246 and 248 evaluated in the Gulf of 

Mexico OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 

2012–2017; Western Planning Area 

Lease Sales 229, 233, 238, 246, and 248; 

Central Planning Area Lease Sales 227, 

231, 235, 241, and 247, Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (2012– 

2017 WPA/CPA Multisale EIS; OCS EIS/ 

EA BOEM 2012–019); Gulf of Mexico 

OCS Oil and Gas Lease Sales: 2013– 

2014; Western Planning Area Lease Sale 

233; Central Planning Area Lease Sale 

231, Final Supplemental Environmental 

Impact Statement (WPA 233/CPA 231 

Supplemental EIS; OCS EIS/EA BOEM 

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