[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19942-19944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10589]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Quarterly Status Report of Water Service and Repayment Contract 
Negotiations

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of proposed contractual actions that 
are new, modified, discontinued, or completed since the last 
publication of this notice on January 27, 1998. The January 27, 1998, 
notice should be used as a reference point to identify changes. 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. Additional Bureau of Reclamation 
(Reclamation) 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. 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 not apply to proposed contracts for 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.

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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alonzo Knapp, Manager, Reclamation 
Law, Contracts, and Repayment Office, Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 
25007, Denver, Colorado 80225-0007; telephone 303-445-2889.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to section 226 of the Reclamation 
Reform Act of 1982 (96 Stat. 1273) and 43 CFR 426.20 of the rules and 
regulations published in 52 FR 11954, Apr. 13, 1987, Reclamation will 
publish notice of the 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. Pursuant to the ``Final Revised Public 
Participation Procedures'' for water resource-related contract 
negotiations, published in 47 FR 7763, Feb. 22, 1982, a tabulation is 
provided of all proposed contractual actions in each of the five 
Reclamation regions. Each proposed action is, or is expected to be, in 
some stage of the contract negotiation process in 1998. 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 project 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 (80 Stat. 383), 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 is 
necessary.

[[Page 19943]]

    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. As a minimum, the regional director shall 
furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in 
response to the initial public notice.

Acronym Definitions Used Herein

(BCP)--Boulder Canyon Project
(CAP)--Central Arizona Project
(CUP)--Central Utah Project
(CVP)--Central Valley Project
(CRSP)--Colorado River Storage Project
(D&MC)--Drainage and Minor Construction
(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
(R&B)--Rehabilitation and Betterment
(PPR)--Present Perfected Right
(RRA)--Reclamation Reform Act
(NEPA)--National Environmental Policy Act
(SOD)--Safety of Dams
(SRPA)--Small Reclamation Projects Act
(WCUA)--Water Conservation and Utilization Act
(WD)--Water District

Pacific Northwest Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis Road, Boise, Idaho 83706-
1234, telephone 208-378-5346.
    Modified contract actions:
    4. Pioneer Ditch Company, Boise Project, Idaho; Clark and Edwards 
Canal and Irrigation Company, Enterprise Canal Company, Ltd., Lenroot 
Canal Company, Liberty Park Canal Company, Parsons Ditch Company, 
Poplar ID, Wearyrick Ditch Company, all in the Minidoka Project, Idaho; 
Juniper Flat District Improvement Company, Wapinitia Project, Oregon; 
Roza ID, Yakima Project, Washington: Amendatory repayment and water 
service contracts; purpose is to conform to the Reclamation Reform Act 
of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-293).
    12. Five individual contractors, Umatilla Project, Oregon: 
Repayment agreements for reimbursable cost of dam safety repairs to 
McKay Dam.
    16. Okanogan ID, Okanogan Project, Washington: SOD contract to 
repay district's share of cost of dam safety repairs to Salmon Lake 
Dam. An Early Warning System is now part of the SOD repair.
    Discontinued contract actions:
    17. Rogue River Valley and Medford IDs, Rogue River Basin Project, 
Oregon: SOD contract to repay each district's share of cost to repair 
Fish Lake Dam. Each district will be sent a bill, so no contract is 
needed.
    Completed contract actions:
    4. Lake Chelan Reclamation District, Chief Joseph Dam Project, 
Washington; Consolidated ID, Spokane Valley Project, Washington; 
Individual Contractors, Crooked River Project, Oregon; Lower Payette 
Ditch Company Ltd., Boise Project, Idaho; Tumalo ID, District, Crescent 
Lake Dam Project, Oregon; Monroe Creek ID, Mann Creek Project, Idaho: 
Amendatory repayment and water service contracts; purpose is to conform 
to the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-293).
    12. Twenty-one individual contractors, Umatilla Project, Oregon: 
Repayment agreements for reimbursable cost of dam safety repairs to 
McKay Dam. Agreements have been executed with 66 individual 
contractors.

Mid-Pacific Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 
95825-1898, telephone 916-979-2401.
    New contract actions:
    28. Langell Valley, Horsefly, and Tulelake IDs, Klamath Project, 
Oregon: Repayment contract for SOD work on Clear Lake Dam.
    29. Widren WD, CVP, California: Assignment of Widren WD's water 
service contract to the City of Tracy. The assignment will require 
approval of conversion of Widren's CVP irrigation water to M&I water.

Lower Colorado Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 61470 (Nevada Highway and Park 
Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone 702-293-8536.
    New contract actions:
    47. Sun City Water Co., CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 9,654 acre-feet 
to Citizens Utilities, Aqua Fria Division.
    48. Arizona Public Service Co., BCP, Arizona: Delivery contract for 
up to 1,500 acre-feet of unused Arizona entitlement.
    49. City of Scottsdale, CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 3,232 acre-feet 
of CAP water annually from Cottonwood Water Works, Inc., and Camp Verde 
Water System, Inc.
    Modified contract actions:
    37. Berneil Water Co., CAP Arizona: Subcontracts associated with 
partial assignment of water service to the City of Scottsdale and Cave 
Creek Water Company.
    Completed contracts actions:
    31. Community Water Company of Green Valley/New Pueblo Water Co., 
CAP, Arizona: Execute an assignment assigning 237 acre-feet of New 
Pueblo's CAP water entitlement to Community. Amend Community's CAP 
subcontract to increase its entitlement by 237 acre-feet. Upon 
execution of the assignment from New Pueblo to Community, New Pueblo's 
CAP water service subcontract would terminate.
    37. Berneil Water Co., CAP Arizona: Subcontracts associated with 
partial assignment of water service to the City of Phoenix.
    45. Arizona State Lands, CAP, Arizona: Assignment of 3,900 acre-
feet of CAP water to the City of Scottsdale.

Upper Colorado Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-4419. New contract actions:
    1(e) City of Page, Arizona, Glen Canyon Unit, Colorado River 
Storage Project; Arizona: Long-term contract for 300 acre-feet of water 
for municipal purposes.
    22. Carbon Water Conservancy District, Scofield Project, Utah: 
Amendment to SOD contract to raise contract repayment ceiling on the 
M&I obligation and replace estimated SOD costs with actuals.
    23. Carlsbad ID, Carlsbad Project, New Mexico: Contract to allow 
the district to lease water to the New Mexico Interstate Stream 
Commission to fulfill New Mexico's water obligation to Texas under 
Supreme Court's Amended Decree in Texas v. New Mexico 485 U.S. 
288(1988).
    24. Ute Water Conservancy District, Collbran Project, Colorado: 
License Agreement for use of project lands and an agreement addressing 
charges for benefits derived from project facilities.
    25. Robbins Ranches, Mancos Project, Colorado: Long-term contract 
for the carriage of 2.5 cfs of water for irrigation purposes under the 
authority of the Warren Act of 1911.
    Modified contract actions:
    4. Pine River ID, Pine River Project, Colorado: Contract to allow 
the district to convert up to 2,000 acre-feet of project irrigation 
water to municipal, domestic, and industrial uses.
    Completed contract actions:
    1(b) Lazear Domestic Water Corporation, Aspinall Unit, CRSP, 
Colorado: Contract for 44 acre-feet to support an augmentation plan, 
Case No. 95CW209, Water Division Court No. 4, State of Colorado, to 
provide domestic water service to up to 100 residences, lawns, gardens, 
and livestock watering.

[[Page 19944]]

    6. City of El Paso, Rio Grande Project, Texas and New Mexico: 
Amendment to the 1941 and 1962 contracts to expand acreage owned by the 
city to 3,000 acres; extend terms of water rights assignments; and 
allow assignments outside city limits under authority of the Public 
Service Board.
    15. Provo Reservoir Water Users Company, Wasatch Irrigation 
Company, Timpanogas Irrigation Company, Exchange Irrigation Company, 
Washington Irrigation Company, and the City of Provo; CUP, Utah: Water 
exchange contracts, water rights in several mountain lakes and 
reservoirs are being exchanged for equivalent contract water rights in 
Jordanelle Reservoir.
    20. El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1, Rio Grande 
Project, Texas and New Mexico: Supplemental contract between El Paso 
County Water Improvement District No. 1 and the United States to allow 
the conversion of project water from irrigation to M&I within the El 
Paso area.

Great Plains Region

    Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal Building, 316 North 
26th Street, Billings, Montana 59107-6900, telephone 406-247-7730.
    Modified contract actions:
    7. City of Rapid City, Rapid Valley Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: 
Contract renewal for up to 55,000 acre-feet of storage capacity in 
Pactola Reservoir.
    13. P-SMBP, Kansas and Nebraska: Initiate negotiations for renewal 
of long-term water supply contracts with Kansas-Bostwick, Nebraska-
Bostwick, Frenchman Valley, Frenchman-Cambridge, and Almena IDs.
    14. Northwest Area Water Supply, North Dakota: Long-term contract 
for water supply from Garrison Diversion Unit facilities. Basis of 
negotiation is completed and awaiting regional director's signature.
    15. Fort Shaw and Greenfields IDs, Sun River Project, Montana: 
Contract for SOD costs for repairs to Willow Creek Dam. Greenfields ID 
has signed a 1-year repayment contract for its share of the SOD costs. 
Have received the approved basis of negotiation from the Commissioner. 
In the process of negotiating a contract with Fort Shaw ID.
    25. Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Water service contract 
expired June 1997. Initiating renewal of existing contract for 25 years 
for up to 480 acre-feet of storage from Tiber Reservoir to irrigate 160 
acres. Received approved basis of negotiation from the Commissioner. 
Currently developing the contract and consulting with the tribes 
regarding Water Rights Compact.
    29. Belle Fourche Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota: Negotiations have 
been held with the Belle Fourche ID to amend their long-term repayment 
contract deferring their 1997 construction payment and reducing their 
annual construction payment.

    Dated: April 15, 1998.
Wayne O. Deason,
Deputy Director, Program Analysis Office.
[FR Doc. 98-10589 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P