[Federal Register: August 22, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 162)]
[Notices]
[Page 47070-47072]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22au07-140]
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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 May 15, 2007. 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. Announcments 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 the
sale or 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 coditions of the contract may be
invovled.
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 approproate regional or project office of Reclamation.
3. Written correspondence regarding contracts may be made available
to the general public pursuant to the terms and procedures of the
Freedom of Information Act, as needed.
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 hearing 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.
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.
Definitions of Abbreviations Frequently 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
NMISC New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission
O&M Operation and Maintenance
P-SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program
PPR Present Perfected Right
RRA Reclamation Reform Act of 1982
SOD Safety of Dams
USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
WD Water District
Pacific Northwest Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis
Road, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706-1234, telephone 208-378-5344.
Discontinued Contract Actions
9. Burley ID, Minidoka Project, Idaho-Wyoming: Supplemental and
amendatory contract providing for the transfer of O&M of the headworks
of the Main South Side Canal and works incidental thereto.
[[Page 47071]]
10. Minidoka ID, Minidoka Project, Idaho-Wyoming: Supplemental and
amendatory contract providing for the transfer of O&M of the headworks
of the Main North Side Canal and works incidental thereto.
12. Vale and Warmsprings IDs, Vale Project, Oregon: Repayment
contract for reimbursable cost of SOD modifications to Warm Springs
Dam.
Completed Contract Action
16. One irrigation water user entity, Boise Project, Idaho: Long-
term renewal and/or conversion of one irrigation water service contract
for supplemental irrigation use of up to 1,718 acre-feet of storage
space in Lucky Peak Reservoir, a USACE project on the Boise River,
Idaho. Seventeen water service contracts have been converted to
repayment contracts for a total of 68,500 acre-feet of storage space.
All original 17 water service contracts have been converted to
repayment contracts.
Mid-Pacific Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way,
Sacramento, California 95825-1898, telephone 916-978-5250.
Modified Contract Action
25. Orland Unit Water User's Association, Orland Project,
California: Repayment contract for SOD costs assigned to the irrigation
purposes of Stony Gorge Dam.
Completed Contract Action
37. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Deep Well Pumping Reimbursement
Agreement, Central Valley Project Improvement Act, California:
Amendment to extend termination date for 1 more year will be executed
by December 2007. Contract executed January 31, 2007.
Lower Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO box 61470 (Nevada
Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006-1470, telephone
702-293-8192.
New Contract Actions
32. Basic Management, Inc., BCP, Nevada: Amend contract to add
additional service areas where part of the contractor's entitlement can
be used.
33. City of Yuma, BCP, Arizona: Amendment to extend contract to
allow for the diversion of water through Yuma Project facilities for an
additional term of 10 years.
Completed Contract Action
30. City of Needles and The Metropolitan WD of Southern California,
Lower Colorado Water Supply Project, California: Contract for
acquisition and delivery of Lower Colorado Water Supply Project water.
Contract executed March 26, 2007.
Upper Colorado Region: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State
Street, Room 6107, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138-1102, telephone 801-524-
3964.
New Contract Actions
1.(d) John and Joan Holton, Aspinall Storage Unit, CRSP: Mr. and
Mrs. Holton have requested a 40-year water service contract for 1 acre-
foot of M&I water out of Blue Mesa reservoir, which requires Mr. and
Mrs. Holton to present a Plan of Augmentation to the Division 4 Water
Court.
1.(e) Old Castle SW Group dba United Companies, Aspinall Storage
Unit, CRSP: United Companies has requested a 40-year water service
contract for 36 acre-feet of M&I water out of Blue Mesa reservoir,
which requires United Companies to present a Plan of Augmentation to
the Division 4 Water Court.
32. Aaron Million, Million Conservation Resource Group, Flaming
Gorge Storage Unit, CRSP: Mr. Million has requested a Standby Contract
to secure the first right to contract up to 165,000 acre-feet annually
of M&I water service from Flaming Gorge Reservoir for a proposed,
privately financed and constructed transbasin diversion project.
33. Uintah Water Conservancy District, Jensen Unit, Central Utah
Project, Utah: Temporary water service contract for 2,520 acre-feet of
unsubscribed Jensen Unit M&I water.
34. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Weber Basin Project,
Utah: Contract providing for the district to repay to the United States
15 percent of the cost of Phase I SOD modifications to Arthur V.
Watkins Dam.
35. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Weber Basin Project,
Utah: Contract providing for the district to repay to the United States
15 percent of the cost of Phase II SOD modifications to Arthur V.
Watkins Dam.
Completed Contract Actions
1.(a) Oxbow Mining, LLC, Aspinall Storage Unit, CRSP: Oxbow Mining,
LLC has requested a 40-year water service contract for 242 acre-feet of
M&I water out of Blue Mesa Reservoir, which requires that an
augmentation plan be presented to the Division 4 Water Court. Contract
executed April 11, 2007.
21. Carbon Water Conservancy District, Scofield Project, Utah:
Contract providing for the district to repay to the United States 15
percent of the cost of SOD modifications to the spillway at Scofield
Dam. Contract executed June 1, 2007.
Great Plains Region: Bureau of Reclamation, PO Box 36900, Federal
Building, 316 North 26th Street, Billings, Montana 59101, telephone
406-247-7752.
New Contract Actions
52. Hamlin Construction, Inc., Helena Valley Unit, P-SMBP, Montana:
Request for a long-term water service contract for M&I purposes for up
to 500 acre-feet of water per year.
53. Richard Davis, Helena Valley Unit, P-SMBP, Montana: Request for
a long-term water service contract for M&I purposes for up to 24 acre-
feet of water per year.
54. Individual Irrigators, Canyon Ferry Unit, P-SMBP, Montana:
Replace temporary 1-year contracts with long-term water service
contracts for minor amounts of less than 1,000 acre-feet of irrigation
water annually from the Missouri River below Canyon Ferry Dam.
55. Individual Irrigators, Lower Marias Unit, P-SMBP, Montana:
Execute long-term water service contracts for commercial irrigation
from Lake Elwell and the Marias River below Tiber Dam.
56. Turtle Lake ID, Garrison Diversion Unit, North Dakota: Turtle
Mountain ID has requested a water service contract under the Dakota
Water Resources Act of 2000 as part of the Garrison Diversion Unit.
Modified Contract Actions
5. City of Rapid City, Rapid Valley Unit, P-SMBP, South Dakota:
Contract renewal for storage capacity in Pactola Reservoir. A temporary
(1 year not to exceed 10,000 acre-feet) water service contract has been
executed with the City of Rapid City, Rapid Valley Unit, for use of
water from Pactola Reservoir. A long-term storage contract for 49,000
acre-feet has been negotiated with the City, and a final draft of the
contract has been tansmitted to the City for approval by their City
Council. Execution of the long-term contract is anticipated within the
next 2 months.
6. Mid-Dakota Rural Water System, Inc., South Dakota: Pursuant to
the Reclamation Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992, the
Secretary of the Interior is authorized to make grants and loans to
Mid-Dakota Rural Water System, Inc., a non-profit corporation for the
planning and construction of a rural water supply system. Construction
of the rural water supply system was completed in September 2006.
Completed Contract Actions
7. City of Berthoud, Colorado-Big Thompson Project, Colorado: Long-
term
[[Page 47072]]
contract for conveyance of nonproject M&I water through Colorado-Big
Thompson Project facilities. Contract was executed March 23, 2007.
29. Buford-Trenton ID, Buford-Ternton Project, P-SMBP, North
Dakota: Enter into a new repayment contract and power contract for
additional project use pumping power for project purposes in irrigating
bench lands existing within the district. Contract was executed May 7,
2007.
31. Ainsworth ID, Ainsworth Unit, Sandhills Division, P-SMBP,
Ainsworth, Nebraska: Contract renewal for a long-term water service
contract. Contract was executed December 26, 2006.
35. Frenchman-Cambridge ID; Meeker-Driftwood, Red Willow, and
Cambridge Units; Frenchman Division: P-SMBP; Cambridge, Nebraska: Amend
the repayment contract for equalization of the construction obligation
payments over the remaining years of the water supply repayment
obligation period, and to delay the increase in the reserve fund
payments pursuant to Public Law 109-386, which was enacted on December
12, 2006. Contract was executed June 8, 2007.
36. Kansas-Bostwick ID No. 2; Courtland Unit, Bostwick Division, P-
SMBP; Courtland, Kansas: Amend the repayment contract for equalization
of the construction obligation payments over the remaining years of the
water supply repayment obligation period, and to delay the increase in
the reserve fund payments pursuant to Public Law 109-386, which was
enacted on December 12, 2006. Contract was executed June 8, 2007.
37. Bostwick ID in Nebraska; Superior-Courtland and Franklin Units,
Bostwick Division, P-SMBP; Red Cloud, Nebraska: Amend the repayment
contract for equalization of the construction obligation payments over
the remaining years of the water supply repayment obligation period,
and to delay the increase in the reserve fund payments pursuant to
Public Law 109-386, which was enacted on December 12, 2006. Contract
was executed June 8, 2007.
38. Webster ID; Webster Unit, Solomon Division, P-SMBP; Gaylord
Kansas: Amend the repayment contract for equalization of the
construction obligation payments over the remaining years of the water
supply repayment obligation period, and to delay the increase in the
reserve fund payments pursuant to Public Law 109-386, which was enacted
on December 12, 2006. Contract was executed June 8, 2007.
Dated: July 5, 2007.
Roseann Gonzales,
Director, Office of Program and Policy Services.
[FR Doc. 07-4086 Filed 8-21-07; 8:45 am]
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