96-30495. Change in Discount Rate for Water Resources Planning

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 231 (Friday, November 29, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60725-60726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-30495]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation


Change in Discount Rate for Water Resources Planning

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of change.

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SUMMARY: The Water Resources Planning Act of 1965 and the Water 
Resources Development Act of 1974 require an annual determination of a 
discount rate for Federal water resources planning. The discount rate 
for Federal water resources planning for fiscal year 1997 is 7.375 
percent. Discounting is to be used to convert future monetary values to 
present values.

DATES: This discount rate is to be used for the period October 1, 1996, 
through and including September 30, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Larry Schluntz, Economist, 
Reclamation Law, Contracts, and Repayment Office, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Attention: D-5200, Building 67, Denver Federal Center, 
Denver CO 80225-0007; telephone: [phone], extension 287.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given that the interest 
rate to be used by Federal agencies in the formulation and evaluation 
of plans for water and related land resources is 7.375 percent for 
fiscal year 1997.

[[Page 60726]]

    This rate has been computed in accordance with Section 80(a), Pub. 
L. 93-251 (88 Stat. 34) and 18 CFR 704.39, which: (1) specify that the 
rate shall be based upon the average yield during the preceding fiscal 
year on interest-bearing marketable securities of the United States 
which, at the time the computation is made, have terms of 15 years or 
more remaining to maturity (average yield is rounded to nearest one-
eighth percent); and (2) provide that the rate shall not be raised or 
lowered more than one-quarter of 1 percent for any year. The Treasury 
Department calculated the specified average to be 6.87 percent. 
Rounding this average yield to the nearest one-eighth percent is 6.875 
percent, which exceeds the permissible one-quarter of 1 percent change 
from fiscal year 1996 to 1997. Therefore, the change is limited to one-
quarter of 1 percent.
    The rate of 7.375 percent shall be used by all Federal agencies in 
the formulation and evaluation of water and related land resources 
plans for the purpose of discounting future benefits and computing 
costs or otherwise converting benefits and costs to a common time 
basis.

    Dated November 4, 1996.
Wayne O. Deason,
Deputy Director, Program Analysis Office.
[FR Doc. 96-30495 Filed 11-27-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-P