[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 50329]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-24542]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, Criteria for Evaluating
Water Conservation Plans
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of draft decision of evaluation of water conservation
plans.
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SUMMARY: To meet the requirements of the Central Valley Project
Improvement Act (CVPIA), the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)
developed and published the Criteria for Evaluating Water Conservation
Plans (Criteria) dated April 30, 1993. These Criteria were developed
based on information provided during public scoping and public review
sessions held throughout Reclamation's Mid-Pacific (MP) Region.
Reclamation uses these Criteria to evaluate the adequacy of all water
conservation plans developed by project contractors in the MP Region,
including those required by the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982. The
Criteria were developed and the plans evaluated for the purpose of
promoting the most efficient water uses reasonably achievable by all MP
Region's contractors. Reclamation made a commitment (stated within the
Criteria) to publish a notice of its draft determination on the
adequacy of each contractor's water conservation plan in the Federal
Register and to allow the public a minimum of 30 days to comment on its
preliminary determinations. This program is on-going; an updated list
will be published to recognize districts as plans are revised to meet
the Criteria.
DATES: All public comments must be reviewed by Reclamation by October
25, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Please mail comments to the address provided below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tracy Slavin, Bureau of Reclamation,
2800 Cottage Way, MP-402 Sacramento, CA 95825. To be placed on a
mailing list for any subsequent information, please write Tracy Slavin
or telephone at (916) 979-2384.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under provisions of Section 3405(e) of the
CVPIA (Title 34 of Public Law 102-575), ``The Secretary [of the
Interior] shall establish and administer an office on Central Valley
Project water conservation best management practices that shall * * *
develop criteria. For evaluating the adequacy of all water conservation
plans developed by project contractors, including those plans required
by section 210 of the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982.'' Also, according
to Section 3405(e)(1), these criteria will be developed `` * * * with
the purpose of promoting the highest level of water use efficiency
reasonably achievable by project contractors using best available cost-
effective technology and best management practices.''
The MP Criteria states that all parties (districts) that contract
with Reclamation for water supplies (municipal and industrial contracts
over 2,000 irrigable acre-feet and agricultural contracts over 2,000
irrigable acres) will prepare water conservation plans which will be
evaluated by Reclamation based on the following required information
detailed in the steps listed below to develop, implement, monitor, and
update their water conservation plans. The steps are:
1. Coordinate with other agencies and the public
2. Describe the district
3. Inventory water resources
4. Review the past water conservation plan and activities
5. Identify best management practices to be implemented
6. Develop schedules, budgets, and projected results
7. Review, evaluate, and adopt the water conservation plan
8. Implement, monitor, and update the water conservation plan
The MP contractors listed below have developed water conservation
plans which Reclamation has evaluated and preliminarily determined meet
the requirements of the Criteria.
Alpaugh Irrigation District.
East Bay Municipal Utilities District.
Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District.
Public comment on Reclamation's preliminary (i.e., draft)
determinations at this time is invited. Copies of the plans listed
above will be available for review at Reclamation's MP Regional Office
and MP's area offices. If you wish to review a copy of the plans,
please contact Mr. Slavin to find the office nearest you.
Dated: September 17, 1996.
Kirk C. Rodgers,
Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 96-24542 Filed 9-24-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M
