2023-19132. Quarterly Status Report of Water Service, Repayment, and Other Water-Related Contract Actions

AGENCY:

Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of contract actions.

SUMMARY:

Notice is hereby given of contractual actions that have been proposed to the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and are new, discontinued, or completed since the last publication of this notice. 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 of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Kelly, Reclamation Law Administration Division, Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 25007, Denver, Colorado 80225–0007; [e-mail]; telephone [phone].

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. 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 the 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. 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 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, 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 or her 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 will furnish revised contracts to all parties who requested the contract in response to the initial public notice.

Definitions of Abbreviations Used in the Reports

ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

BCP Boulder Canyon Project

Reclamation Bureau of Reclamation

CAP Central Arizona Project

CUP Central Utah Project

CVP Central Valley Project

CRSP Colorado River Storage Project

XM Extraordinary Maintenance

EXM Emergency Extraordinary Maintenance

FR Federal Register

IDD Irrigation and Drainage District

ID Irrigation District

M&I Municipal and Industrial

O&M Operation and Maintenance

OM&R Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement

P–SMBP Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program

RRA Reclamation Reform Act of 1982

SOD Safety of Dams

SRPA Small Reclamation Projects Act of 1956

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

WD Water District

WIIN Act Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act

MISSOURI BASIN—INTERIOR REGION 5: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 36900, Federal Building, 2021 4th Avenue North, Billings, Montana 59101, telephone [phone].

New contract action:

30. Greenfields ID, Sun River Project, Montana: Consideration for a preliminary lease of power privilege for Pishkun Inlet. Consideration for additional sites is ongoing.

Completed contract action:

28. PacifiCorps; Glendo Unit, P–SMBP; Wyoming: Consideration for a 5-year excess capacity contract. Contract executed on June 6, 2023.

UPPER COLORADO BASIN—INTERIOR REGION 7: Bureau of Reclamation, 125 South State Street, Room 8100, Salt Lake City, Utah 84138–1102, telephone [phone].

New contract actions:

40. Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, Weber Basin Project, Utah: Amendment to contract No. 22–WC–40–940 to increase repayment from approximately $8M to $23M.

41. The Jordanelle Special Service District; Bonneville Unit, CUP; Utah: The District desires to enter into a Section 14 of the Reclamation Projects Act of 1939 contract for Reclamation to dedicate a water right in order for the Utah State Parks to receive water at the Rock Cliff Recreation Area for recreational purposes.

42. Los Ranchitos Estates, Florida Project, Colorado: Reclamation received a request for a long-term water service contract (25 years) to augment depletions from residential water uses within the subdivision. The proposed contract will be for 36 acre-feet of water annually.

43. Forrest Groves Estates, Florida Project, Colorado: Reclamation received a request for a long-term water service contract (25 years) to augment depletions from residential water uses within the subdivision. The proposed contract will be for 43 acre-feet of water annually.

44. Country Aire Estates, Florida Project, Colorado: Reclamation received a request for a long-term water service contract (25 years) to augment depletions from residential water uses within the subdivision. The proposed contract will be for 7 acre-feet of water annually.

LOWER COLORADO BASIN—INTERIOR REGION 8: Bureau of Reclamation, P.O. Box 61470 (Nevada Highway and Park Street), Boulder City, Nevada 89006–1470, telephone [phone].

Completed contract actions:

16. GSC Farm, LLC, and the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona; BCP; Arizona: Enter into a proposed partial assignment and transfer of Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water in the amount of 2,033.01 acre-feet per year from GSC to Queen Creek, amend GSC's Colorado River water delivery contract No. 13–XX–30–W0571 to decrease their Colorado River water entitlement from 2,913.3 to 69.93 acre-feet per year, enter into Colorado River water delivery contract No. 20–XX–30–W0689 with Queen Creek for 2,033.01 acre-feet per year of Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water entitlement, and enter into a wheeling agreement between the United States and Queen Creek for the wheeling of non-project water to be transported through the CAP for the use or benefit of Queen Creek. Contracts executed on April 28, 2023.

19. Western Water, LLC and Cibola Valley IDD, BCP, Arizona: Approve an amendment of Western's contract service area under their contract No. 16–XX–30–W0619, as amended (Western Contract), to include the previously excluded parcels of land; namely, the eastern halves of Assessor Parcel Nos. 301–08–003C and 301–08–003D. The inclusion of these lands within the Western Contract service area will make these lands eligible to receive Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water from Western. Western has an Arizona fourth-priority Colorado River water entitlement under the Western Contract for an annual diversion of 536.48 acre-feet of Colorado River water for irrigation use within the Western Contract service area. Additionally, Reclamation will amend the District's contract service area under their contract to exclude Western lands. The exclusion of the Western lands from the District's contract service area will make the Western lands ineligible to receive Arizona fourth-, fifth-, and/or sixth-priority water from the District. The District's boundary will remain the same. Contracts executed on April 18, 2023.

COLUMBIA–PACIFIC NORTHWEST—INTERIOR REGION 9: Bureau of Reclamation, 1150 North Curtis Road, Suite 100, Boise, Idaho 83706–1234, telephone [phone].

Modified contract action:

16. Storage Division, Yakima Project, Washington: Contracts with water user entities for the repayment of reimbursable shares of the costs of the SOD program modification for Kachess Dam.

CALIFORNIA–GREAT BASIN—INTERIOR REGION 10: Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825–1898, telephone [phone].

Completed contract action:

9. San Luis WD, CVP, California: Proposed partial assignment of 4,449 acre-feet of the District's CVP supply to Santa Nella County WD for M&I use. Contract executed on January 24, 2023.

Christopher Beardsley,

Director, Policy and Programs.