Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program: Colorado River water offstream storage, and interstate redemption of storage credits in Lower Division States,
[Federal Register: September 21, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 182)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 50183]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21se98-32]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Reclamation
43 CFR Part 414
RIN 1006-AA40
Offstream Storage of Colorado River Water and Interstate Redemption of Storage Credits in the Lower Division States
AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period.
SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior (``the Department'' or ``we'') hereby gives notice that we are reopening the comment period on our proposed rule entitled ``Offstream Storage of Colorado River Water and Interstate Redemption of Storage Credits in the Lower Division States.'' We originally published the proposed rule on December 31, 1997, at 62 FR 68492, and accepted public comments until April 3, 1998.
DATES: We must receive your comments at the address below on or before October 21, 1998.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to submit comments, you may do so by any one of three methods. You may mail comments to Bureau of Reclamation, Administrative Record, Lower Colorado Regional Office, P.O. Box 61470, Boulder City, NV 89006-1470. You may comment via the internet at bjohnson@lc.usbr.gov Or, you may hand-deliver comments to Bureau of Reclamation, Administrative Record, Lower Colorado Regional Office, 400 Railroad Avenue, Boulder City, NV.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dale Ensminger, (702) 293-8659.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We request that interested parties provide comments on whether an authorized entity in a Storing State under the rule must hold an ``entitlement'' to use Colorado River water pursuant to court decree, contract with the United States, or reservation of water from the Secretary of the Interior. As published on December 31, 1997, section 414.2 of the proposed rule defined ``authorized entity'' as ``a State water banking authority, or other entity of a Lower Division State holding entitlements to Colorado River water. * * *'' Section 414.2 of the proposed rule defined ``Entitlement'' as ``an authorization to benefically use Colorado River water pursuant to: (1) a decreed right, (2) a contract with the United States through the Secretary, or (3) a reservation of water from the Secretary.''
The Department received differing comments on these definitions and other technical matters during the previous comment period. For example, differing comments on the definition of ``authorized entity'' revealed that some read the definition as allowing a State Water Bank to participate in activities under the rule without holding an entitlement to Colorado River water, while others did not. We invite comment on whether the definition of ``authorized entity'' should be revised to clarify that an ``authorized entity,'' including a State water bank, must hold an entitlement to Colorado River water in order to ensure consistency with the Law of the River, including specifically section 5 of the Boulder Canyon Project Act, 43 U.S.C. 617d, as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Arizona v. California, 373 U.S. 546 (1963).
We also invite comment on whether efficiency, flexibility, and certainty in Colorado River management may result combining an approval Interstate Storage Agreement and a contract under Section 5 of the Boulder Canyon Project Act into one document, thus making the parties entitlement holders upon execution of the Agreement. And, we invite comment on whether, if the documents are not combined, the Interstate Storage Agreements and any separate Section 5 contract (or amendments to an existing contract) should be processed and approved simultaneously to eliminate duplication of any administrative and compliance procedures.
Dated: September 15, 1998. Patricia J. Beneke, Assistant Secretary--Water and Science.
[FR Doc. 98-25139Filed9-18-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-94-M
