Reclamation Bureau November 13, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The ``Criteria for Developing Refuge Water Management Plans'' (Refuge Criteria), as applied in the following areas, are now available for public comment. North Grassland State Wildlife Area, China Island North Grassland State Wildlife Area, Salt Slough Merced National Wildlife Refuge Los Banos State Wildlife Area Mendota State Wildlife Area San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Delevan National Wildlife Refuge Colusa National Wildlife Refuge Kern National Wildlife Refuge Volta State Wildlife Area Pixley National Wildlife Refuge The Refuge Criteria provides a common methodology, or standard, for efficient use of water by Federal Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Management Areas and Resource Conservation Districts that receive water under provisions of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA). They document the process and format by which Refuge Water Management Plans (Plans) should be prepared and submitted to Reclamation as part of the Refuge/District Water Supply Contracts and Memorandum of Agreements. The Refuge Criteria refers to Refuges, Wildlife Areas and Resource Conservation Districts as Refuges. Those Refuges that entered into water supply contracts with Reclamation, as a result of the CVPIA and subsequent Department of the Interior administrative review processes, are required to prepare Plans using the Refuge Criteria.