The Bureau of Reclamation must inventory wells and river pumps along the lower Colorado River to ensure that all Colorado River water use conforms to applicable laws and regulations and is accurately accounted for. This will affect every well and river-pump owner and operator along the lower Colorado River in Arizona, California, and Nevada.
The well inventory project has been ongoing since 1994 and the USGS has inventoried nearly 5,000 wells during that time. As a result, the majority of the wells along the Colorado River have been inventoried. A time is approaching where the initial well inventory process will have been completed and the inventory process will be entering a maintenance stage where Reclamation will only occasionally need to inventory new wells or pumps as they come on line. Therefore, there is a program change due to agency discretion in that we are reducing the number of inventories as we get closer to our goal.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.