The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) announced a 15-day comment period on a proposed amendment to the Cachuma Operation & Maintenance Board's second contract, which the BOR says is needed to allow work to continue at some facilities, a Sept. 7 press release said.
"This amendment would allow the Cachuma Operation & Maintenance Board to continue the operation, maintenance, and replacement of the Transferred Project Works of some Cachuma Project facilities," the press release said.
Individuals interested in commenting should focus on the second draft contract amendment, the BOR said. They can submit comments to Rain Emerson, South Central California Area Office, Bureau of Reclamation, 1243 N Street, Fresno, CA 93721, the press release said. Comments can also be faxed to 559-262-0371 or emailed to remerson@usbr.gov.
The contract, which is 75 pages, counting exhibits, is available at this link on the BOR website.
The second draft contract amendment explains the background of the original contract, which was signed on Feb. 24, 1956, and has been amended multiple times since then. The draft contract amendment says, "The United States has determined that the Contractor to date has fulfilled all of its obligations under the Existing Contract, and the Contractor has requested a second contract amendment of the Existing Contract pursuant to that Contract, the Federal Reclamation laws, and the laws of the State of California, for continued transfer of the Operation and Maintenance of the Cachuma Transferred Project Works.”
The Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board was created in 1956. It gave the Cachuma Project Member Units responsibility for the operation, repair, and maintenance of all Cachuma Project facilities. The exception is Bradbury Dam, which is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. The Cachuma Project was known as a “seacoast project” to capture seasonal floodwaters from the Santa Ynez River to divert that water to communities that have a history of water deficiency, the proposed contract amendment says.
