Section 3405(e) of the CVPIA (Title 34 Public Law 102-575)requires the Secretary of the Interior to establish and administer Central Valley Project water conservation best management practices and Criteria for Evaluating Water Management and Conservation Plans.

Reclamation is required to evaluate and revise as necessary the Criteria every 3 years. Public comment on revision of the 2002 draft Criteria was received, however no significant changes were made to the draft Criteria. The final 2002 Criteria will now be used to evaluate water management and conservation plans.

The Criteria states that Reclamation water service contractors, with certain exceptions for smaller agricultural and municipal and industrial contracts, must prepare Water Management Plans. The requirements are described in the final 2002 Criteria that can be found at the following website: http://www.mp.usbr.gov/watershare/documents/files/cvpia/final2002cvpiacriteria.pdf

A copy of the final Criteria can also be obtained by calling Leslie Barbre at Reclamation’s Sacramento office at 916-978-5232, TDD 916-978-5603, or by e-mail at: lbarbre@mp.usbr.gov, or Bryce White at 916-978-5208, or by e-mail at: bwhite@mp.usbr.gov.