Notice2023-22293
Agency Information Collection Activities; USGS Water Use Data and Research Program Announcement; Water Use Data and Research Program Feasibility Study
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentGeological Survey
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to revise an information collection.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 193 (Friday, October 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69654-69656]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-22293]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX23DK00GUH0300; OMB Control Number 1028-011]
Agency Information Collection Activities; USGS Water Use Data and
Research Program Announcement; Water Use Data and Research Program
Feasibility Study
AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of information collection; request for comment.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is proposing to revise an information
collection.
DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before
November 6, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under Review--Open for
Public Comments'' or by using the search function. Please provide a
copy of your comments on this information collection request (ICR) by
mail, to
[[Page 69655]]
USGS, Information Collections Clearance Officer, 12201 Sunrise Valley
Drive, MS 159, Reston, VA 20192; or by email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3156421c585f575e6e525e5d5d545245585e5f4271444256421f565e47"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4c3d789cdcac2cbfbc7cbc8c8c1c7d0cdcbcad7e4d1d7c3d78ac3cbd2">[email protected]</span></a>. Please reference OMB Control Number 1028-
0118 Water Use Data and Research Program Feasibility Study in the
subject line of your comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request additional information
about this ICR, contact Erik A. Smith by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#701511031d19041830050317035e171f06"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b5d0d4c6d8dcc1ddf5c0c6d2c69bd2dac3">[email protected]</span></a>, or
by telephone at 512-927-3584. Individuals in the United States who are
deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial
711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay
services. Individuals outside the United States should use the relay
services offered within their country to make international calls to
the point-of-contact in the United States. You may also view the ICR at
<a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the PRA of 1995 and 5 CFR
1320.8(d)(1), we provide the general public and other federal agencies
with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing
collections of information. This helps us assess the impact of our
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting
burden. It also helps the public understand our information collection
requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format.
A Federal Register notice (88 FR 20902) with a 60-day public
comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information
was published on April 7, 2023. No comments were received.
As part of our continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent
burdens, we are again soliciting comments from the public and other
federal agencies on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are
especially interested in public comment addressing the following
issues:
(1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the
USGS;
(2) Will this information be processed and used in a timely manner;
(3) Is the estimate of burden accurate;
(4) How might the USGS enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of
the information to be collected; and
(5) How might the USGS minimize the burden of this collection on
the respondents, including through the use of information technology.
Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other personally identifiable information
(PII) in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--
including your PII--may be made publicly available at any time. While
you can ask us in your comment to withhold your PII from public review,
we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Abstract: The USGS is authorized under SECURE Water Act section
9508 to assist State and Territory water-resource agencies with
improving their water-use data collection activities. The USGS has
implemented the Water Use Data and Research program (WUDR) to work with
State and Territory water agencies to gather and analyze their data and
to assist this effort via cooperative agreements. WUDR will work to
improve the collection and reporting of water-use categories by State
and Territory agencies, including categories of water use that were
previously discontinued due to limited resources. This collection will
be used in reports to Congress on water resources in the Nation.
Program authorization is $1,500,000 per year.
Cooperative agreements will be announced and awarded as part of an
annual competitive process that will be guided by a technical committee
of USGS employees and stakeholder-group representatives. WUDR funds
will be coordinated through a single agency in each State or Territory.
As part of the ongoing efforts to improve the collection and
sharing of water-use data, a nationwide data-sharing feasibility study
of State and Territory agencies that provide water-use information to
the USGS will also be conducted. This study will investigate the water-
use data availability and identify barriers that may prevent State and
Territory agencies from sharing water-use data, especially site-
specific water-use data. Example feasibility-study questions include:
(1) whether water use location data (latitude, longitude, etc.) is
available to the public, and if so, the format of availability to the
public (website, publication, accessible paper files, etc.); (2)
ability/willingness to share the water-use data with other agencies,
such as the USGS, and any restrictions on sharing data (such as
location and/or water quantity); (3) if information on quantities of
water used, such as withdrawals, wastewater return, and sales/
deliveries between users, is available to the public, and if so, the
restrictions on water-quantity data such as categories of use or time
intervals.
Collaboration and coordination with USGS personnel will be required
as part of the WUDR program. Data must be stored electronically and
made available in machine-readable formats that can be incorporated
into USGS databases. Additionally, methods used for data collection
(estimated values, coefficients, etc.) and a description of data
quality assurance and control must be provided to the USGS.
Title of Collection: USGS Water Use Data and Research Program.
OMB Control Number: 1028-0118.
Form Number: None.
Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: State and Territory water-resource
agencies that collect water-use data.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: WUDR estimates that
30 respondents (States and/or Territories) will read the program
announcement, 12 respondents will prepare and submit applications, 10
respondents (States and/or Territories) will submit semi-annual (two
reports per year) progress reports and a final technical report, and 90
respondents (States and/or Territories) will respond to the water use
data sharing feasibility study.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 30 respondents reading
the program announcement; 12 applications; 20 progress reports, 10
final technical reports, 90 respondents to water use data sharing
feasibility study.
Estimated Completion Time per Response: Read Program announcement:
1 hour; prepare applications: 40 hours; progress reports: 4 hours;
final technical report: 24 hours; water use data sharing feasibility
study: 1.5 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 965 hours.
Respondent's Obligation: Required to be eligible to receive funding
and voluntary to respond to water-use data-sharing feasibility study.
Frequency of Collection: Program Announcements are published
annually. Proposals are submitted annually by State and Territory
water-resource agencies wishing to compete for funding offered through
the annual program announcement. State and Territory water-resource
agencies that receive a cooperative agreement must submit semi-annual
progress reports and a final technical report. State and Territory
water-resource agencies that respond to the water-use data sharing
feasibility study will only need to respond once to provide potential
clarification to questions on their study responses.
[[Page 69656]]
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, nor is a person required to
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently
valid OMB control number.
The authority for this action is the PRA of 1995.
Cory Angeroth,
Deputy Program Coordinator, USGS Groundwater and Streamflow Information
Program.
[FR Doc. 2023-22293 Filed 10-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
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