Sen. Cramer: Interior's Bureau of Reclamation signs OM&R with the Dickey Sargent Irrigation District for the Oakes Test Area

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement on the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation signing an Operation, Maintenance, and Replacement (OM&R) with the Dickey Sargent Irrigation District (DSID) for the Oakes Test Area (OTA):

“This signing is another good step toward transferring the Oakes Test Area. I hope it is finalized soon to provide for local control of OTA, which will enhance irrigators’ use of facilities Congress long ago intended to be transferred from the federal government.”

According to the Bureau of Reclamation, the OM&R contract - which was signed on May 4 - is a formal contract to assign DSID as the operator, defining the facilities and formally detailing that both parties agree to their roles and responsibilities. It is another completed and necessary step to allow for the OTA facilities to be transferred.

Click here to read the OM&R.