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<br />that water in reclamation reservoirs can be put to whatever <br /> <br />purpose the Government may choose in the short term, without <br /> <br />making long-term commitments which are necessary to third party <br />planning: <br /> <br />Reclamation can maximize its discretion and <br />flexibility by seeking alternatives to <br />contracts whenever practical . . . Contracts <br />will be written for the shortest possible <br />term consistent with good business practices <br />and effective water management. The working <br />presumption is that this period is 25 years <br />or less.20 <br /> <br />Meanwhile, the revised Bureau policy appears to require increased <br /> <br />charges apparently for the purpose of recapturing past sunk costs <br /> <br />of the government: <br /> <br />Contracts will ensure that the federal <br />investment and reclamation administrative <br />costs are recovered in an effective and <br />businesslike manner. 21 <br /> <br />But Congress maintained the reclamation program largely on the <br />basis that 1) power generation revenues would repay u.s. <br />investment in the reclamation program, along with water user <br />construction component repayment, and would provide a long term <br /> <br />source of revenue and 2) would provide increasing tax revenues to <br /> <br />the u.s. Treasury through the multiplier effect of placing water <br /> <br /> <br />to beneficial use in the west. A policy of recouping past <br /> <br />investment costs of the government departs from u.s. long term <br /> <br />20 Daniel P. Beard, "Contracts and Repayment Policy", July 20, <br />1994 Memorandum, United States Bureau of Reclamation, at 1, 3. <br /> <br />21 rd. at 2. <br /> <br />9 <br />