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<br />To the south of the project on the Nevajo Indian Reservation seven <br />new gasification plants are sefieduled to be built by WESCO and El <br />Paso Companies during the next ten years. San Juan County, New Mexico <br />population is expected to double during this period, increasing from <br />about 50 to 100 thousand people. Adequate water has been reserved <br />from the existing Navajo Reservoir for the gasification plants, but <br />no provisions have been made for the domestic and municipal needs of <br />the potential new people. <br /> <br />Unemployment among the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes <br />is extremely acute. However, these Tribes have substantial land and <br />coal resources in the project service area that needs only a catalysis <br />in the form of a firm water supply to stimulate economic development. <br /> <br />:'1 <br /> <br />Durango, located in the Colorado portion of the project, is highly <br />tourist and recreation oriented. It now has serious seasonal fluctu- <br />ations in its economy and is in need of a more stable year around <br />economic base. <br /> <br />~, <br /> <br />PROJECT OBJECTIVES <br />~___~, __ ___oL_ ____ <br /> <br />, <br />, <br />,-.'; <br /> <br />i~ <br /> <br />The Animas-La Plata Project has been conceived as a multiple purpose <br />water resource development that would meet the need described above. <br />It would provide a municipal water supply for Durango, Colorado and <br />for Aztec, Bloomfield, Farmington and Shiprock, New Mexico; a domestic <br />supply for the intervening rural area and an industrial supply for the <br />development of coal reserves on the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute <br />Reservations. It would provide irrigation water to stabilize the in- <br />secure agricultural economy on non-Indian lands and develop a new <br />agricultural economy on lands owned by the above Indian Tribes. At <br />the same time the project probably provides the only practical solu- <br />tion to the serious social and economic problems that are now being <br />posed by the pending US Y~..!Lkin case described in the Prelude. The <br />project would also provide substantial recreation and fish and wild- <br />life benefits, as well as minimal flood control. <br /> <br />',~ <br /> <br />:~ <br /> <br />~ <br />~~~ <br />~ <br />".~'< <br />,-~i <br />"-... <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />I <br />