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1996 the way the Utes' need is to be met. The Sierra Club's Maggie Fox told the group, "Our oppo- sition is to the Animas-La Plata Project as it is currently configured, not to the action of resolving legitimate obligations and needs of the two tribes ... in ways that are environmen- tally benign and fiscally sound, as well as eco- nomically reasonable." Fox, attorney Lori Potter and Southern Ute councilman Ray Frost represented an array of groups - the National Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, U.s. Public Interest Research Group, Western Colorado Congress, Taxpayers for the Animas River and Frost's Southern Ute Grassroots Organization. Poller said, "We don't start from the assumption that ,anything has to be built, although we are willing to discuss construc- tion." Frost, who has been a Southern Ute coun- cil member for three years, said, "Today, I bring to the table allernatives that we have dis- cussed among us and that we believe would be in the best interests of the tribal membership." They include the kinds of ideas that ultimately sank Two Forks: the use of aquifers to store water underground, the expansion of existing reservoirs, conservation, and exchange of water with other users. The weIght Of hIstory By the time the half-hour opening state- ments by each team were complete, Romer and Babbitt had left and Lt. Gov. Schoettler had taken over as facilitator. A tall woman with short, gray hair, she ran the meeting with a style that combined footbalI referee, New Age psychologist and impatient schoolleacher. She ne~ed all those attributes as the meeting dragged on. An especially mind-numbing point came when the attorney for the Navajo tribe spoke: "The Navajo Nation is the largest water user in the San Juan River Basin," said Stanley Pollack. "Il is also lhe largest claimant of water rights in the basin. Any particular project could impact OUf water rights." The Navajos are in the same position as the Utes: Their water rights, also dating from 1868, have never been adjudicated. When New Mexico does finally rule on the 19th century claims, this biggest of all U.S., tribes could trump all non-Indian rights in lhe basin. The Navajos could do to the existing and future water uses what the Utes threatened to do. Just as the Utes demanded, and got, recog- nition of their rights 10 years ago, now the Navajos and the environmentalists are at the lable, using the laws that favor them to push their way into the process. The negotiations, which appear to have been instigated by the A-LP proponents, are revolutionary in their recognition of the newest arrivals' right to be at the table. But there is no indication of how their claims will be met. The A-LP supporters have their agenda: They want to negotiate specific issues, such as water qual- ity and endangered fish, in the hope lhat A-LP can mitigate its way to an early groundbreak- ing. But the opponents want to go back to ground zero and study and discuss water demands in the area and non-dam alternatives like conservation and water storage in existing reservoirs to meet those demands. Emotionally, the proponents are impatient - they've already waited a century, and they want to cut some deals and start turning dirt. Opponents have been at this for no more than a decade and they want to take the time to do a thorough job. Emotionally, the proponents are impatient - they've already waited a century, and they want to cut some deals and start turning dirt. Delay may favor dam opponents Although a deal may be hard to imagine this early in the process, it is easy to see that the political momentum is on the opponents' side. Last summer, Congress came close to f~ @ 1996 High COUntry News - 7