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<br />3.2.1 Monitoring of the La Plata River Flows. <br /> <br />Reclamation will monitor the seasonal flows ofthe La Plata River for the life ofthe Animas:La <br />Plata Project to ensure the integrity of the mitigation program through a combination of data <br />collection at existing and new gauging stations in and near the MA. Immediately north of the <br />MA, a new ramp flume gauge was installed in 2001 by the La Plata Water Conservancy District <br />(LPWCD). Additionally, gauges have been installed by Reclamation (Spring 2002) in the La <br />Plata River immediately above and below the confluence with Long Hollow and approximately <br />half way between the confluence of Cherry Creek with the La Plata River and the Confluence of <br />Long Hollow with the La Plata River to provide current flow data and to provide a basis for <br />comparison in the future through that critical juncture in the MA. <br /> <br />The Hesperus and state line USGS gauging stations will continue to provide additional data <br />relative to the basin as a whole to compare noted flow changes through the MA versus overall <br />flow changes in the La Plata River basin. Monitoring wells may also be installed if they are <br />deemed necessary to the mitigation monitoring effort. <br /> <br />Reclamation will continue to monitor any water development projects within the La Plata River <br />basin which could possibly impact flows through the MA. Water surface elevations and <br />groundwater influence information for the recent history of the flows through the MA are <br />recorded in the 1995 "Technical Report, Groundwater Summary of the Animas, La Plata and <br />Mancos Rivers" by the Bureau of Reclamation. This data will provide <br />an indication of pre-project baseline as well as the gauging stations currently installed on the La <br />Plata River, both within and adjacent to the MA. <br /> <br />3.2.2 Possible Changes to Water Flows in the La Plata River <br /> <br />In order to understand why changes in flow could occur, it is necessary to understand some of the <br />physical conditions of the La Plata River Basin. The La Plata River is fully appropriated. As <br />stated above, large segments of the river generally go dry during most years. An item that <br />complicates this is the administration of the La Plata River Compact. The compact apportions La <br />Plata River water between Colorado and New Mexico as follows: <br /> <br />At all times between the first day of December and the fifteenth day of the succeeding <br />February, each state shall have unrestricted right to use all the water which may flow <br />within its boundaries. <br /> <br />Between the fifteenth day of February and the first of December of each year, each state <br />shall have unrestricted use of all waters within its boundaries when the flow at the State <br />Line gage is 100 cfs or more, and on all other days the State of Colorado shall deliver half <br />of the mean flow at the Hesperus gage for the preceding day, but not to exceed 100 cfs <br /> <br />-20- <br />