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<br />. <br /> <br />CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />1.1 Background <br /> <br />In July 2000, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with the U.S. <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EP A), and the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian <br />Tribes, completed the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the ALP <br />Project. The purpose of the ALP Project is to implement the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights <br />Settlement Act of 1988 (P.L. 100-585), as amended by the Colorado Ute Settlement Act <br />Amendment of 2000. The ALP Project is located in southwestern Colorado and northwestern <br />New Mexico. Its structural components include the development of an off-channel reservoir in <br />Ridges Basin to store water diverted from the Animas River. Ridges Basin Reservoir will have a <br />total storage capacity of approximately 120,000 acre-feet (at). A pumping plant and inlet conduit <br />will be used to divert water from Animas River and to deliver it to the reservoir for storage. <br />Basin Creek would be used to convey ALP Project water back to the Animas River for <br />downstream delivery. <br /> <br />According to the FSEIS, construction of Ridges Basin Dam and filling of the reservoir will result <br />in the permanent loss of 121 acres of wetland/riparian habitats, and approximately 13 acres of <br />wetland/riparian habitats along Basin Creek will be impacted downstream of the dam by the <br />operation of the reservoir. Thus, a total of 134 acres of wetland/riparian habitats will be <br />impacted as a result ofthe ALP Project. As stated in the 2000 FSEIS and the subsequent Record <br />of Decision (ROD), Reclamation will mitigate impacts at a ratio of 1.5: I which is within the <br />range of ratios mentioned in section 10.5 of the 404(b)(1) report and the various options <br />discussed in the preliminary estimates of mitigation opportunities in the Wetlands Mitigation <br />Opportunities Report developed for the FSEIS (Volume II of the FSEIS). The Fish and Wildlife <br />Coordination Act Report, as summarized in the FSEIS Volume I, refers to and concurs with <br />section 5.4.4 of the FSEIS which commits to the 1.5: 1 acre mitigation ratio for wetlands/riparian <br />mitigation. <br /> <br />From Appendix 2 ofthe ROD, Environmental Commitments, signed September 25,2000 (under <br />Vegetation, commitment #3): <br /> <br />"Reclamation will compensate the loss of 134 acres of wetland/riparian habitat at a mitigation ratio <br />sufficient to replace or exceed the habitat value of wetland/riparian habitat lost as described under <br />Mitigationfor Refined Alternative 4 Vegetation Impacts 3 and 4 in Section 3.4. Reclamation will <br />replace lost wetland/riparian areas at a planned ratio of 1.5: I, thus creating approximately 200 acres of <br />replacement wetlands, Mitigation will involve a program of land acquisition, wetland development, and <br />long-term management. To the extent possible, this program will be integrated into the wildlife habitat <br />mitigation program to expand benefits and provide large blocks of contiguous wildlife habitat. For <br />purposes of this FSEIS, it is assumed 600 acres will be necessary for the wetland program. Because of <br />limited water supplies for new wetland creation in the region, restoration of degraded wetlands will be <br />an important component of any wetland plan. As with wildlife habitat mitigation, the La Plata River <br />Basin will be given first priority for wetland development. Lands for wetland mitigation will be acquired <br />prior to initiation of construction of Ridges Basin Dam and overall wetland mitigation physical features <br />will be at least 95 percent completed prior to beginning reservoir filling. " <br /> <br />-1- <br />