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<br /> <br />thickly covered with alkalai, little useful vegetation grows, and most of the <br />area cannot be productively farmed. Of the 130,DOO-acre Project area, only <br />2,000 acres are irrigated farmland. The rest is poor to very poor rangeland. <br />Almost half of the area is in the public domain (State of Colorado or Bureau <br />of Land Management). This is because the land is of such low value that it was <br />never worthwhile for anyone to claim it. There is no other part of the Valley <br />where the Project could be built and cause so little disruption of the private <br />sector (see section III-B). <br /> <br />To summarize the aspects of the Project's design which assure that its operation <br />will not harm the established economy of the Valley: <br /> <br />1. The Project is designed to salvage water which is not being beneficially <br />used. Without the Project, a source of water which can benefit the Valley <br />evaporates. <br /> <br />2. The effects of the Project are rigorously confined to the area within the <br />Project boundaries. Land and subsurface water outside those boundaries will not <br />be significantly affected by the operation of the Project. <br /> <br />3. The area within the Project'boundaries where some effects will be visible is <br />one of the least developed areas in the Valley. Those effects will, accordingly, <br />cause lllinimal, disruption. <br /> <br />The primary purpose of the Project, is to provide a source of water which will <br />help Colorado meet its legal obligations to downstream water users and relieve <br />the San Luis Valley from the annual strain and uncertainty which is the result <br />of meeting those obligations under the current system. Federal law and regula- <br />tions discourage single-purpose construction projects. These rules are <br />designed to make sure that projects are designed to achieve all of their poten- <br />tial benefits. Benefits which can be achieved at little to no additional cost <br />are strongly encouraged. The Project's recreation and fish and wildlife aspects <br />are of this nature. <br /> <br />The fish and wildlife aspects of the Project are in part related to the <br />stringent Federal laws protecting wetlands and endangered species. The law <br />recognizes that wetlands are particularly important to wildlife and are often <br />critical habitat for rare or endangered species. Projects which destroy or <br />disturb wetland areas are required to replace the disturbed habitat. The <br />Project Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Plans are in part a response to these <br />mitigation requirements. Those plans include the delivery of Project water to <br />the Alamosa Wildlife Refuge and the Blanca Wildlife Habitat Area. A waterfowl <br />management area in the Russell Lakes vicinity will also be established. Russell <br />Lakes will not use Project salvage water. The Bureau plans to acquire the land <br />and appurtenant water rights for Russell Lakes from willing sellers. This water <br />is for wildlife enhancement only and will make no contribution to the rest of <br />the Project system. <br /> <br />", ';'t.:0 <br />i: ';eo-' i" '4 C~) <br /> <br />8 <br />