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I' i . . . SUMMARY INTRODUCTION The Animas-La Plata Project (Project), to be located in La Plata and Montezuma Counties in southwestern Colorado and in San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico, was described in a 1979 Definite Plan Report (DPR), in the 1980 Final Environmental Statement (!NT FES 80-18) (1980 FES), and in the 1992 Draft Supplement to the Final Environmental Statement (DSFES), The Project as documented in the 1980 FES would divert flows of the Animas, La Plata, and San Juan Rivers for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses. It would also provide for fish and wildlife preservation, recreation facilities, and a cultural resources program, The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes (Tribes), proposes to construct the Animas-La Plata Project in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, The Project was authorized by the U.S. Congress for construction as part of the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30,1968 (public Law 90-537), Subsequent additional authorization for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Project is found in Title V of Public Law 90-537 and the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act (Settlement Act) of 1988 (public Law 100-585). Also, as stated in the 1996 Energy and Water Appropriations Act, "... to ensure the timely implementation of the Settlement Act, the Secretary of the Interior is directed to proceed "without delay" with construction of those facilities in conformance with the final Biological Opinion for the Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado and New Mexico, dated October 24, 1991." The Project, as a participating project in the Colorado River Storage Project, permits beneficial uses of part of the stream flows allocated to Colorado and New Mexico by the Colorado River Compact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948. These compacts provide for equitable development of water resources in the Colorado River Basin, PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT The purposes of the Project as described in the authorizing legislation, the DPR, the 1980 FES, and the Settlement Act are to provide an assured, long-term water supply capable of meeting identified needs in the Project area. Further, the underlying needs that would be met by fulfilling this Project purpose include the following: . Meeting Colorado Ute Tribal water needs as defined in the Settlement Act 14