WSP09460

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/1/1988
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Special Report - Animas-La Plata Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of this Report

This Special Report on the Animas-La Plats Project has been pre-
pared to explain how the Agreement in Principle Concerning the Colorado
Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement and Binding Agreement for Animas-La
Plata Project Cost Sharing (Agreement or Cost Shsring Agreement) will be
implemented. The report will explain the phased construction of the
project as specified in the Agreement. The report is intended to serv~
as a basis to support legislation necessitsted by the Agreement and to
support appropriation budget requests for implementstion of the Agree-
ment and construction of the project.

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Authority

The Animss-La Plata Project was suthorized by the Colorado River
Basin Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537), as a participating
project under the Colorado River Storage Project (eRSP) Act of April II,
1956 (Public Law 84-485). The authorization wss based on the feasibil-
ity report of the Secretary of the Interior transmitted to Congress on
May 4, 1966, and printed as House Document 436, 89th Congress, 2nd Ses-
sion.

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Project Setting

The project will be located in La Plata and Montezuma Counties of
southwestern Colorado and in San Juan County of northwestern New Mexico
(see Frontispiece Map). This area is in the eastern psrt of a region
that is frequently called the Four Corners Area because of the unique
juncture of the States of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The
project area lies within the Upper Colorado River Basin and includes the
San Juan River and three of its tributaries--the Animas, La Plata, and
Mancoa Rivers.

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The area to be served by the project is divided into Colorado and
New Mexico portions. The largest city in the Colorado portion is
Durango, located on the Animas River and serving as the retail trade
center and largest city in southwestern Colorado. To the west and south-
west of Durango are the rural com1lumities of Hesperus, Breen, Kline,
Marvel, . and Redmesa in the La Plata River drainage. The non-Indian
. areas in Colorado served by the project are located within the boundaries
of the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District. The Southern Ute
Indian Reservation is located entirely 1n Colorado, while the Ute Moun-
tain Ute Indian Reservation is located mostly in Colorado but also
extends into New Mexico. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation has Its