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'. ';'J\'\ : ,,\\;1 '.,9 that it will be used by CUEA. The probable plant site would be near Southern Ute Reservoir about thirty miles from Durango and fifteen miles from Farmington. Under any circumstances, a site specific environmental impact statement will be required before any Ute coal development begins. Of specific interest, is the statement by Bugas, "In 1974 when CUEA's initial unit of its Craig generating plant was completed, property taxes there were 67 mills. Today they have dropped to 47 mills as a result of increased pro- perty valuation attributable to the new plant. In addition to the Ute coal reserves, there are other large coal deposits flanking out from Durango in three directions. If the Animas~La Plata Project is not built and its water right becomes void, many people are concerned that the same water supply will be used almost entirely for coal development instead of a multiple purpose project heavily oriented for agriculture. Environmental Impacts Downstream Boating Project diversion will shorten the boating and rafting season on the Animas River downstream from Durango. The Bureau of Reclamation estimates an annual loss in revenue from these activities of about $37,000. , ~.; Fish and Recreation The project will bypass a minimum of 125 cubic feet per second (cfs) at the Durango diversion site during October through March and 250 cfs during April through September. Diversions from the Animas River will never exceed 430 cfs. Joint studies prepared by the Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Fish and Wild- life, New Mexico Game and Fish Department and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, indicate that depletions of the Animas River by the project would have a neglig- ible effect on the trout population and an estimated ten percent reduction in the sucker population. Recreation facilities at Ridges Basin and Southern Ute Reservoirs will in- clude swiDDlling beaches, boat ramps, marinas and docks, and limited overnight camp units. RtagesBasin Reservoir would be located in the .center of the existing 8,000- acre Bodo Wildlife Management Area. As a result, it would not have the usual cODDllercia1 development along its shore line. It would have a large inactive pool and would be located within about four miles of the tourist oriented City of Durango. As a result it would be an extremely popular facility. Local residents would have ample time after work for evening excursions and tourists would undoubt- edly be enticed to stay in the area longer. r: ~; , '" Big Game The project will unti1ize about one-half of the Bodo Wildlife Management Area and will destroy habitat that currently supports about 150 elk and 150 deer, These losses will be fully mitigated by acquiring other lands and improving wildlife habitat on those lands. .';" ;~~ >~, .~, Economic Impacts Benefits The project will produce an estimated 20.5 million dollars in benefits, annually. Of this amount 10.9 million dollars would be new agricultural wealth that will stimulate an economic turnover many times greater than the actual value of the original farm products themselves. -5-