WSP10104

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Title: Reasons for Building the Animas-La Plata Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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It would provide substantial recreation and fish and wildlife benefits at
the two project reservoirs, one of which is virtually in the back door of Durango,
a tourist oriented city,
Although it is unfortunate that the project will consume badly needed power,
it will provide water to develop Ute Indian coal reserves that can produce about
100 fold more power than that consumed by the project. It is entirely possible
that within a few decades food and fiber may be our number one national priority
instead of energy.
The project would develop all of the Ute Indian land and coal resources that
are now economically feasible to develop. This,will, for all practical purposes,
solve serious social and economic problems that would otherwise develop, as a result
of pending Indian water right suits,
It would utilize Colorado River water and Colorado River Storage Project re-
venues that have been allocated to the State of Colorado and, in turn, reserved for
the project, If the project is not built in the very near future, these allocations
will be lost to other competing Colorado projects.
The benefits of the project would be many times greater than any negative
impacts of temporary growth during construction and the minimal environmental
degradations attributable to the project.
However, the bottom line is, "if the project water right becomes void, coal
interests will, undoubtedly, utilize the same water to develop the huge coal re-
serves surrounding Durango and leave the irrigable land resources of the project
area undeveloped."

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