WSP10527 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

COLORADO WATER CONSERVATION BOARD 102 Columbine Building 1845 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 March, 1975 ANIMAS-LA PLATA PROJECT The Animas-La Plata project is located in southwestern Colorado and northwestern New Mexico in the San Juan River basin. The project was authorized by the Congress in 1968 under the provisions of the Colorado River Basin Project Act as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The Colorado River Basin Project Act authorized the Central Arizona Project and five projects in Colorado; to wit, Animas-La Plata, Dallas Creek, Dolores, San Miguel and West Divide. Section 50l(b) of the act (Public Law 90-537) provides as follows: "The Secretary is diret:ted to proceed as nearly as practicable with the construction of the Animas-La Plata, Dolores, Dallas Creek, West Divide, and San Miguel participating Federal reclama- tion projects concurrently with the construction of the Central Arizona Project, to the end that such projects shall be completed not later than the date of the first delivery of water from said Central Arizona Project: Provided, That an appropriate repayment contract for each of said participating projects shall have been executed as provided in section 4 of the Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat. 107) before construction shall start on that particular project." The La Plata Water Conservancy District was organized in 1944 to act as the sponsoring and contractual agency for that portion of the project located in the state of Colorado. The district includes a portion of La Plata county. The Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribes are also project sponsors. Plan of Development The Animas-La Plata project has been conceived as a multiple purpose water resource development. It would provide municipal and industrial water for the cities of Durango, Aztec and Farmington and for the development of coal resources on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The project would provide irrigation water for lands in the La Plata River drainage, some of which are dry and others which have been historically irrigated, but are presently dry due to insufficient water supplies. Recreational opportunities and fish and wildlife enhancement would also be project objectives. Minimal flood control would also be provided by the project. The following paragraphs describe an alternative to the plan presented in the authorizing document. It appears to be more environ- mentally acceptable and would contribute less salinity to the Colorado River. It is not the final plan; however, it is an example of the opportunity that exists for improving the project through reformulation. I