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<br />/,4, <br /> <br />- 4 - <br /> <br />(2) A 5-year research project to study the effects of utiliz- <br />ing releases of water from Navajo reservoir on endangered <br />species. 300,000 acre-ft per year of water would be <br />released in the spring and 300 cfs ofwinter flows would be <br />utilized to bring the river to a more natural state. <br />(3) Consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species <br />Act would be completed only for construction of the Ridges <br />Basin Reservoir, Durango Pumping Plant and inlet canal. <br />Use of the reservoir would be limited to 80,000 acre-ft ~ <br />per year with 50,000 acre-ft of depletions. ~~,~ <br />(4) All future depletions of water from the river system!lO <br />including increased depletions from Ridges Basin Reservoir, <br />and all existing and new depletions in Colorado and New <br />Mexico would be subject to individual Section 7 consulta- <br />tions. <br /> <br />The USBR draft alternative was not acceptable to the two Ute <br />Indian Tribes or to the non-Indian A-LP water users in southwestern <br />Colorado. They believed that under implementation of the USBR's draft ~ <br />alternative there is a strong possibility that the irrigation features <br />of the A-LP would never be constructed, and this would be in violation <br />of the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. <br /> <br />Efforts were directed toward developing a "reasonable and prudent" <br />alternative that would be approved by New Mexico and the USBR and F&WS. <br />Attached as ADDendix A is a draft proposed by the southwest water users <br />that was presented to New Mexico and to the USSR, which found it unsat- <br />isfactory. New Mexico did not respond by written communication as <br />promised on September 13. <br /> <br />During the afternoon meeting on September 26 New Mexico submitted <br />to us its response to the southwest water users draft mentione~ above. <br /> <br />I <br />