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Dolores proiect shares goals. loyalty with Animas-LaPlata "'-^':- In a strong way, the Dolores Project Is connected . in goals and responsibilities to the AnlmaB-La Plata Project which will supply Jrrlgation and municipal- industrial water to La Plata and Montezuma counties, Colo., and San Juan County, New Mexico. "Sister,' I projects authorized by congress along , with three other Western Colorado projects and the Central Arizona Project in 1968, the Dolores and Animas- La Plata share one especially lmportant responsibility. Water rights suits have been filed by the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute In- dians for waters in the San Juan River drainage, which includes the Mancos River. These water rights date back to the 1860's. Proponents of the projects say that water enough will be available through their con- struction to allow negotiations with the Indians rather than litigation in the courts. The Dolores Project will supply 7,500 acre-feet of water to the Ute Mountain Utes, helping to alleviate claims against the Mancos River drainage. Water suits would make users of the Man- cos Valley unable to have any of the water from that stream. But the Animas-La Plata Project provides for 24,400 acre-feet of water to be tran- sported down the Mancos River for the Ute Mountain Utes, plus another 800 acre- feet for their New Mexico holdings. However, the Animas-La Plata's lmportance doesn't stop at the need to end water rights suits of the Indians. The project will be a multi- purpose development as Is the Dolores. Municipal and Industrial water will be furnished to Durango, to the rural La Plata County area, Far- mington, Aztec, Bloomfield and several smaller com- munities, as well as the Navajo Tribe in New Mexico. Both the Southern Utes and the Ute Mountain Utes will receive industrial water, primarily for development of coal resources on their reser- vations. , The project will provide water for the irrigation of In- dian and non-Indian far- mland in the La Plata and Mancos river drainages in both states, and opportunities will he made for recreation at project reservoirs. A program for developing land for wildlife will com- pensate for losses at the two reservoirs, and a program will he Instituted to collect and preserve cultural resour- ces such as Anasazl Indian artifacts. Project construction will take about 10 years.