WSP12307

• File Number: 8220.106.L
• Description: Animas La Plata Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 11/1/2002
• Author: DOI-BOR
• Title: Animas La Plata Project - Chronology of Events - As of October 2002 - From BOR Website - 11-01-02
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Data

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Chronology of Events

The Animas-La Plata Project
(ALP), located in southwestern
Colorado and Northwestern New
Mexico, has been the focus of
substantial public interest and
environmental review since it was
authorized. The following is a brief
chronology of the project.

. 1968 - Congress authorized
construction of the Animas-La Plata
Project as a multi-purpose project
with a projected water supply of
nearly 191,200 acre-feet for
irrigation, mWlicipal and industrial use
purposes in Colorado and New
Mexico.

. 1980 - The Bureau of
Reclamation released a Final
Environmental Statement for the
Animas-La Plata Project.

. 1980-81 - With construction
of the ALP Project set to begin, the
Caner Administration suspended the
initiation of new public works water
projects.

. 1986 - The Depanment of
the Interior accepts a cost-sharing
arrangement that calls tor state and
local cntities to provide 38% of the
up-front funding for the Project,
resulting in phasing the Project.

. 1988 - Congress passed the
Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights
Settlement Act to resolve the senior
water rights claims of the Southern
Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian
Tribes. The Act allowed future

development of the region and
protected existing water uses.

. 1990 - Based on new
biological information, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service issued a draft
biological opinion concluding that the
project would jeopardize the existence
of the Colorado pikeminnow. No
reasonable and prudent project
alternatives were identifIed at this
time.

. 1991 - The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service issued a Final
Biological Opinion that contained a
reasonable and prudent alternative
that limited project water depletions
trom the Animas Riverto 57, I 00 acre-
feet per year and included an
endangered fish recovery program.
The Biological Opinion lifted
impediments to construction of the
proj ect.

. 1992 - Legal actions brought
forward by environmental
organizations halted construction of the
project.

. 1996 - Reclamation released
a Final Supplement to the Animas-La
Plata Environmental Impact
Statement.

. 1996-97 - Colorado Governor
Romer and Lt. Governor Schoettler
held meetings with supponers and
opponents of the project to address
unresolved concerns associated with
the original ALP Project specifications
and to gain consensus on future project

alternatives. The meetings resultcd
in proposals for structural and
nonstructural alternatives.

. 1998 - The Depanment of
Interior recommended construction of
a substantially scaled-down project.
The scaled-down alternative was
recommended as a means to address
thc Colorado Ute Tribes long-standing
water right claims and to provide a
solution for municipal and industrial
water needs in the project area. The
proposal downsized the project to
comply with Endangered Species Act
and Clean Water Act requirements.

. 2000 - Reclamation released
a Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement and Record of
Decision that identified the scaled-
down project as the preferred
alternative. The scaled down
alternative provided the Colorado Ute
tribes with an assured water supply
and contained both structural and
nonstructural components. Because
this alternative would provide benefits
to the Colorado Ute Tribes that were
not identical to those envisioned in the
1988 Settlement, it was recognized
that Congressional authorization was
needed to achieve final
implementation.

. 2000 - Congress authorized
the scaled-down project with the
passage of the Colorado Ute
Settlement Act Amendments of 2000.
These amendments authorized
construction of a resetvoir, pumping
plant and inlet conduit with an average
(Continued on Back)

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. http://www.uc.usbr.govthim click on ALP project

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