BOARD00151 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 3/12/2007
• Description: WSP Section - Animas-La Plata Project Updates - Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the ALP Operations and Maintenance Association and Proposed Concept Paper
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natura! Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Harris D, Shennan
Executive Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm 0<
Chief, Water Supply Protection $

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

DATE:

March 4, 2007

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

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SUBJECT: Agenda Item 14, March 12-13,2007 Board Meeting:
Water Supply Protection - Animas-La Plata Project Updates ----
Intergovernmental Agreement Establishing the ALP Operations and
Maintenance Association and Proposed Concept Paper

Backeround

The Animas-La Plata Project (ALP) is located a short distance south and west of
Durango, Colorado. The ALP was authorized as a "participating project" pursuant to
provisions in the 1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act (P.L. 84-485) in the
September 30, 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act (P.L. 90-537). However, the ALP
did not move forward until it became a key component of the 1988 Colorado Ute Indian
Water Rights Settlement Act (P.L. 100-585). The ALP as originally configured in P.L.
100-585, however, encountered considerable opposition from a number of environmental
groups, which opposition eventually resulted in the Colorado Ute Settlement Act
Amendments of 2000 (Title III ofP.L. 106-554). The 2000 Amendments however still
provided for the construction of a downsized ALP.

The major facilities to be constructed include Ridges Basin Dam, which forms
Lake Nighthorse; the Durango Pumping Plant; the Ridges Basin Inlet Conduit; and the
Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline. Significant mitigation measures for cultural, fishery,
wildlife and wetland impacts are also part of the project.

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At present, the ALP is approximately 50% completed and the Bureau of
Reclamation has been urging the project beneficiaries to form a governmental entity to
operate and maintain the project once complete.