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project proponents, and the State of Colorado, called for the creation of a fund to allow the Tribes to purchase agricultural land and water rights from their neighbors. The project proponents' alternative was thereafter coined 'Animas LaPlata Lite'. Senate bill 1771 introduced on March 17, 1998, and the companion House bill 3478 would have authorized ALP Lite. Both bills revised portions of Section 6 of the 1988 Settlement Act in response to the controversy surrounding the project. The proposed amendments reduced the ALP facilities required to be constructed to satisfy the outstanding water right claims of the two Ute Tribes. Under the bill the United States would construct three facilities including a pumping plant to divert water from the Animas River, a conduit to carry that water to a place of storage, and a reservoir to store that water. The bill would also have revised the allocation of depletions among the Indian and non-Indian municipal and industrial users, declared the construction costs non-reimbursable, and established a payment limit for M&I water. The bill also reduced the amount of irrigation supply, provided for the transfer of water to the New Mexico beneficiaries, and provided a determination of adequacy for current environmental compliance documents, among other things. The Administration opposed the legislation in testimony delivered by the Commissioner of Reclamation at a June 24, 1998, Senate hearing. On August 11, 1998, at a meeting in Governor Romer's office with the two Ute Tribes, Secretary Babbitt unveiled an Administration proposal for final implementation of the Colorado Ute Water Rights Settlement, including a scaled-down version of ALP. This proposal, now termed 'ALP Ultra Lite', utilizes a number of the concepts developed during the Romer-Schoettler process, including a water allocation which fits within the 57,100 afy depletion limitation found in the FWS Biological Opinions, and the purchase of water rights on a willing buyer/willing seller basis. However, the proposal downsizes the storage reservoir to a design based on a maximum of 57,100 afy depletions, and would deauthorize most other project features, including the construction of all irrigation conveyance facilities. The proposal would also limit non-Indian participation to M&I wateruse and require full non-Indian reimbursement of their share of the project. The Navajo Nation would still be allocated 2,340 afy under this project proposal. All environmental laws would have to be complied with, including a NEPA analysis of the Administration proposal. This analysis would include a review of non-structural alternatives. Additional funds would be authorized for appropriation to provide the two Tribes an opportunity to purchase an additional 13,000 afy of appropriative surface water rights in accord with the total quantity of water contemplated under the 1988 Settlement Act. 8