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• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2009
• Description: WSP Section - Animas La Plata
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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LA PLATA A R.CHULETA WATER DISTRi~T ~~'~ ~ 3,~
954 EAST SECUND AVENiTE, #2~2
DURANGU,~CaLURADD 813d1 ~~~r~sa~va~ivn t~.,.n
Apri1.9, ~049
Randy Seaholrn
Colvrado Water Cvnservation Board
Water Supply Pmtectian Srau~h
1313 Shezman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colo~ado SQ203
Re: Dhtain Water Fmrn fhe Animas-La Plata Pmject
Dear Mr. Seaholm:
The La Plata Archul~ta Water District (LAPLAWD} was farmed in August af ~4a$ as a Title 32
Sp~cial District ta plan, design, consixuct, and operate a rural water system for southeast La Plata
Caunty. LAPLAWD is currently in the process of developing a master plan that will gexxerally
describe the facilities to he constructed, the arder of development, the arnaunt vf water required
during the 5Q year planuung harizon, and other items. The master plan process is e~aluating
eight different water sources or cvmbinatians of water saurces to provide vc~ater; one of the water
svurces being in~estigated is the Animas-La Plata Praject (ALP} which is located near the
northwest ~orner af LAPLAWD.
The CWCB has an optzan to purchase up ~o approximately 1 U,a4D ac~re-feet of water (diversion
aznount) from ALP hy the time the proj ect as declared substantially cflmpleted, expectead to ~e in
2D12. LAPLAWD is interested in purchasing between 50~ and 1,40Q acre-feet; howe~er, the
a~nount that might be pwrchased is price sensitive (purchase ~ost and repayment ter~vs~.
LAPLAWD is still in the pmcess of e~aluating the amount af water needed for the next 50 years
which will alsa affect the amount that may he requested from ALP.
The rnaster plari prvicess is looking at two methads to utili~e ALP water:
1) Construct a treatrnent plant dawnstream of the ALP dam using water directly from the
rese~r~air. LAPLAWD wauld enter into an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamatinn to
connect to the dam autlet, construct the treatment plant, and install the pipelines ta
can~ey raw and treated water across Reclamation land. This option would requ~re a
large~r aznount of ALP water.
2) LAPLAWD holds water rights on th~ Animas Ri~er dawnstrearn vf ALP. A treatrnent
plant wauld he ~anstracted to utila~ze diversians from the Animas Ri~er. ALP water
would be purchaseti ta supplement times the LAPLAWD water rights may nvt he in
priority. Water wauld be released fxom Lake Nighthorse through Basin Creek to the
Animas R.i~er #hen tiiverted at th~e treafisent plant location. This opti~n woulc~ require a
smaller arriount of ALP water.