ALP 3

The Animas — La Plata Water Conservancy District
841 East Second Avenue - West Building
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247 -2659 - Fax [phone]
December 11, 2012
Mr. Ed Warner
Ms, Kathleen Ozga
Bureau of Reclamation
Western Colorado Area Office
2764 Compass Drive
Grand Junction, CO 81506
Re: Recreation - Annexation Lake Nighthorse
Dear Ed and Kathleen,
The Animas -La Plata Water Conservancy District (District) has had an interest in
recreation at Lake Nighthorse since early 2009, when the Board hosted a public meeting
to education the public and entities about the outstanding recreational potential for the
region. The District spent a considerable amount of resources and funding in the
development of a Recreation Plan for Lake Nighthorse. We were fortunate to qualify for
an in -kind grant from the National Park Service to move the study forward. The only
other entities providing funds for the planning effort were the Colorado Water
Conservation Board and the Southwestern Water Conservation District. Our board
members recognized early on that there would need to be a good recreation plan in place
that had broad support from the community, and addressed the operational needs of the
Animas -La Plata Project participants, regardless of what entity committed to
management of recreation in the future. The public process included a wide range of
interest groups, and the meetings were attended by representatives of the Animas -La
Plata Operation and Maintenance Association (Association), as well as individual
members of the Association. The District does not have the resources necessary to
manage the recreation at the reservoir, but believe that the City of Durango would
ultimately be the best manager for those recreation activities in the short tern.
After attending recent meetings of the Association, we became aware that the Bureau was
seeking comments from both the Association as well as from individual members of the
Association regarding annexation of the federal property by the City of Durango. It is
our understanding that an increased law enforcement presence can be provided through
annexation of the property, which will be important to all parties involved with the
Project. Both the District and the City of Durango are exercising their purchase options
with the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, and over time
will be the combined voting member in the Association.
The District acknowledges the concerns being raised by members of the Association
regarding the annexation process, but believes these concerns and issues can be
adequately addressed through the terms of an Annexation Agreement entered into
between the City and the Bureau of Reclamation. As a Water Conservancy District we