Water Supply and Demand Study 1/13/11

A -LP plater Animas -La Plata Water Marketing Supply and Demand Study Section 3
1. 1 lumping or releasing a quantity of water from Lake Nighthorse to the Animas River Exchange From
oint.
2. Diverting an equivalent quantity of water at the same time at the Exchange To Point if there is no
i ijury to senior water rights in the exchange reach between the Exchange From and Exchange To
oints.
3. 1 he water must be used for a beneficial purpose at the Exchange To Point.
An exchange on the Animas River upstream of the DPP diversion is an obvious candidate for an
exch nge; however, there is little unmet present or future municipal demand in this reach that could be
sere d by diversion from the Animas River (see Section 3.0). Furthermore the Durango RICD water right
(des ribed in Legal Issues Section 4) constrains when and how A -LP Project water could be exchanged
upst am. As discussed in Item 2 of Section 4.2, Case No. 06 CW 127, Water Division 7 provides water
user upstream of the DPP with a way to obtain absolute decreed rights for uses in the future which will
be d emed senior to the Durango RICD. These senior rights should decrease the need to exchange
Proj t water upstream through this reach. Therefore, no viable market that could be served by
exch nge of A -LP Project water upstream of the DPP has been identified.
There are two exchanges which are physically possible, but there may be limited interest. The first
exch nge is with the Lake Durango Water Authority (LDWA) which presently diverts from the La Plata
River Eventually, Lake Nighthorse water could be provided to the LDWA. When the facilities are availa-
ble, LP Project water could be exchanged into the La Plata basin by providing additional water to LDWA
and I aving water in the La Plata River. The LDWA La Plata diversions are not regulated; consequently
reser ioir storage would be required in the La Plata River basin to provide a firm supply of augmentation
and/or domestic water. There is a major need for such water in the La Plata basin.
The s econd possible exchange involves the City of Durango's municipal diversion on the Florida River
appr ximately six miles downstream from Lemon Dam. The Florida River joins the Animas River in
Color ido approximately four miles north of the Colorado-New Mexico state line. Therefore, it is possible
to ex hange from Lake Nighthorse to an Exchange To Point on the Florida River if there is municipal
demE nd at an Exchange To Point on the Florida River. State Water could be provided to the City from
Lake Nighthorse and the City could leave an equivalent amount of water in the Florida River. There is a
majo need for instream flows during low flow periods in this reach of the Florida. Durango's Florida
River water, however, is available by gravity and is of generally higher quality than water from the Animas
River which requires pumping to reach Durango.
Anot r potential use for the State's A -LP Project water would occur if A -LP calls at Teft and the up-
strea junior rights to A -LP, but senior to RICD would be called out. This is primarily the Town of Silver -
ton a d small uses in San Juan County where there were quite a few water rights applications filed to be
senio to RICD. If A -LP called, those rights could purchase Lake Nighthorse water which would enable
them lo continue to divert.
Base on the SWSI (CWCB, 2007), there is future municipal demand in Colorado, if the State's A -LP
Proje water could be exchanged or otherwise delivered into the Florida, La Plata, Dolores, San Juan
and/c r Colorado River basins (see Figure 3.2.3. No. 1). With the exception of the Florida River, exchange
into a ly of these basins in Colorado would include a portion of the exchange reach in another state (New
Mexic ), Arizona and /or Utah). It would not be possible for the Colorado State Engineer to administer an
excha ige through another state without cooperation of downstream states. While such cooperation may
be possible, this type of agreement cannot be assumed within the scope of this study. Therefore, any
excha ge of State Water to any Exchange To Points which include an exchange reach in another state is
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FINAL ALF1Repert_1_13_11_LL.docx