ALP 13

STATE OF COLORADO
Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us
January 12, 2010
Mr. Dick Lunceford, Board President
La Plata Archuleta Water District
954 East Second Avenue, Room 202
Durango, Colorado 81301
Re: Animas La Plata Project Water
Dear Mr. Lunceford:
Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor
James Martin
DNR Executive Director
Jennifer L. Gimbel
CWCB Director
Dan McAuliffe
CWCB Deputy Director
Thank you for your interest in acquiring a portion of the State's project water allocation
in the Animas La Plata Project. It is my understanding that the District is evaluating eight
potential water sources or combination of water sources to provide a sustainable long term water
source to its future users.
The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) is currently performing a study to
determine the marketability of the State's project water allocation of 10,460 acre -feet. The
CWCB understands the importance of acquiring and preserving water resources in the State and
in southwestern Colorado in particular and that any portion of the project water allocation to the
State that is not purchased will revert to the two Tribes. Therefore, the CWC is diligently
exploring all options to try to preserve the State's project water allocation for current and future
water needs in southwestern Colorado. Given the economic trends of the State and the large
capital investment that is needed by the State to preserve the water, however, I hope you can
understand the difficult task at hand.
Brown and Caldwell, Golden, Colorado are the consultants that are performing the La
Plata Project Water Supply and Demand Study on our behalf is Brown. Leo Eisel, the project
manager for Brown and Caldwell, has called or will be calling you and other water users in the
area to discuss specific details regarding the purchase of State's project water allocation. It is
important for us to determine the existing level of need and commitment that exists from
surrounding water users to buy any or all of the State's project water allocation, prior to the State
entering into an agreement to purchase the water from the Bureau of Reclamation. Currently, it
has been estimated that the State's cost to purchase the water is $3,315 per acre foot, plus an
additional $36 per acre foot for operation, maintenance and replacement costs.
Water Supply Protection • Watershed Protection & Flood Mitigation • Stream & Lake Protection • Water Supply Planning & Finance
Water Conservation & Drought Planning • Intrastate Water Management & Development