Animas-La Plata Project Water Supply Demand Study

Section 4 Animas - La Plata Water Supply and Demand Study
3. May Have Interest in Additional Supplies
This group consists of Pagosa Springs Water and Sanitation District, San Juan Water Conservancy
District, and the Town of Bayfield. These entities generally have less unmet present and future
demand than their counterparts but the longer distances to their service areas is a significant obstacle
to utilization of A -LP Project water by these suppliers.
4.2 Increase Sales of the State's Allocation
Repaying the capital costs plus IDC of approximately $3,315 per AF and the annual operations and
maintenance cost of approximately $36 per AF /YR do not appear to be the major obstacle to increasing sales
of the State's A -LP Project allocation to water providers. The major obstacle appears to be financing the
planning, permitting and construction of the required infrastructure for pumping and /or diverting the water
from Lake Nighthorse or the Animas River, conveying the water to the suppliers' service areas, and treating
the A -LP Project water supply. In some cases, however, it may also be necessary to provide some assistance
with repayment of the capital costs for the A -LP Project water to the USBR.
A Phase II program is proposed in the following section to assist water suppliers in overcoming these
obstacles and buying additional shares of the State's A -LP Project allocation.
4.3 Recommendations for Phase 11 A -LP Project Water
Marketing Study
The following tasks are recommended for developing a feasible program within the limits of available
resources for the State to increase sales of its A -LP Project allocation:
Task 1: Work With USBR
The Bureau of Reclamation can be of assistance in marketing Colorado's 10,460 acre -feet of A -LP Project
water by: (1) crafting and interpreting the repayment requirements for the A -LP Project waxer to facilitate
repayment and (2) using existing Bureau of Reclamation programs to assist water providers in building
necessary infrastructure to pump, convey, and treat A -LP Project water. Under this task, Brown and Caldwell
would: (1) assist CWCB staff in working with the Bureau and water providers to develop feasible repayment
contracts, (2) assist CWCB staff in working with the Bureau, water providers, and other federal agencies to
obtain funding and assistance to build the necessary infrastructure for pumping, conveying and treating the
A -LP Project water and crafting and interpreting the repayment requirements.
Task 2: CWCB Determines Existing Program And Policy Alternatives To
Increase Sales
In this task, CWCB will determine the programs and levels of funding currently available to increase sales of
the State's share of A -LP Project water supply to M&I providers. These alternatives will include policies and
programs to facilitate: (a) implementation of necessary infrastructure to pump and convey the A -LP Project
water from Lake Nighthorse to providers' service areas, (b) construction of M&I water treatment facilities,
and (c) acquisition of A -LP Project water by the individual M&I providers. This effort should also identify
programs and funding available in other departments of state government. A second effort will identify
possible longer term funding available to assist with implementation /construction of infrastructure and /or
acquisition of A -LP Project water by providers.
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