Animas-La PLata Project Environmental Impact Statement

CHAPTERI
INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE OF, AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT
to satisfy non - structural water rights or for economic development. To provide flexibility in the use of
the water acquisition fund, authorization would allow some or all of the funds to be redirected for on-
farm development, water delivery infrastructure, and other water - related economic development.
The public had an opportunity to provide input into the ALP Project proposal following release of the
Notice of Intent (NOI) to Prepare a DSEIS, published in the January 4, 1999 Federal Register. Public
scoping meetings were held on February 2, 3, and 4, 1999 in Durango, Colorado; Farmington, New
Mexico; and Denver, Colorado, respectively. (Further discussion of public involvement activities is
included in Chapter 6, Section 6.2.) Based on both written and oral input received during the scoping
process, Reclamation added two alternatives to the list of alternatives originally envisioned for analysis
in the DSEIS, bringing to 10 the number of alternatives considered, including both structural and non-
structural components. Subsequently, 2 of the 10 alternatives were further refined. All of the
alternatives are discussed in detail in Chapter 2, Section 2.3, Evaluation of Alternatives, of the FSEIS.
The DSEIS was released for public review and comment on January 14, 2000 following publication of
the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. As mentioned previously in Section 1. 1, Reclamation
conducted public hearings on the ALP Project DSEIS on February 15, 16, and 17, 2000 in Durango,
Colorado; Farmington, New Mexico; and Denver, Colorado, respectively. Notice of a 30 -day extension
of the public comment period was published in the Federal Register on March 9, 2000; the public
comment period closed on April 17, 2000. Further information on the public hearings is also included in
Section 6.2.
1.3 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT
The purpose of and need for the proposed federal action is:
"... to implement the Settlement Act by providing the Ute Tribes an assured long -term
water supply and water acquisition fund in order to satisfy the Tribes' senior water
rights claims as quantified in the Settlement Act, and to provide for identified M&I water
needs in the Project area. " [Federal Register Notice, January 4, 1999]
Providing the Colorado Ute Tribes with an assured long -term water supply is necessary to protect
existing water users from senior water rights claims. The Colorado Ute Tribes will use this assured water
supply to satisfy future M &I water demands on their reservations and to provide water for regional M &I
needs. In addition to providing an assured water supply as a settlement of the Colorado Ute Tribes'
senior water rights, the ALP Project as proposed provides a dependable long -term water supply for
neighboring Indian and non - Indian community water needs, including the Navajo Nation at and near
Shiprock, New Mexico, the ALPWCD and the SJWC.
It should be noted that the non - federal parties of the Settlement Agreement, working with their
congressional representatives, have introduced proposed legislation (H.R. 3112 and S. 2508) in response
to the Administration Proposal and the ongoing NEPA process. The project purpose and need reflects
the reality that the pending legislation will likely result in a modification to the Settlement Act which will
eliminate the irrigation component and provide substitute benefits to the Colorado Ute Indian Tribes that
are equivalent to those that the Tribes would have received under the Settlement Act. See Chapter 2,
Section 2.1.1 for further discussion of this issue.
1 -9 1.3 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT