Animas-La PLata Project Environmental Impact Statement

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION, PURPOSE OF, AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT
potential was evaluated for securing water supplies from existing Reclamation storage facilities in the
region through reoperation and/or modification.
1.4.3 Future Water Uses
The proposed allocation of ALP Project water that the entities would obtain from the structural portion of
the project would be restricted to M &I applications. However, not all such uses are currently known.
This FSEIS does identify non - binding uses to which project water may be put. Projections were made of
a range of potential future M &I uses for the Colorado Ute Tribal portion of project water, as a basis for
developing alternatives which would effectively provide water to meet these allocations. The scenarios
for future water use are based on reasonable estimates of regional growth and projected needs by the
Colorado Ute Tribes, within the 57,100 afy depletion limit. Chapter 2, Section 2.1.1 discusses these
future water use scenarios, identifies likely sources of water to serve these future water uses, and presents
likely conveyance options. Chapter 3 discusses the typical impacts that would occur from the
construction and operation of these water uses and conveyance structures. The balance of the 57,100 afy
depletion would be allocated for future M &I use by the Navajo Nation, the ALPWCD, and the SJWC.
The Tribal Water Use Study (Dornbusch 1999) (see Technical Appendix 13) identified several non-
binding uses that could be employed by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
Further studies (Riley 1999; Bliesner 1999) refined regional M &I water uses in the San Juan River Basin
in the event that the Colorado Ute Tribes elect to lease or sell a portion of their project water to other
users, including users in New Mexico'. ALP Project water allocated to the ALPWCD and SJWC would
be used for near -term, planned M &I growth. ALP Project water allocated to the Navajo Nation would be
conveyed by a new pipeline that replaces the existing pipeline between Farmington and Shiprock.
1.5 RELATIONSHIP OF PROJECT TO OTHER ACTIVITIES OR
CONNECTED ACTIONS.
CEQ Regulations for implementing NEPA require the consideration of the relationship of the project,
and it's impacts, to other projects and activities, and their impacts, in the area. That relationship has
helped determine the appropriate scope of this FSEIS. The relationship can be direct, indirect, or
cumulative in nature. It extends to activities or projects that can be considered connected, cumulative, or
related to the proposed ALP Project. Connected actions, as defined in 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(1), are those
actions which are interrelated with the proposed federal action and should be discussed in the same EIS.
Cumulative actions, as defined in 40 CFR 1508.25(a)(2), are those actions, when viewed with other
proposed actions, have cumulatively significant impacts. Finally, related actions, as defined in 40 CFR
1508.25(a)(3), are those actions which, when viewed with other proposed actions, have similarities to the
proposed action that provide a basis for evaluation together, such as common timing or geography.
Numerous projects were identified in the 1996 FSFES that could be connected, cumulative, and/or
related to the proposed ALP Project (see pages I -11 through I -15 of the 1996 FSFES) and have been
incorporated by reference into this FSEIS. One of these, the revised operation of Navajo Reservoir to
3 Technical Appendices are available upon request. See Section 1.7 for further information regarding the Technical
Appendices.
' Any use of Colorado Ute Indian settlement water in New Mexico or outside of Colorado would require changes be
made to interstate compacts and/or state water regulations.
1.5 RELATIONSHIP OF PROJECT TO
`., 1 -13 OTHER ACTIVITIES OR CONNECTED ACTIONS