Animas-La PLata Project Environmental Impact Statement

CHAPTER 2
DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES
1868 (see Attachment A in Volume 2 of this FSEIS). One of the purposes of the 1986 Settlement
Agreement was to secure for the Tribes both project and non - project reserved water rights. Each Tribe
shall receive a project reserved water right to water supplied from the ALP. The rights shall have an
1868 priority date, shall be subordinated to all water rights decreed and senior to ALP, and shall share on
a pro rata basis the priority of the ALP Project which has an adjudication date of March 21, 1966, and an
appropriation date of September 2, 1938.
2.2 OVERVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES EVALUATED
This section provides an overview of the alternatives evaluated in this FSEIS, including alternatives
developed during the Romer - Schoettler process, public scoping meetings, and in consultation with
project stakeholders.
2.2.1 Alternatives Described in the Federal Register Notice to be
Addressed in the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement
On January 4, 1999, the Federal Register included a Notice of Intent (NOI) by Reclamation to prepare a
DSEIS. The NOI announced that public meetings would take place to receive public input on eight
alternatives, including the proposed action (the Administration Proposal, including both its structural and
non - structural components), a no action alternative, four structural alternatives (i.e., involving
construction of a new reservoir), and two non - structural alternatives, as described below:
• Administration Proposal, consisting of a structural element (Ridges Basin Reservoir with a
90,000 of capacity) and a non - structural element (purchasing water rights for 13,000 of of
depletion)
• Administration Proposal with recreational element added, increasing the overall reservoir size to
approximately 120,000 of
• Animas -La Plata Reconciliation Plan (Romer - Schoettler structural alternative as represented by
the legislation introduced during the 105th Congress (S.1771 & H.R. 3478))
• Animas River Citizen's Coalition Conceptual Alternative (Romer - Schoettler non - structural
alternative)
• 1996 FSFES Recommended Plan
• Administration Proposal with alternative water supply for non - Colorado Ute Tribe entities (i.e.,
Navajo Nation, ALPWCD, and SJWC)
• Citizens' Progressive Alliance Alternative (instream leasing coupled with other non - structural
alternatives)
❑ No Action Alternative
2.2.2 Alternatives and Project Issues Identified in Public Scoping Meetings
Scoping meetings were held on February 2, 1999, in Durango, Colorado; February 3, 1999, in
Farmington, New Mexico; and February 4, 1999, in Denver, Colorado (see Chapter 6, Consultation and
Coordination, for more information on the scoping meetings). As a result of these scoping meetings, two
additional alternatives were added:
2.2 OVERVIEW OF ALTERNATIVES EVALUATED 2 -16