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Additional storage in the basin has been investigated by private and governmental entities for the <br /> past 50 years without success. The reasons have included the lack of dam and reservoir sites <br /> (Red Mesa is by far the best location but the total capacity is limited to the proposed <br /> enlargement) and insufficient water supply. In short, in spite of 50 years of intensive <br /> investigations to locate a viable reservoir site in the LaPlata River basin none have been <br /> identified. <br /> The only possible alternative to enlargement of Red Mesa Reservoir is the Animas-LaPlata <br /> Project. Essentially all of the land receiving water from Red Mesa would have received water <br /> from ALP;however, irrigation water from ALP is no longer an alternative. <br /> Enlargement of Red Mesa Reservoir is so small compared to ALP that it is insignificant (Red <br /> Mesa supply would be about 1% of the ALP supply), the enlarged Red Mesa Reservoir would be <br /> incorporated in the ALP in the same manner as the existing reservoir. If ALP were under <br /> construction now, the Company would not be investigating enlargement of the existing dam but <br /> would still be required to make repairs. However, enlargement of the reservoir does not preclude <br /> the need for ALP because ALP offers a firm and full water supply that is pressurized. <br /> 11.3 Enlargement Alternative: The enlargement involves increasing the dam height 29 feet <br /> which will increase the storage capacity from 1172 to 4070 acre-feet. The hydrology indicates <br /> that there is adequate water for the full enlargement. <br /> In addition to the water rights issue described above, the enlargement is predicated upon: (1) the <br /> Company's ability to acquire the land and rights for the enlargement; (2) that detailed elevation <br /> surveys confirm that a home on the north end of the reservoir is comfortably out of the surcharge <br /> pool; and (3) that a gas well on the west side of the reservoir will be abandoned as a producing <br /> well when the reservoir is enlarged, purchasing a producing gas well would make the project <br /> infeasible. If any of these issues, upon detailed study, do not turn out as the preliminary data <br /> indicates, the reservoir may have to be lowered to not encroach upon the home or gas well or the <br /> enlargement abandoned. <br /> In summary, enlargement of the dam 29 feet is the selected plan with the repair of the existing <br /> dam being the secondary plan. If the enlargement cannot be constructed for some reason, the <br /> repairs of the existing dam will be constructed with the outlet repaired in the near future and the <br /> spillway repaired when the State Engineer has issued new inflow design flood criteria. <br /> 20 <br />