C150307 Final Supplimental Impact Statement

Home Browse Search

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION,PURPOSE OF,AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ❑ Establish a water acquisition fund that could be used by the Colorado Ute Tribes for a variety of economic development purposes, including the acquisition of existing water rights. The water supply from the facility at Ridges Basin, coupled with the water acquisition fund and its potential for securing additional water rights for the Colorado Ute Tribes,would satisfy all outstanding f. Colorado Ute Tribal water rights claims on the Animas and La Plata rivers. ❑ Comply with all applicable laws, including ESA and NEPA,and comply with the Service's determination that depletions from the San Juan River Basin cannot exceed an average 57,100 afy as outlined in the 1996 Biological Opinion for the ALP Project. Depletion limitations also assist in protecting the interests of downstream tribes and others with substantial water rights claims. Table 1-2 displays the allocation of water among the Colorado Ute Tribes and other project beneficiaries that would be provided by the structural components of the Administration Proposal. Under the allocations shown below,the Colorado Ute Tribes are still approximately 13,000 afy short of the total ' quantity of depletion recognized in the Settlement Agreement. The Administration Proposal,therefore, `: also includes a non-structural element that would establish and utilize a water acquisition fund,which the Colorado Ute Tribes could use over time to acquire water rights on a willing buyer/willing seller basis. The water acquisition fund was developed to acquire 13,000 afy of depletion in addition to the depletions shown in Table 1-2, or for other uses that they may choose. Table 1-2 Administration Proposal Water Allocations for the Structural Components of the ALP Project Water Recipient Depletion from the San Juan River Basin(afy) Southern Ute Indian Tribe 19,980 Ute Mountain Ute Tribe 19,980 Navajo Nation 2,340 Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District 2,600 San Juan Water Commission 10,400 ," Subtotal 55,300 II Allowance for Reservoir Evaporation 1,800 Total Depletion 57,100 I,1. ii, Because of the importance of the 57,100 afy average annual depletion as allowed under the Section 7 Biological Opinion for the ALP Project,depletion values are generally displayed throughout the report. It is a general practice to use a depletion factor of 50 percent for M&I water use(50 percent of the water diverted from a river system for an M&I use is returned back to the river system as a return flow). Depending on how the water is used,the depletion factor can vary. The depletion factor for municipal and domestic uses generally average somewhat less than 50 percent and the depletion factor for industrial g L uses generally average somewhat more than 50 percent. See Section 2.1.1.3.1 for additional information on depletion factor. IPreliminary cost estimates indicate that a fund of$40 million would be provided as a settlement amount (water acquisition fund)to the Colorado Ute Tribes to be used on a discretionary basis to purchase land j 1.2 PROJECT HISTORY 1-8 fi!