Laserfiche WebLink
<br />I. - <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />::-- <br /> <br />..' <br />;, <br /> <br />~d <br /> <br />" <br />'7C> <br /> <br />\.-/ ~::.1,.~0--( .~,--, <br /> <br />"'_r;;"" <br /> <br />. Duane Woodard <br />Attorney General <br /> <br />Charles 8. Howe <br />Chief Deputy Attorney General <br /> <br />Richard H. Forman <br />Solicitor General <br /> <br />q- - '--.~: -~ <br /> <br />\.---<~--- <br /> <br />( <br /> <br />\.!..ht' ~tutl' nf {!;:nlnrubn <br />> <br /> <br />DEPARTMENT OF LAW <br /> <br />STATE SERVICES BUILDING <br />1525 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone 866.3611 & 866-3621 <br /> <br />OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY crENERAL. <br /> <br />January 21, 1986 <br /> <br />M~mbers, Senate Committee on Agr~ <br />Natural Resources, and Energy_--____ ____.._ <br />Members, House Committee on Agriculture~~ <br />Livestock, and Natural Resour~ <br />Colorado General Assembly <br />State Capitol <br />Denver, CO 80203 <br /> <br />m a. -<9 <br /> <br />~~~'l- 'l <br />I - ;( 5 - yt 10 \ k~- __ _ /. /II <br />(~ <br /> <br />Re: S.B. 27 <br /> <br />Dear Ladies and Gentlemen: <br /> <br />As you are aware, the State of Colorado has initiated <br />negotiations with the Southern ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian <br />Tribes concerning the settlement of their reserved water riqht <br />claims to thi waters of the San Juan River and its tributaries in <br />southwestern Colorado. Those negotiations are ongoing and we are <br />optimistic that a negotiated settlement can be achieved. <br /> <br />One of the principles which is central to the negotiations <br />is the acceptance by the tribes of project water from the Dolores <br />Project (the construction of which is nearing completion) and the <br />Animas-La Plata Project (the construction of which has yet to be <br />initiated) in satisfaction of oart of each tribe's reserved water <br />rights claims. Insofar as the'. Dolores Project is concerned, the <br />Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is to receive an allocation of project <br />water both for irrigation purposes and for domestic use. <br />However, about 22 miles of 1S-inch and/or 12-inch pipeline must <br />be built from the City of Cortez treatment plant to the Town of <br />Towaoc and appropriate storage and distribution facilities <br />constructed in Towaoc and Mancos Creek before the tribe can make <br />use of its project allocation for domestic purposes. <br /> <br />Under current federal law, the construction of the pipeline <br />to Towaoc is part of the Dolores Project, but the costs thereof <br />must be repaid to the federal government with interest rates <br />which reflect current market conditions. The distribution <br />facilities are not part of the project and must be constructed at <br />the tribe's expense. In the initial stages of the negotiations, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />181 <br />"l/ag/com <br />