WSPP00057 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

- . . '" Page 5 used in the near future with storage structures and conveyance features that allowed for delive:ry of the water. They wanted restitution for the years of neglect and breach of trust. They wanted to be able to lease or sell water off the reservation, and they wanted a development fund to insure construction of tribal facilities for water. The federal goverrunent wanted a final resolution of the Indian claill5 prior to the construction of the Animas-La Plata Project, relief from the breach of trust claill5, and resolution of cost sharing for construction of the Animas-La Plata Project, The negotiation process began when teams fo:oned by each entity held general meetings in Towaoc, Ignacio, and Durango, where all parties presented their positions and proposed principles which could be agreed upon In the begirming the negotiators found it difficult to obtain a commitment from the federal team. The various agencies comprising the federal team had trouble formulating any decisions without retw:ning to Washington for further input. The large group meetings were not moving towards resolution of the concerns. As a consequence, three committees were fo.oned; one was concerned with cost sharing and finance, another legal issues, and the thiJ::d, stream quantification of water rights. The federal goverrunent was dismissed from the process until an agreement was reached between the State of Colorado the ute Indian Tribes, The legal committee focused on the necessity of amending the federal Non-Intercourse Act, off reservation leasing or sale of water, and the effects that this would have on the Upper Basin Compact, Colorado River Compact, and neighboring states. The finance committee sought to establish the amounts needed for a tribal development fund, cost sharing for construction of the Animas-La Plata project, and how to involve local water users in the process, 033G