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<br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />MS. ORTEGA: I am Sandy Ortega. Have you included with your water <br />resources development projects any projects for costilla County? A <br />project was submitted last year and wasn't even considered. will it be <br />considered? <br /> <br />MR. SPARKS: Yes, we are expending a significant sum of money down in <br />costilla County, I believe $400,000 in rehabilitating the Trinchera <br />System. We have already turned $400,000 over to the Trinchera people <br />to improve their system, primarily in ditch linings where they were <br />experiencing about a 50 percent loss in transmission. We put together <br />a rather large package involving something like $2 million to improve <br />that system, of which the federal government put in the biggest part, <br />and we put in $400,000. <br /> <br />There was another proposal to study the water resources of costilla <br />County, and we tried to get that funded. It was denied by the General <br />Assembly. <br /> <br />with this fund that we have, we can look into the feasibility of any <br />water improvement projects throughout the state. Because of the rather <br />depressed situation in costilla county, that is an area that we are <br />really considering. We have small communities down there, for instance, <br />that have trouble, Garcia and others, that have trouble with their water <br />supplies. So Costilla County is very much in the picture for :anything <br />that this board does. <br /> <br />MS. ORTEGA: Thank you. <br /> <br />MR. KROEGER: Mr. Chairman, in regard to the Director's Report and as it <br />relates to the Animas-La Plata, I would like to make a comment or two <br />and at least have this board be aware that what Felix reiterated about <br />the Bureau being their own worst enemy, that I think that certainly <br />applies to the Animas-La Plata at this time. They, essentially, stripped <br />that office of all personnel. They didn't do it maliciously. It just <br />happened because there were opportunities elsewhere and the people applied <br />for the various jobs and left. On December 20 the project engineer left, <br />which leaves our office with essentially no one familiar with the Animas- <br />La Plata Project. <br /> <br />NOW, there are many, many problems that exist. The details, when you <br />get to this point that the answers are needed badly by the people, and <br />the answers are not available. Had they systematically tried to scuttle <br />the Animas-La Plata Project, they could not have done a more thorough <br />job. It is a serious situation, and we were promised a long time ago <br />by the Bureau that they would have personnel in there to fill the gap, <br />but it has not come forth. And it leaves a real serious situation for <br />us. <br /> <br />Again, we are delayed with the DPR and the environmental impact statement. <br />And it is no wonder that the President didn't include any money in there, <br />because we are not ready for the money as of this time. And I don't <br />know if we will ever get ready, if something doesn't start moving. <br /> <br />I think we are looked on at least with some favor by the President's <br /> <br />-27- <br />