BOARD00714

• Board Meeting Date: 7/9/1975
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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MR. STAPLETON: Any further questions?

MR. COOK: If that's all, let me re-introduce Mr. Don Clay who is chief
of our plan formulation branch in Durango who will assist us in going
through the Animas-La Plata project. Don.

MR. CLAY: Thank you, Wayne, and gentlemen of the board. As many of
you know, we are not as far along with the project as we are for the
Dolores project. Wayne has gotten into a lot more detail than I will
be able to go into. But, at the same time, I hope we will have enough
information that will be interesting and also will fill the require-
ments of this board. (Following is a summary of the Animas-La Plata
project as given by Mr. Clay):

ANIMAS- LA PLATA PROJECT

Introduction

The Animas-La Plata project would be located in La Plata and Montezuma
Counties of southwestern Colorado and San Juan County of northern New
Mexico in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The authorization for con-
struction, operation, and maintenance of the project came under Title V
of Public Law 90-537, September 20, 1968 as a part of the Colorado
River Storage Project (CRSP) Act.

Project Objectives

The project has been formulated as a multiple purpose water resource
development. It would provide municipal and industrial water for the
cities of Durango,Colorado, and Aztec and Farmington, New Mexico, and
for the development of resources on the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain
Ute Indian Reservations. The project would provide irrigation water
for lands in the La Plata River drainage, some of which are dry. Others
have been irrigated in the past, but are dry at present because of
insufficient water supplies. Additional objectives would be recreational
opportunities and fish and wildlife enhancement. The project also
would provide minimal flood control.

Current Plan

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The main storage feature "f the project would be Ridges Basin Dam and
Reservoir. The Durango pumping plant, south of Durango, would pump
Animas River water into Ridges Basin Reservoir. In addition, the
facilities would include a diversion dam on the Animas River, a pump-
stock and an earthlined canal to the reservoir. When available,
municipal and industrial water for Durango would be released from the
canal directly to a treatment plant.

When not pumping or when there are insufficient flows in the canal,
municipal and industrial releases would be made from Ridges Basin
Reservoir through a pipeline located on the north side of the reservoir.
It is assumed that the municipal and industrial water would then be
conveyed to a treatment plant constructed near the reservoir by the city

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