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<br />aY-09-06 09: 24 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />From- <br /> <br />T-459 P 0031004 F-1?9 <br /> <br />In addltion, SWCD requests the CWCB ease the impact of an increased lID on <br />the San Juan River basin by supporting the New Mexico request if New Mexico agrees to <br />the fc !lowing: <br /> <br />1. San Juan River Basin Recoverv Implementation Prol<Tllm, It is most <br />impo:'tant thai the CWCB SUppolt of the increased HD include protections for Colorado <br />in the San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program C"SJRlP"). SWCD <br />undeJstands that NM may use most, if not all. of its additional Upper Basin Compact <br />allocation under the new lID for the Navajo Gallup Project ("NGP"), which will provide <br />warel to Gallup, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation lands in New Mexico and the Jicarilla- <br />Apac he Reservation. Although SWCD supports the NGP, the additional depletions from <br />the S m Juan River Basin as a result of NGP, when evaluated against the SJRIP Flow <br />Reeo nmendaions, may impair Colorado's abiliry ro develop water in the San Juan River <br />basin in Colorado. While the SJRIP was implemented allow development, future <br />reconmendall.ons might be used to impair that ability. SWCD, therefore, requests that <br />the CWCB agree to an increase in the lID, only if protections are provided to southwest <br />Colo:-ado wat,~r users preventing the Flow Reconunendations of the SJRIP from <br />impa .ring sue it developmem. <br /> <br />The S.rRIP Hydrologic Model presently indicates tbat any funher depletions in the <br />San'J uan Riv~:r basin will prevent the existing Flow Recommendations from being met. <br />Whib SJRIP was designed to protect development, meeting the Flow Recorrunendations <br />is no'. required to obtain a successful Section 7 Consultation for a new water project: it is <br />one factor in "onsidering whether the SJRIP is making sufficient progress to allow the <br />newiepletior. The ex.isting Flow Recommendations are now under review. Preliminary <br />anal) sis indicates that the amount of allowed depletions under the Flow Reconunendation <br />may Lllcrease. The Bureau of Reclamation and consultants for the Navajo BlA are <br />deve: oping the new Flow Recommendations for consideration by the Biology and <br />Coordination Committees of the SJRIP. The protections SWCD would suggest in order <br />that ~:outhwe~;t Colorado receive an appropriate share of any increases in the depletions <br />allol/'ed by the Flow Recommendation include: <br /> <br />A. Any additional depletions available under the Flow Recommendations <br />shou d be divlded equally between New Mexico and Colorado. For example, if New <br />Mex: co is allowed to deplete its entire increase under the lID within the Flow <br />Reccmmendations then the same amount of additional depletions should be reserved for <br />futUr~ use under Section 7 Consultations for projects in southwest Colorado, and <br /> <br />B. Consistent with the terms of the Upper Colorado River Compact, New <br />MeJS. co must agree not to impair Colorado's developmenr of additional depletions in the <br />San ;'uan Rh',:r Basin under the SJRlP, federal permitting. or in any other manner. <br /> <br />2. La Plata River. New Mexico recently reversed its opposition to the <br />cons:ruction"r the Long Hollow Reservoir in Ihe La Plata River basin by sending a letter <br />10 th.: U.S. C,)rps of Engineers supporting the construction of the reservoir. This reversal <br />