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to call upon a representative of the city of Durango to explain a little bit with regard to the involvement of the city of Durango over the past fifteen or twenty years in the Animas-La plata project and the importance of that project to the city of.Durango. I would like to introduce to you at this time, 11r. John Murphy, a member of our City Council. Mr. Murphv: Thank you, Sam. Mr. Chairman, members of the board, I know that your time is valuable. I will make my statements brief. .~ am John Murphy, mayor pro tem of the city of Durango. I. know I can speak for the people of Durango in saying that We have a very vital interest in the Animas-La Plata project. We are very con- cerned about the state of this project at the present time. Since shortly after the authorization of this project, the city of Durango joined with La Plata County, the state of Colorado, other govern- mental bodies, various individuals, the Southwestern Water.Conserva- tion Board in helping to provide moneys for the advance planning stage before federal moneys were available for this. Since that time, for the past fifteen years, the city of Durango's future plan- ning for municipal water, for domestic water, water for industrial uses has been cued to this project. We now find ourselves in the position that if this thing should not go, what will we do for the futUre water supplies for the city of Durango? We now feel we are totally dependent upon this project. I thank you for your time. Mr. Stapleton: Thank you, Mr. Murphy. I Mr. Mavnes: In order to further summarize the Animas-La Plata proj- ect, let me say to the board that at the present time, through a concerted effort by the La Plata Water Conservancy District through- out the summer. and fall of 1972, a series of community e4ucation programs were held whereby field trips into the project area were scheduled and individuals from the city of Durango and th~ County ,of La ~lata were invited, to attend extensive field trips and a good old-fashioned country dinner where they got the real lowdown on the Animas-La Plata project. As a result, I think we have the basis for a very substantial and strong percentage of community support for this project. Indeed we are going to need it because' we are going I to go ahead and have recently received the instructions of the La Plata Board to draw up the petitions to form a new water conservancy district to take care of the problem. The origiT.ml La Plata Water Conservancy District, which was organized back in 1944, does not at the present time have a sufficient tax base to wo~k with a problem of this magnitude. Because of the planning and fo~esight of the -7-