BOARD01955

• Board Meeting Date: 3/21/1973
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Memos
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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Upon our return to Colorado, it was called to our attention that the
Commissioner of Reclamation had indicated that the Animas-La Plata
project might be indefinitely deferred. And as a result of this
statement through the press, our tribal chairman wrote directly to
~he Secretary of the Interior on behalf of the Southern Ute people,
~nd a copy of this letter has been provided to you gentlemen.

We Indian people are citizens of the state of Colorado. As citizens
of the state of Colorado, we are vitally concerned over the develop-
ment of Colorado's water resources. The project which is of major
and primary concern to us is the Animas-La Plata project. The reason
is obvious. This project would provide some 80,000 acre-feet of water
for the two Colorado Ute tribes. It would provide water for the
development of our coal resources, as well as the irrigation of tribal
lands, and the continued development of a self-sufficient tribal
economy. We recognize all too well that development of court decreed
. Indian water rights will not meet with favor in the non-Indian com-
munities when those Indian water rights conflict with and are para-
mount to non-Indian water rights. It is for this reason that we have
indicated to the Colorado congressional delegation, as well as the
Secretary of the Interior and other goverment agencies, of our
willingness to negotiate with the water conservancy districts con-
cerning our Winters' water rights.

We wish to put our water to beneficial use and fully realize that
our best hope to accomplish this purpose is through construction of
the Animas-La Plata project.

We urge you gentlemen to consider the Animas-La Plata project as the
number one priority project for the state of Colorado. The con-
struction of the project will not only bring long-needed and much
deserved water resource developme~t to southwest Colorado, but would
be a practical, realistic and physical solution to the litigation
now pending, which solution would be beneficial to all. Thank you.

Mr. Stapleton: Thank you very much, Mr. Baker and Mr. Wing.

Mr. Mavnes: Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the board. In
order to briefly pull this together then in terms of the Indian prob-
lem, I think that the construction of the Animas-La Plata project
presents a practical solution - a negotiated settlement of the Indian's
Winter water rights with the non-Indian community. There is prece-
dent for this. For example, on the Navajo Indian Irrigation project,
the Navajo Indians contracted with the state of New Mexico. At the

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