BOARD02203

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/1975
• Description: Agenda or Table of Contents, Minutes, Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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the water requirements of our community. The City's annual water needs
have been increasing at a rapid rate in proportion to the growth of the
community. In addition, the City of Durango supplies water to many of
the outlying areas. At present, the City is treating and supplying
water to the South Durango Water District, the Northeast Durango Water
District, and the West Animas Water District. All are growing areas
and large additional expansions are developing with increased numbers
of people and corresponding water demands.

I would like to interject here that ten years ago we were serving an
area of approximately two and-a-half miles by three miles; at the present
time the service area is approximately two and-a-half miles wide and 22
miles long. That shows you how it has grown.

There are presently planned within a radius of five miles of Durango
subdivisions known as Durango West, Twin Buttes, Rafter J and Shenandoah.
Each of these developments are needed to provide additional housing and
services for the residents of our area and will require additional water.

The City of Durango has attempted, through diligent effort, to keep up
with the population boom through expanding its present system to
capacity by adding supplemental pumping plants, increasing pressure on
existing lines, adding storage tanks and enlarging the water treatment
plant facilities. However, unless the Animas-La Plata Project is kept
on schedule, the citizens of Durango and the surrounding area will be
forced to initiate plans for a multi-million dollar water development
plan on their own - a plan which undoubtedly would not serve the entire
area in the manner of the Animas-La Plata Project.

As a community, we are anxious to see the project expedited, not only
for ourselves, but also for the benefits it will bring to our Ute Indian
neighbors and to our farmers and ranchers. The citizens of my community
and the surrounding area realize and understand, as I am sure you do,
the value to our area in having this water resource development project
completed. The economic, recreational and environmental benefits which
will accrue from the construction and completion of the Animas-La Plata
Project are an inve'stment in the future. The Animas-La Plata Citizens
Advisory Committee, composed of approximately 50 people, has been
meeting over the last two years to obtain input from all segments of our
community in arriving at the plan ~hich most nearly reflects the desires
and needs of the people of our area.

I wish to thank the Board for the opportunity to present this statement
on behalf of the City of Durango and to urge that YOll continue to
support the Animas-La Plata Project.

Mr. Maynes: That concludes our presentation, Mr. Chairman; if any
members of the Board have any questions, we will be pleased to try to
answer them.

Mr. Stapleton: Do any of the Board members have questions on the Animas-
La Plata Project?

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