Laserfiche WebLink
<br />that there are communities in our state of somewhere around a thousand <br />people that are virtually in the situation right now of hauling their <br />water some 15 miles, their drinking water. This is not a situation of <br />farmers in rural areas, this is in towns. I am speaking of the Ute <br />Indian Reservation. We have a domestic water system, but it's just <br />unfit to drink, you can't use it for cooking; and the folks have been <br />in the position of literally hauling their water all these years. <br /> <br />The Dolores Project - and Chris Baker will go into greater detail on <br />that - will benefit those tribes. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />-'-1 am sure if there are any questions, we will be very happy to answer <br />them. <br /> <br />Mr. Stapleton: Thank you, Doctor. Would it be appropriate to hear from <br />Chris Baker before we have questions? <br /> <br />Mr. Baker: M~.. Chairman, members of the Colorado Water Conservation <br />Board, my name is Chris Baker and I am Vice-Chairman of the Southern Ute <br />Indian Tribe. I have with me today Mr. Thomas House, the Treasurer <br />of the Ute Mountain Tribe. <br /> <br />This is the second time I have had an opportunity to speak on behalf of <br />the Animas-La Plata and the Dolores Water reclamation projects in South- <br />western Colorado to this Board. There is no question that the water <br />projects will greatly enhance the economy of the entire Four Corners <br />area in Colorado and New Mexico. This area of the San Juan Basin is a <br />u.land which is rich ih natural resources, scenic beauty and extraordinary <br />potential for growth and development limited only by the pressing need <br />to develop its water supplies. <br /> <br />The long-time residents of the San Juan Basin include those of Indian <br />and Spanish descent as well as those descended from the pioneers. These <br />three ethnic groups have demonstrated a spirit of cooperation and <br />willingness to sacrifice for the general good of all in matters per- <br />taining to the development of our water resources. For example, the <br />Southern Ute people have, for over 40 years, jointly used with their <br />non-Indian neighbors the waters of the Pine River which are stored at <br />Va11ecito Reservoir. We do not seek to do any different with the waters <br />of the Dolores, Mancos, La Plata and Animas Rivers. <br /> <br />Although the Ute Indian Tribes of Colorado have requested that the <br />Justice Department file legal actions to protect the Tribes' water rights, <br />I can assure you that the filing of this legal action was never intended I <br />to hinder or delay in any way the construction of the Animas-La Plata <br />or Dolores water projects. On the contrary, the only reason why the <br />tribes requested this action was to protect the Indian water claims. <br />At the time we requested the Justice Department to initiate action, the <br />Animas-La Plata and Dolores water projects were proceeding through the <br />efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation toward a Definite Plan Report. <br /> <br />The situation is still the same._ Both projects will allocate large <br />quantities of water for the Indian Tribes to irrigate Indian lands which <br /> <br />-40- <br />