Laserfiche WebLink
<br />f' <br />r <br />r".' <br />.. <br />! . <br /> <br />Exhibit A <br />Grant for Proposed Feasibility Study of Long Hollow Reservoir and Red Mesa Reservoir Enlargement <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />f'" <br />I <br /> <br />effect of the Project on Indian Trust Assets will also be studied pursuant to <br />appropriate consultations with Native American tribes and nations. This <br />work will be used to determine if cultural resource issues present a fatal flaw <br />for the project. Potential mitigation needs will also be considered. <br /> <br />Water Quality <br /> <br />Although no water quality problems are anticipated, the study will review selenium and <br />salinity issues and the potential for introducing additional selenium and salinity to the <br />San Juan River Basin. <br /> <br />Institutional Constraints <br /> <br />r <br />i "' <br />f.... <br />L.": <br /> <br />Q <br /> <br />t.,.,' <br /> <br />C <br />L <br />E' <br />l <br />~; <br />ii. <br />Q <br /> <br />1',. <br />c- <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~. <br />.." <br />-~! <br /> <br />Institutional constraints, including economic, social, political and legal issues, need to be <br />evaluated to determine the feasibility of the reservoir project. Specific issues include the <br />following: <br /> <br />A. Water Allocation, Reservoir Operations and Payment Issues for Long Hollow <br />Reservoir <br /> <br />F <br />I.' <br />L <br /> <br />The study will estimate the amount of water in the La Plata River drainage basin <br />that the Lower Long Hollow Reservoir will make available for irrigation, either <br />directly or by exchange. The District, in consultation with irrigators on the La <br />Plata River, will need to determine a basis for the allocation of such additional <br />water, whether by the seniority of current rights, by payment, or othelWise. This <br />could entail revision and expansion of the Western La Plata County Water <br />Management and Conservation Plan. Allocation agreements, ifnot finalized . <br />during the feasibility study, will be developed to a point that completion is <br />imminent. The agreements could be among parties with significant water rights <br />on the La Plata River. If expenditures are required by the District to secure these <br />agreements, those expenditures shall be included as part of the financial plan. If a <br />facilitator is needed to assist in alloca~Qn or other issues, John Porter, Manager, <br />Dolores Water Conservancy District, has agreed to serve as facilitator. <br /> <br />The study will also determine whether payment will be required for use of <br />irrigation water either directly from the Reservoir or by exchange; and if payment <br />is required, will estimate how much the payment will be, to which entities will the <br />money be paid, and for what purpose. <br /> <br />Use of water on the La Plata River for stock watering has historically been an <br />issue of contention on the La Plata River. The study will determine whether <br />water will be available from the Reservoir for stock watering, either directly or <br />through exchange, and how winter stock water will othelWise be delivered and in <br />what quantities. It could be that if a rural domestic water system is developed and <br />wells in the La Plata River drainage do not need to be rec~arged, the stock water <br />issue will diminish in importance and, if irrigators are assured of a large annual <br />water supply, they may not continue to draw a lot of water early in the irrigation <br />season. <br /> <br />f'... <br />ti <br /> <br />r' <br />t' <br /> <br />[ <br />ft <br />Ijl <br />o <br /> <br />I";. <br />L. <br />