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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I LA PLATA RIVER ALTERNATIVES The La Plata River is located about three miles west of Districts No. 1 and No.2. Water could be conveyed from the river to Durango West by one of three routes shown on Figure IV-I. The most likely route is along Highway 160 from the river to Durango West shown as Route A. The pipeline would be about three miles long and have a pump lift of about 120 feet. Another possible route would be the shortest distance shown as Route B, with a pipeline length of only two miles but a pump lift of 190 feet. The third route, Route C, would involve a 3.5 mile pipeline but there would be no pump lift. All of the plans would require a treatment plant located at Durango West, with the exception of the highway route, which might be able to utilize a subsurface collection system in the river alluvium north of the highway. The river would be a consistent source of water because it is always physically available; however, all of the water is presently adjudicated in Colorado or must be released to New Mexico under the terms of the La Plata River Compact. The result is that legal rights must be acquired, and the only way to do that is to purchase or lease high priority water rights that are seldom, if ever, put "on call." The rights would have to be about priority one through six or seven on the river. These rights are expensive and a rough estimate of $270,000 has been included in the cost estimate; the cost will change if and when actual negotiations are underway. The District actually consumes only about 15% of the 265 acre-feet of water needed, but the return flow would be to Lightner Creek rather than the La Plata River, so the whole amount is depleted from the La Plata River. The full amount of water would not be needed for at least 20 years, so any negotiations may allow the existing water right holder to continue to utilize the water until it is needed, which would lower the purchase price somewhat. If the demand for the RV Park is included in the alternative, the water need increases by about 80%. The Animas-La Plata Project could be used to provide water in the La Plata River when it is constructed. There are two ways the project could provide water: (1) The existing water right holder could purchase water from the project, probably for irrigation, with the money gained from the sale of the water rights; and (2) the Districts could purchase water from the project by exchange at an estimated 1986 cost of $239.00 per acre-feet ($0.75 per thousand gallons). Either method would allow the project to provide water. The problem with utilizing the project is that it will not be constructed for at least ten years, and Durango West needs water sooner, so an interim arrangement to lease or purchase water rights is required. Also, if the project were not able to provide water for some - 16 -