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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />OOC424 <br /> <br />SUMMARY OF THE AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE <br /> <br />March 14. 1986 <br /> <br />An Aqreement in Principle providing for a comprehensive and <br />final settlement of the Ute Indian Winters water rights claims <br />in southwestern Colorado was executed by the State of Colorado. <br />Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribes. Animas-La <br />Plata Water Conservancy District. Dolores Water Conservancy <br />District. Florida Water Conservancy District. Mancos Water <br />Conservancy District. and Southwestern Water Conservation <br />District on March 14. 1986. This document summarizes that <br />Agreement. with the headings below paralleling those in the <br />Agreement. <br /> <br />I. Introduction to Aqreement <br /> <br />In 1968 Congress authorized the construction of the <br />Animas-La Plata and Dolores Projects in order to help resolve <br />conflicts between Federal and State claims to the waters of the <br />Colorado River System apportioned to Colorado and New Mexico by <br />the Colorado River Compact and the Upper Colorado River Basin <br />Compact. <br /> <br />In 1976. the United States. as trustee of the tribes. filed <br />Winters water rights claims on behalf of the Tribes on <br />virtually all of the rivers in southwestern Colorado. In 1985. <br />the Colorado Attorney General proposed that the involved <br />parties attempt to negotiate a settlement of these claims. <br />whereupon negotiations commenced. <br /> <br />In its 1985 Supplemental Appropriation Act. the Congress <br />required Colorado and New Mexico water users to enter into a <br />reasonable cost-sharing agreement with the Secretary of the <br />Interior as a condition of receiving an appropriation for a <br />construction start on the Animas-La Plata Project. The <br />Administration subsequently insisted that up-front financingl <br />cost-sharing arrangements for the project be included as part <br />of the negotiations leading to an Indian water rights <br />settlement. <br /> <br />Because an impasse between Federal and non-Federal parties <br />appeared to have been reached on these arrangements. the <br />non-Federal entities decided to proceed with the development of <br />a proposal on cost sharing. to be included within an overall <br />Winters water rights settlement. for presentation to the <br />federal government. The Agreement in Principle is the fruit of <br />those efforts. <br /> <br />II. Recitals <br /> <br />The six recitals emphasize the fact that: <br /> <br />4/4/86 <br /> <br />0544E <br />