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<br />00115~ <br /> <br />, G <br /> <br />. TESTIMONY OF THE SAN JUAN WATER COMMISSION.. <br />BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT <br />OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE <br />MARCH 24, 2004 <br /> <br />Presented by L. Randy Kirkpatrick, <br />Executive Director, San Juan Water Commission <br />7450 East Main <br />Farmington, NM 87402 <br />(505) 564-8969 <br />Fax (505)564-3322 <br />randysjwc@sjwc.org <br /> <br />Thank you for the opportunity to testify in this important hearing today. <br />Before I begin, I would like to introduce to you the Chairman of the San Juan <br />Water Commission, Mark Duncan. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Today I want to address two points that are important to the San Juan <br />Water Commission and the State of New Mexico. They are (1.) the Bureau of <br />Reclamation's management of the Animas La Plata Project and (2.) cost <br />reimbursement. <br /> <br />However, I want you to know that despite the concerns I am raising today, <br />the San Juan Water Commission remains committed to the completion of the <br />Project. The Project is now under way, and it must be completed and put into <br />operation. The Project and the water storage it will provide for New Mexico are <br />critical to the future of the northwest part of the state. Further, the Bureau of <br />Reclamation remains the best agency to complete the. project":' their construction <br />team is excellent. The Bureau is working diligently to manage the construction, <br />and it would be foolhardy - not to mention expensive and time-consuming - to <br />change the construction team now. <br /> <br />Introduction - Backqround <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The San Juan Water Commission ("SJWC" or the "Commission") is a New <br />Mexico joint powers organization, and it is composed of representatives of the <br />San Juan Rural Water Users Association, San Juan County, and the Cities of. <br />Aztec, Bloomfield and Farmington. These entities collectively provide Municipal <br />. and Industrial water to more than 110,000 people, including many people on the <br />Navajo Nation. The SJWC was the first entity to contract with the Bureau of <br />Reclamation ("BOR" or "Bureau") for storage in the Animas La Plata Project ("the <br />Project"), as required in the authorizing legislation. We at the SJWC have paid <br />up front our share of the cost of the Project as originally estimated by the BOR, <br /> <br />SJWC Testimony <br /> <br />Page 1 of5 <br />