WSPC03381

• File Number: 8040.950
• Description: Section D General Studies-General Water Studies
• State: CO
• Date: 1/1/1978
• Author: CWCB
• Title: Summary Sheets-Updates-Feb 1978-Animas-La Plata Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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January 1978

THE ANIMAS-LA PLATA PROJECT

Introduction

The Animas-La Plata Project
would be located in the Upper
Colorado Basin in La Plata and
Montezuma Counties of southwestern
Colorado and in San Juan County of
northwestern New Mexico. The
authorization for construction,
operation, and maintenance of the
project came under Title V of
Public Law 90-537, September 30,
1968, as a participating project
of the Colorado River Basin Pro-
ject Act.

Project Objectives

The project serves as a
multiple purpose water resource
development. Municipal and
industrial water will be fur-
nished to the cities of Durango,
Colorado and Aztec and Farmington,
New Mexico and to surrounding
communities and for the develop-
ment of resources on the Southern
Ute and Ut~ Mountain Ute Indian
Reservations. The project will
also provide irrigation water
primarily for land in the La
Plata River drainage and for
some land in the Mancos River
drainage. (Please refer to the
attached flow diagram.) Oppor-
tunities will be made for recrea-
tional development and for fish
and wildlife enhancement at
project reservoirs.

Proposed Plan

The main storage feature of
the project will be Ridges
Basin Reservoir, located south-
west of the city of Durango. The
Durango Pumping Plant, south of
the city, will pump Animas River

water to Ridges Basin Reservoir.
Stored water will be released as
required back to the Animas River
for Aztec, Farmington and other
potential municipal and indus-
trial users in New Mexico. Dur-'
ango and the surrounding commun-
ities will obtain their additional
municipal and industrial water
from Ridges Basin Reservoir.

In addition to storing Dur-
ango's municipal and industrial
water, Ridges Basin Reservoir
will also provide storage for the
Southern Ute and the Ute Moun-
tain Ute Indian Tribes' industrial
and irrigation water and for the
Colorado irrigators' water.

The Ridges Basin Pumping Plant,
located on the western edge of the
l'eservoir, will pump water from the
reservoir into Dry Side Canal, which
will then convey the water to the
La Plata Drainage. The canal will
provide most of the water for the
La Plata, Colorado and Dry Side
areas. some water for New Mexico
irrigation, and municipal and indus-
trial water for the Southern Ute
and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes. La
Plata River flows could be diverted
into the Dry Side Canal when the
flows could not be stored in Southern
Ute Reservoir.

Southern Ute Reservoir will
store La Plata River flows diverted
into the reservoir through the
Southern Ute Diversion Dam and
Canal.

Southern Ute Reservoir will
meet the municipal and industrial
water requirements of the Southern
Ute Indians and the irrigation
requirements of the New Mexico lands.