WSP00220

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 10/1/1996
• Author: Water Information Pr
• Title: Water Letter
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Romer/Schoettler Process Continues

The Governor of Colorado, Roy Romer convened a series of
meetings to determine if an agreeable arrangement can be
developed to move the Animas-La Plata project forward.
At the December 1996 meeting of the six parties, that is the
State of Colorado, the State of New Mexico, US Environ-
mental Protection Agency, US Department ofInterior (which
includes the US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Bureau of
Reclamation, US Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal land
agencies), A-LP project opponents, and A-LP proponents,
met to discuss a number of issues surrounding water issues
in the Animas & La Plata river basins. The list of water
users (proponents) includes the Animas-La Plata Water Con-
servancy District, the Southwestern Water Conservation
District, the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes,
San Juan and La Plata Conservancy Districts and the San
Juan Water Commission.

Lt. Governor GaIl Schoettler of Colorado has been asked to
chair the discussions of various alternatives that have been
suggested by the parties in the process. The Romer/Schoettler
Process (RlSP) meetings began in the Fall of 1996, and are
scheduled to continue into 1997. While no end date has
been set, the parties to the discussion are hoping to make
progress on resolving potential issues in early 1997. How-
ever, with the long history of discussion and debate about
water in the upper Colorado Basin and the Animas-La Plata
river basin in particular, a quick solution to some controver-
sial issues may not be possible.

January, 1997

Volume 2, Issue 1

Colorado Water
Conservation Coard
La Plata Rivers would be needed to fully meet the Indian and
non-Indian water claims and demands. While some of the
alternates under discussion are being referred to as "non-struc-
tural", it has become apparent to water users and water districts
that have the capacity to store and deliver water in the 4 Cor-
ners region, that existing water storage units are being consid-
ered to resolve the lack of existing storage on the Animas and
La Plata rivers. Sixty five options and alternatives were put
forth by the various parties to the discussions, and those have
been narrowed to seven options for future discussions. Since
many of the issues being discussed were included in the previ-
ous Indian Water Rights Settlement of 1986, this is a basic
concern among the water districts and users that the Romer/
Schoettler Process may re-open the 1986 agreement that was
considered final when it was negotiated.

The Romer/Schoettler Process is an attempt to negotiate a way
for the additional water storage on Animas-La Plata rivers and
meet the 1988 Indian Water Rights settlement timetable. With
the long standing opposition to any additional water storage in
the San Juan Basin by many of the ALP project opponents,
reaching a consensus among all the various entities has been
extremely difficult and time consuming. Indian water rights
claims on other rivers the San Juan Basin have been substan-
tially settled with stored water, in order to allow Indian and
non-Indian claims and water demands to be satisfied. In addi-
tion, these existing water storage units in the San Juan and
Dolores River Basins have been designed to meet Indian and
non-Indian water claims in specific ways, which may be jeop-
ardized if additional water storage is not built as planned on
the Animas and La Plata rivers.

A major point of discussion is the issue of Indian Water
Rights in the San Juan Basin, with the two Colorado Ute
Tribes, and the Navajo Nation laying claim to the waters of
the Animas River and those claims having been settled in
the 1986 Indian Water Rights settlement. That settlement
is contingent on the completion of Animas-La Plata Project
and future water deliveries on the Animas and La Plata Riv-
ers, which may be injeopardy if the Animas-La Plata project
is delayed beyond a 1997 start date. While other water
storage units in the Four Corners region have provided for
both Indian and non-Indian water (Navajo, Vallecito,
McPhee), it was always anticipated by water users and the
Tribes that additional storage on the Animas and

Table of Contents

Romer/Schoettler Process continues...........l
Q & A - Vallecito Water Company..............2
Water Information Program Updates.........3

The next RlSP meeting is tentatively being rescheduled to late
January, as the previous January 17th meeting in Towaoc has
been cancelled. Clearly the water issues in southwestern Colo-
rado and northwestern New Mexico are complex and the Of-
fice of the Governor of Colorado is taking on a formidable task
to coordinating the discussions between the multiple parties
and water agencies. For more information contact Steve Har-
ris, president, Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District
[phone].

Upcoming Event Calendar.................................4
Water Information Resources..............................4