WSP01183

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 6/1/1973
• Author: USDOI-BOR
• Title: Animas-La Plata Project - June 1973
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

water rights" were going to be subjected to determination by the Federal or
State Courts. Therefore. it beCBJlle necessary that the Tribes do whatever
needed to be done in order to totally protect their water claims. At the
time we requested the Justice Department to file in the Federal Courts for
the protection of our water rights. the Animas-La Plata and Dolores Projects
were proceeding through the efforts of the Bureau of Reclamation toward a
definite plan report. The report would incorporate in both of those projects
large quantities of water which would be available for the Indian Tribes to
irrigate Indian lands which are presently dry-farmed; Which would provide
water for deve10pnent of our coal resources and which would provide water
for recreational uses. I do not believe it is necessary to point out to
you gentlemen that each of these uses of water would greatly enhance the
economic basis of the Indian Tribes, provide employment for our people and
give us a greater degree of self sufficiency for which we strive.

Upon learning of the Executive branches failure and neglect in requesting
additional advance planning :f"unds to complete planning leading to construction
of the Animas-La Plata. and Dolores Projects. the Tribes together with the
Water Conservancy Districts again came to Washington in February of this year
to demonstrate their continuing support for these projects. At the request
of the Tribes e. meeting was set up with the Under-Secretary of the Interior,
John C. Whitaker. as well as high ranking representatives of the Bureau of
Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs. Solicitors Office and the Office of
Indian Water Rights. At that meeting the Tribal officials again and again
emphasized the desperate need for the construction of the Animas-La Plata
and Dolores Water Reclamation Projects as the only realistic and suitable
method by which both the Indian's and non-Indian' s in the San Juan Basin
would be able to resolve their water differences. Shortly after returning
from Washington, D. C., we were shocked and dismayed to learn that apparently
our pleas had fallen on deaf ears. The Executive branch speaking through
then Reclamation Commissioner, Ellis L. Armstrong, announced that "Six
Colorado projects not yet under construction.... .were to be indefinitely
deferred." In response to this publiC utterance, I wrote to Secretary of
the Interior, Rogers C. B. Morton and expressed the indignation and dismay
felt by the Indian people. I understand a copy of that letter has been made
available to the committee by our Congressman, Frank E. Evans. I should
like to make a.va.ilable to you for the record a copy of the response to the
letter which I received on April 23. 1973 from Acting Secretary of the Inter-
ior, John C. Whitaker. The response speaks for itself, however, I would like
to call your attention to some obvious points which were over-looked and ig-
nored regarding our present situation. As I stated before and I nOw state
again, the Indian Tribes did not intend and do not intend that the Federal
Court action impead or hinder progress on these water projects. The fact
that the Justice Department is proceeding rapidly with the adjudication of
the water rights is of little comfort to the Ute Tribes. We have an oppor-
tunity through the construction of the Animas-La Plata and Dolores Projects
to release and put to beneficial use, water which we desperately need ~.
Secondly we were astounded by the statement of the Acting Secretary of the
Interior "preconstruct ion activities and land acquisition have been stopped
on these upper basin projects in order to permit a detailed evaluation of
how the development of these projects m{gh-t contribu-te to the salinity
problem in the C()J~ol'ado River." By what authority and by what rights does

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