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<br />. <br />i: <br />f, <br />~'- <br />[, <br />,. <br /> <br />September 1972 <br /> <br />PREVIOUS INVESTIGAT.IOliS <br /> <br />The earliest investigations of the Animas and La Plata Rivers by the <br />Bureau of Reclamation date back to about 1904 and have continued <br />interffiittently since that time. Most of these early studies, in- <br />cluding those of the early 1940's, considered each drainage separa- <br />tely. Studies of potential diversions from the Animas River were <br />started in 1936. In the early 1950's a plan similar to the present <br />one was studied and reported on in the November 1954 status report. <br />The rough analyses made for that report showed the Animas-La Plata <br />Project to be economically justified with a benefit,.cost ratio of <br />1.3 to 1 and that further studies directed towards a feasibility <br />report were warranted. Feasibility investigation for an authori- <br />zing report were resumed in July 1955. <br /> <br />JUSTIFIC~TION FOR IrNESTIGATION <br /> <br />A dependable water supply is the most urgent need of the project <br />area. It is essential to stabilization of agriculture on the pre- <br />sently irrigated area, and to the continuing development of other <br />resources. The water available for use on the 25,600 acres of lands <br />with water rights from the La Plata River is sufficient to provide an <br />average of onJ.y about 29 percent of a full water supply. The amount <br />of land actually irrigated each year varies with the erratic water <br />supply and has ranged from a minir.lum of about 10,000 acres to a <br />maximum of about 24) 000 acres. During the extreme drouth that <br />occurred in 1934, over 70 percent of the people in the project area <br />were receiving some form of public relief. <br /> <br />Project water will not only stabilize the economy for the supplemen,- <br />tal service lands, but will provide a supply for 46,520 acres of <br />full service lands; all of which will make possible settlement <br />opportunities for approximately 225 new farm families. <br /> <br />Expansion of the municipal water supply system of the area has not <br />kept pace with the population growth, and sizeable quantities of <br />industrial water are required for the development of thermal <br />electric powerplants which would utilize the area's significant <br />coal reserves. <br /> <br /> <br />The economy of the surrounding area is largely dependent upon tourism <br />and the exploration, production, and processing of mineral and petro- <br />leum resources. Tourisn is sea,sonal and mineral and petroleum indus- <br />tries are very sensitive to price relationships. The increase in <br />agricultural production resulting from the project will tend to <br />stimula.te and stabilize the entire San .Tuan Basin economy. <br /> <br />3 <br />