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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />REGIONAL ECONOMY WITHOUT PROJECT <br /> <br />the requirement for delivering essentially half of the La Plata River flows to the New <br /> <br /> <br />Mexico-Colorado state line through the La Plata River Compact would be revoked. The <br /> <br /> <br />potential impacts of such a scenario are described below. <br /> <br />La Plata River Impacts <br /> <br />A measure of the impacts on the La Plata River would assume that all existing non-Indian <br />irrigated lands would either be fallowed or converted to dry land farming. The potential <br />loss of existing non-Indian irrigated lands in Colorado is estimated by the Colorado Division <br />Engineer (Table 3.1) to be 10,000 acres. The potential loss of existing non-Indian irrigated <br />lands in New Mexico is estimated to be 5,5002 acres. The loss of these irrigated lands <br />would have both sufficient direct and indirect economiC impacts on the region. <br /> <br />Animas River Impacts <br /> <br />The impacts on the Animas River are not as easily surmised, in part because of the relatively <br />large streamflow for the Animas River compared to the La Plata River, and uncertainties <br />associated with execution of downstream calls from New Mexico under the Upper Colorado <br />River Basin Compact. Granting Indian water rights for 33,140 acre-feet (63,100 minus <br />29,960) on the Animas River with an 1868 priority date would clearly impact existing users, <br />particularly during periods of low streamflows and if the Indian rights were granted for <br />M&I use with a firm delivery. For purposes of this analysis, it is assumed that one measure <br />of the potential impacts on the Animas River would be that sufficient existing non-Indian <br />irrigated lands, corresponding to a delivery of 33,140 acre-feet, would either be fallowed or <br />converted to dry land farming. Assuming a delivery of two acre-feet per acre, the total <br />impacted irrigated acreage would be approximately 16,500 acres. The Colorado Division <br />Engineer (Table 3.1) estimated the presently irrigated non-Indian lands in Colorado as <br />14,200 acres. The remaining impacted acreage of 2,300 acres would be located in New <br />Mexico. It should be noted that the Tribes' rights on the Animas River would be senior to <br />rights of the city of Durango and during water-shortage conditions, a downstream call <br /> <br />2 Bureau of Reclamation, Definite Plan Report, Appendix B - Water Supply, Animas-La Plata Project, Colorado <br />and New Mexico, U.s. Department of the Interior, September 1979. <br /> <br />3-9 <br />