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~.~~l.IM.lJ(t<l(l~rt ' ~.!> ....o.:....c....~ ~~ -~-... \.~~-/ ~ Who to Contact If you have questions. need additional information, or wish to be added to the mailing list, contact Mr Pat Schumacher. Manager, U.s. Bureau of Reclamation, Southern . Division of the Western Colorado Area Office. 835 East 2nd Avenue, Suite 300. Durango. Colo:ado 81301. Telephone: (970) 385-6500 fax: (970) 385-6539 [-mail: p5chumacher@uc.usbr.gov Website: www.uc.usbr:gov Project Background The Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Set- tlement, executed in 1986 and enacted by Con- gress in 1988. resolves long-standing conflicts on eight -river systems in southwest Colorado. The settlement addressed a regional problem- the senior water rights of the two Colorado Ute tribes. Although the tribes have occupied this entire region in southwest Colorado since the 19th century. their water right claims were not addressed until the 1980's. Future development of the region and the protection. of existing water uses required a comprehensive settle- ment. The Settlement Act achieves these goals. The Settlement Act quantifies the Tribes' direct flow rights in these rivers while preserv- ing the impor\ant non-Indian water rights and uses. The last piece of the settlement-a region- al water supply from the Animas River by way of the proposed ALP-has been delayed due to economic and environmental concerns, includ- : iug ESA is.sues. : ALP has been the subject of substantial pub- , : lie .interest and environmental review since it ., .: was authorized by the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968 and later incorporated into the Settlement Act. The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared several NEPA-mandated docu- ments for ALp, including a Final Environmental Statement (FES) in 1980 and a Final Supple- ment to the FES in 1996. Following the co.mpletion of the FSFES in 1996, Colorado Governor Roy Romer and Lt. Governor Gail Schoettler convened both sup- pOrIers and opponents of ALP in an attempt to address un'resolved issues associated with the original ALP and to attempt to gain consensus on an alternative to the project. The Romer- Schoettler process resulted in the suggestion of two alternatives. a structural proposal and nonstructural proposal. The structural alterna- tive proposed construction of the initial stage of . ALP as described in the 1996 FSFES, with some 2 modifications. and was specifically designed to fit within the ESA depletion limitations for the San Juan River. A nonstructural alternative pro- posed to purchase water rights from existing owners in southwestern Colorado and provide Indian-only water through acquisition of excess water from existing projects or from expanded projects/delivery syslfms. Administration " -:- _.'.lm _.::." _ "i. '" -~ ~ Proposal!!J . ~~r~,AJgusI'1998,"ih~ ~~ti-etary of the ylJ1tJ'~or:' i;' c<:l,orqinati(ln with J~e <Council or;>, Environmental Qualit~,and:~th~ Ehvi- ro1iii)enl<lnnotectiOn 'AgeilcY,R~blted , .'. II!. ,. " ., ,an Ad1niaistratio!} ,Proro"",! tq :provide 'tllt~G;oJor~do J)tepTribes with ,,,;cess to~a f~iaj;Jle'.B!-'t (;duced R'roject Mlters\,pplY ;~,ordert;p fmaliz~the'Settleln~nt A'ct. .,,:The::i;\:dmiI\Jstration Proposal "'lis devel- bped, ~o ,fake,~dyanl<l$~ of con<;eRtS (!~lop!tJ during the Romer-~Cho~ttler, , proCeSs; IrJsdesign~d't6 $atisfy tribal '/Wate~ -;ightij c)a\ms while Safeg~arding . hon:,Indian,;vater: rightS' The proposal also. provides a t!~w M.;;rl }Vater supply.in the regiotuhat could protect. the current, ,;:Vater suripH~ allocatee: tQ irrigatiop and bth~.r uses. Aportion <if thS Tribes' wate~ ..$upply, as !lesc'ribed in the 'Settlement Act\~would9~'located ih ah tiffstre~:n ~eser-voir sUPl?}iedfrom the-.AnJJMS River: Th~ Aqmini$tration Proposal also proVfdes the Tii.bes with a water acquisic lion fund,to acquire water rights or develop r~servation econolllies. Water Rro.Vided as. part of the down-sized ALP Y/ourd be li~jted to. M&! uses'only. .. ~ ~ .