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<br />" <br /> <br />CHAPTER I <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Purpose of this Report <br /> <br />This Special Report on the Animas-La Plata Project has been pre- <br />pared to explain how the Agreement in Principle Concerning the Colorado <br />Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement and Binding Agreement for Animas-La <br />Plata Project Cost Sharing (Agreement or Cost Sharing Agreement) will be <br />implemented. The report will explain the phased construction of the <br />project as specified in the Agreement. The report is intended to serve <br />as a basis to support legislation necessitated by the Agreement and to <br />support appropriation budget requests for implementation of the Agree- <br />ment and construction of the project. <br /> <br />Authority <br /> <br />The Animas-La Plata Project was authorized by the Colorado River <br />Basin Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537), as a participating <br />project under the Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) Act of April 11, <br />1956 (Public Law 84-485). The authorization was based on the feasibil- <br />ity report of the Secretary of the Interior transmitted to Congress on <br />May 4, 1966, and printed as House Document 436, 89th Congress, 2nd Ses- <br />sion. <br /> <br />Project Setting <br /> <br />The project will be located in La Plata and Montezuma Counties of <br />southwestern Colorado and in San Juan County of northwestern New Mexico <br />(see Frontispiece Map). This area is in the eastern part of a region <br />that is frequently called the Four Corners Area because of the unique <br />juncture of the States of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The <br />project area lies within the Upper Colorado River Basin and includes the <br />San Juan River and three of its tributaries--the Animas, La Plata, and <br />Mancos Rivers. <br /> <br />The area to be served by the project is divided into Colorado and <br />New Mexico portions. The largest city in the Colorado portion is <br />Durango, located on the Animas River and serving as the retail trade <br />center and largest city in southwestern Colorado. To the west and south- <br />west of Durango are the rural communities of Hesperus, Breen, Kline, <br />Marvel, and Redmesa in the La Plata River drainage. The non-Indian <br />areas in Colorado served by the project are located within the boundaries <br />of the Animas-La Plata Water Conservancy District. The Southern Ute <br />Indian Reservation is located entirely in Colorado, while the Ute Moun- <br />tain Ute Indian Reservation is located mostly in Colorado but also <br />extends into New Mexico. The Southern Ute Indian Reservation has its <br />