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<br />the
<br />Durango
<br />
<br />
<br />Vol. XXXVIII, No. 27'---
<br />
<br />Durango, Colorado
<br />
<br />,1 APHIL 18, 1990
<br />
<br />New Mexic,ovoters','OK A-LP
<br />, ,..
<br />.
<br />The New Mexico vote delayed. "That's water'we don't have to between the U.S. government. Ute
<br />the project in Durango, a _ resell now," said Pat Schumacher, Mountain Ute and Southern Ute
<br />,construction-start date or"May-5.". Durango Projecu Office. " Indian tribes. any delay in con-
<br />New Mexico voters gave. the had to be scratched.. ' . f :; . ;!' ,'~'.l The San Juan Water Commis- . struetion of the project would ne-
<br />Animas-La Plata project the go-' John Murphy. president of the . . sial'.! is a large water-users group. gatively impact those water-rights
<br />ahead in a vote tallied Tuesday, ',;Animas-La Plata Water Co~ser-' including Bloomfield, Aztec. Far- agreements. .
<br />leaving the opposition undecided ~<vancy District was relieved' at ,the', mingto.n, San Juan County and The SJWC will now have the re-
<br />what to do next. 'vote count. ,,1., rural water users buying Animas- paymentcontj--/' lated in New
<br />The San Juan County, N.M., re- . "We're cenainly pleased," Mur. La Plata water. Though only a por- Mexico Distri May 10. Any
<br />ferendum pas~d 8,019 to 5,105, phy said. "Now, we proceed to the' < tion of the projrct, it was vital to person interestea IU the contract
<br />with about 40 percent of the building of thiS' project. It proves haveth~twatersoldbeforetheBu- can file a protest with the court
<br />county's 32,703 registered voters 'once again tha~ people want the ; reau of Reclamation could proceed , prior to the hearing. . , . '.
<br />mailing in ballots. '_ water." '''', ::",' . '~\,with construction of Ridges Basin ',BuRee is also waiting for a biG-' "
<br />"We've got to develop a eonsen:- 'i~~ The Bureau,,'of Reclamation- is, ': -Dam and Reiervoir. If the vote had . logical opinion from the U.S. Fish
<br />. sus;' said OUR Land' Presidentr~still ',waiting ,for construction ap...._~ gone the oilier way, BuRee would. and Wildlife Service on the impact
<br />Everett'Oldham. "We're a littleun-l!,"'-proVal to build Ridges Basin Dam, -' I):ave had to go back and renegoti-, the project will have on the squaw.
<br />decided right now." '; _' ';...~~that approval hinged on the out-' ate a separate repayment contract:'. fish. Even if a jeopardy opinion is
<br />But the opposition is not giving'-~l come of the vote in New Mexico ,with each entity within the SJWC,':. issued, BuRee officials said they
<br />up. OUR Land will hold a press',~,and,'the valid~ti~n?f the SanJ~an _ '.causing furth~~delay.:" . .,_, ',.' ,,:~~~:,.Can still proceed _~i~h C?nstruction",
<br />conference Thursday to announce~~',Water,Commwlon' $12.8 mlllion'!,';-_;' Becaus,e ADlmas-La,PJati..wa':~~'and.'work on a mlbgabon plan t01
<br />a new strategy. .I~, '1.': {;! . :"';;,1' ~.t'repayment.,contract.,. ii; c J,',i'i(yi;j part of a'~water:"rights settlement. '., >_, \I (Pleueaee A.LP, Page 16) . r
<br />. ,,' :<~..~. f ~', i, r.~\t ,-!:~ !:h 1'- ',}.. ~ iq'- '. :~~ 't, " . 'I, :-' lh . 11 "... ,.-,(,'~' Jlf.! ).~Hii,.\~;'~_~. I, ~~.. J ;:',::: ,;' \' ,': /. :~."),-,.., '
<br />
<br />By Chris Bauch
<br />Herald SlaffWriler
<br />
<br />i"
<br />
<br />A-LP
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<br />(Continued from Page 1)
<br />supply the squaw~sh with adequ-
<br />ate water.
<br />Opponents contend A-LP will
<br />cause severe ecological damage.
<br />while supporters disagree.
<br />The project will irrigate 68,000
<br />acres of farmland, settle a lengthy
<br />government water-rights disPl!te
<br />with two Indian tribes and prOVide
<br />drinking water_ for Durango,
<br />Bloomfield, Aztec and
<br />Farmington.
<br />The first phase of the project,
<br />expected to take 12 years to co~-
<br />plete, is estimated to cost $422 mil-
<br />lion. The project includes a dam
<br />and reservoir in Ridges Basin just
<br />southwest of Durango where water
<br />would be stored after being
<br />pumped from the Animas River.
<br />A second phase, including a sec-
<br />ond reservoir near the New Mexico
<br />state line on the La Plata River,
<br />would add $144 million to the total.
<br />Those estimates are based on 1990
<br />dollars.
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