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<br />Finding may sink
<br />Animas-La Plata
<br />
<br />Water project ruled danger to rare fish,
<br />
<br />By Mark Obmascik
<br />Denver Post Environment Writer
<br />The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service dealt a staggering blow
<br />yesterday to the $582 million
<br />Animas-La Plata water project
<br />after finding 27 rare fish living
<br />downstream from the planned
<br />reservoir site.
<br />
<br />In a move that stunned politi-
<br />cians and water developers,
<br />federal biologists said the proj-
<br />ect would violate the Endanger-
<br />ed Species Act by hurting the
<br />habitat of a fragile population
<br />of Colorado squawfish. '
<br />
<br />That ruling could kill the
<br />project. But Gov, Roy Romer, a
<br />staunch Animas-La Plata sup-
<br />porter, said he may ask a spe-
<br />cial federal panel, dubbed the
<br />"God Committee," to permit
<br />the destruction of the squawfish
<br />populatl,on by granting the proj-
<br />ect a special exemption from
<br />
<br />the Endangered Species Act.
<br />
<br />Animas-La Plata, a giant net-
<br />work of reservoirs and pipelines
<br />between Durango, Colo" and
<br />Farmington, N.M" would irri- ,
<br />gate 68,000 acres of farmland, ,I
<br />settle lengthy water rights dis-
<br />putes with two Indian tribes
<br />and supply drinking water to
<br />several cities in the Four Cor-
<br />ners area.
<br />The dam would create an es-
<br />timated 1,150 construction jobs
<br />in a struggling Four Corners
<br />economy,
<br />But it also would siphon away
<br />18 percent of the San Juan Riv-
<br />er flows now relied upon by
<br />squawfish in New Mexico and
<br />Utah, at least 90 miles down-
<br />stream from the water project.
<br />Animas-La Plata, proposed for
<br />a sparsely, populated area,
<br />"
<br />Pleas~ see WATER on iA
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