WSP06109

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 2/1/1982
• Title: Animas-La Plata Project
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Division of Wildlife. The division purchased the land in 1974 with
funds from the U. S. Heritage Conservation and Recreat ion Service and
through a cooperative agreement with the Nature Conservancy, the original
purchaser of the land. To satisfy certain encumbrances put on the land
by the Service and the Nature Conservancy, the Bureau of Reclamation
will replace a portion of the Division of Wildlife's 7,000 acres, total-
ing about 4,000 acres, with land of equal value in terms of wildlife,
acreage, and monetary amounts, The land, obtained from a willing seller
and preferably in single ownership, would be acquired at an as yet
undetermined location near the project area and turned over to the
Division concurrently with the acquisition of land at Ridges Basin.

At Southern Ute Reservoir about 2.5 miles of natural gas
pipeline would be relocated, The wellheads of two gas wells that are
near the edge of the reservoir would be raised to prevent inundation,

5. Construction Program

The construction of the project would be under the supervision
of a construction office located at Durango, Field offices of a tempor-
ary nature would be set up at the Ridges Basin and Southern Ute Damsites
and next to the Red Mesa and Ute Mountain Pumping Planta. It is antici-
pated that construction personnel would live in the communities in
the project area.

Construction of the project would take approximately 10 years.
During the eighth year of construction, which is estimated to be the peak
year, the project would furnish direct employment for about 1,150 private
and Governmental employees, Total local employment over the 10 years of
construction would amount to about 6,760 man-years. The proposed con-
struction schedule is shown in Figure A-12.

6. Lands for Project Features

Approximately 15,139 acres of land would be needed for project
features, as shown in Table A-ll. This total includes 7,539 acres of
private land, 2,505 acres of land belonging to the Southern Ute and Ute
Mountain Ute Indian Tribes, 4,296 acres of land administered by the
States of Colorado and New Mexico, and 799 acres of Federal land,

Public land withdrawn for project features would be administered by
the Bureau of Reclamation for the life of the project, Private land
acquired would become public land and would, except for the proposed
wildlife area, be administered by the Bureau of Reclamation for the life
of the project. Land in the wildlife area would be administered by the
Colorado Division of Wildli fe, Indian tribal land obtained for project
purposes by permanent easement would stay under Reclamation administra-
tion, although the Tribes would keep full use and access consistent with
project purposes. Land obtained for construction access easements would

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