WSP06109 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

...~--;; !:I ~; il>" ~ ~ ~" ~ ~: iJ DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL ! -';i ~ ~ ~~ ~ A. 1, Introduction This statement has been prepared on the environmental aspects of the Animas-La Plata Project, which would be located in southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The project was authorized for construction by the Colorado River Basin Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 90-537) as a participating project of the Colorado River Storage Project. The project would commit to beneficial uses part of the streamflows allocated to Colorado and New Mexico by the Colorado River Compact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948. \' 1.-' Jhe project would develop water for irrigated agriculture and municipal and industrial (M&I) use in both States. Programs and features also are included for recreation, flatwater fishing opportunities, wildlife, and cultural resources. i;~ r'~ ~ ~ i ,.: ,~ ~: ~~~ " '>-, ,,-'-; The beneficiaries of the agricultural water would be Tribal members residing on the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Reservations in Colorado and non-Indian farmers in both States, many of whom have resi- dences and private holdings within the general boundarles of the Southern' Ute Indian Reservation. Municipal and industrial water would be supplied to the two Ute Indian Reservations, to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, and to non-Indian water users throughout the project area. i< ~ ., The La Plata Water Conservancy District in Colorado, the La Plata Conservancy District in New Mexico, and the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribes sponsor and actively support the Animas-La Plata Project. The proposed plan has been formulated as a result of coopera- tive endeavors by many Federal, State, and local agencies and private organizations and individuals. The Bureau of Rec lamat ion intends to pursue the course of act ion provided for under Section 67(r) of the Clean Water Act of 1977 (Public Law 95-217). The Bureau will be exempt from applying for dredge and fill permits (404) from the Army Corps of Engineers. The environmental statement discusses the impa;:ts of discharging dredge and fill material into navigable waters at the project construction aites and the meaaures that would be employed to control or limit water pollution from these discharges. This information, which is indexed in Attachment 5, is on the technical snalysis contained in the environmental statement. This analysis is in accordance with Section 404(b)( 1) of the Environmental Protection Agency's interim regulations published in the Federal Register on September 5, 1975. The Bureau of Reclamation will submit the final environmental statement of the Animas-La Plata Project to Congress :N; t::' u-7<-. t>: " r ..~' " , '0-, A-I I 'i': .',.,,". :~' '1(<'-- ~~ ~-;~~