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<br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The proposed Animas-La Plata Project is to be located in the <br /> <br />Upper Colorado Basin in La Plata and Montezuma Counties in southwes- <br /> <br />tern Colorado, and also in San Juan County in northern New Mexico. <br /> <br />The project was authorized for construction, operation, and mainten- <br /> <br />ance by Title V, Public Law 90-357, on September 20, 1968. The <br /> <br />Animas-La Plata Project will be a part of the larger Colorado River <br />Basin Project.2 <br /> <br />~. <br /> <br />The project will provide water for multiple purposes. The <br /> <br />., <br />~~ <br /> <br />primary purpose is to provide irrigation water for land in the La <br /> <br />Plata River drainage and to a lesser extent to land in the Mancos River <br /> <br />drainage. In addition, water for municipal and industrial purposes <br /> <br />will be provided to the city of Durango, Colorado and also to the <br /> <br />:~'. <br /> <br />cities of Farmington and Aztec in New Mexico, as well as to the Ute <br /> <br />;", <br /> <br />Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian ReservationS'. Some benefits are <br /> <br />increased fish and wildlife habitat. The costs, benefits, project <br /> <br />": <br />tfi <br />;~ <br />, <br />.,~ <br /> <br />expected to result from improved recreational opportunities and <br /> <br />features, and allocation of water of the Animas-La Plata Project are <br /> <br />>,l <br />,.,~ <br /> <br />displayed in Appendix A. <br /> <br />~-" <br />'~, <br />:\ <br /> <br />As is common with water resource development projects, varying <br /> <br />opinions are held regarding the benefits and costs of the Animas-La <br /> <br />Plata Project. It is the purpose of this study to provide an inde- <br /> <br />pendent evaluation of the benefits and benefit-cost ratio associated <br /> <br />with the Animas-La Plata Project. This evaluation will not necessarily <br /> <br />be bound by guidelines used by the Bureau of Reclamation in estimating <br /> <br />benefits, but will always be substantiated by economic theory. <br /> <br />5 <br />