WSP08124

• File Number: 8220.106
• Description: Animas-La Plata
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 10/1/1996
• Title: Animas-La Plata Project Summary Information
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

March 1995:

No~ember 13, 1995

January 1996:

January 1996:

February 26, 1996:

March 14,1996:

Stage B construction includes: Durango Pumping Plant add-on
pumps, Ridges Basin Pumping Plant, RBPP transmission facilities,
Long Hollow Tunnel, Durango Municipal & Industrial Pipeline,
Dryside Canal-Phase 1, Red Mesa Pumping Plant-laterals-
transmission facilities, Alkali Gulch Laterals-phase 1, La Plata, NM
Laterals-Phase 1, Dryside Lateral-Phase 1, Drains-Phase 1, NM
Interim Facilities, Shenandoah Pipeline, Southern Ute Di~ersion
Dam, and Southern Ute Inlet Canal. Also included are recreaJion
facilities, and fish & wildlife and cultural resource
preservaJion/enhancement. Completion of Stage B allows the fuU
de~elopment of Phase 1.

I

Rescheduled the completion of the Final Supplement to the Final
En~ironmental Statement to incorporate staging of Phase 1. The
Supplement is now scheduled to be filed with the Environmental
Protection Agency in No~ember 1995. Execution of a Record of
Decision isplannedforJanuary 1996.

The Energy and Water Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1996 states
that, '1n order to ensure the timely implementation of the Colorado
Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988, the Secretary of the
Interior is directed to proceed without delay with construction of
those facilities in conformance with the Final Biological Opinion for
the Animas-La Plata Project, dated October 24, 1991. .

Using Indian Self DeterminaJion Act contracting procedures,
cooperati~e agreements were put in place with the Southern Ute
Indian and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribes for technical services
assistance.

Rescheduled the completion of the Final Supplement to the Final
En~ironmental Statement to allow additional time for completion of
analyses, Endangered Species Act consultation, and multi-team
re~iew of the draft Supplement. The Final Supplement will be filed
with the Environmental Protection Agency in April 1996.

Final Biological Opinion is issued by the Service. This opinion deals
with significant, new information that had become a~ai1able since
the 1991 opinion. Reasonable and PnuJent Alternati~e (RPA)
elements are similar to the 1991 opinion with inclusions such as a
clarificaJion of language on the allowable 57,100 acre-feet depletion;
and the requirement to test low winter flows from Na~ajo Reservoir.

c

Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, representing se~eral entities, filed
suit against ReclamaJion regarding the possible amendment of the
Cost Sharing Agreement. The suit contends that a public process is
required. ReclamaJion had pre~iously stated that a public process
would begin once agency work and decisions to proceed with the
amendment were complete.

10