BOARD01978

• Board Meeting Date: 3/29/1999
• Description: Colorado River Basin Issues - Animas-La Plata Project - Status Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Agenda Item L11

STATE OF COLOMbO

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EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS

136 State Capitol
Denver, Colorado 80203.179~
Phone (30Jl 866.2~71

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Sill Qwens
Go~'ernor

March 9, 1999

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The Honorable Bruce Babbitt
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C StreetN.W.
Washington, D.C. 20240

Dear Bruce:

You and I have not had a chance personally to discuss the Animas-La Plata water
Project in Southwest Colorado, but the recent public scoping meetings in Colorado
attracted a great deal of attention, and I want to make clear my Administration's
position on A-LP.

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First and foremost, Colorado will continue to support construction of the project as soon
as possible as provided by the Indian Water Rights Settlement Act. Colorado believes
A-LP is the only reasonable solution to the 130 year-old Tribal water rights issue, and I
believe fairness to the Tribes and the local water users requires it. We intend to hold the
federal government to' commitments that have been made, and will expect action soon.

Second, we are skeptical about several aspects of your proposal oflast August,
commonly called "A-LP Ultra Light." In particular, providing the Tribes some of the
water to which they are entitled while providing no irrigation component or non-Indian
water is half a solution at best. It drives a wedge between local water users and Tribes,
which can only further the difficulty of getting the project built and avoiding more
costly litigation. Moreover, the small size of the reservoir you proposed clearly does not
solve the problem, and may actually create a worse environmental problem, as I think
you are aware.

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Finally, you need to know that under no circumstances is Colorado prepared to support
de-authorization of its entitled and authorized water projects as part of the A-LP
agreement. These projects were authorized as part of the deal between Upper and Lower
Basins that resulted in the Central Arizona Project and Colorado will not surrender its
half of the bargain for noriing. As you well know, California and Nevada are facing
extreme difficulty supplying the water they need, the 4.4. Plan is not progressing well,
the effort to quantify senior water rights in the Lower Basin remains illusive, and the