The Colorado Legislature intends to pony up $36 million for Animas-La Plata Project water
April 15, 2012
From the Associated Press (Catharine Tsai) via The Durango Herald:
Colorado’s Legislature has authorized paying $36 million to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for its share of 10,460 acre-feet of water, plus interest on construction costs. But the interest has been building, and the $36 million likely won’t cover everything Colorado owes.
The tribes had proposed that Colorado allow its share of water to revert back to the tribes, which weren’t assessed for construction. The tribes then would sell the water back to the state at what they say would be a much lower price than what the state would pay the bureau.
“When we heard what the state would spend to get water, our first thought was, ‘Why?’” said Peter Ortego, general counsel for the Ute Mountain Ute tribe. “We can make it cheaper for the state. Sure, it puts money in our coffers, but it keeps it in Colorado.”
However, after two years of talking with tribal representatives, the Colorado Water Conservation Board has directed its staff to move forward on contract talks with the Bureau of Reclamation, board director Jennifer Gimbel said.
Gimbel said the board took the tribes’ proposal “very seriously.” However, some board members questioned whether outside parties would challenge the proposal in court. Though legislators already have approved $36 million for project water, some board members also questioned how willing legislators would be in future years to spend on Animas-La Plata Project water.
From the Cortez Journal (J. Paul Brown):
A water storage project, on the La Plata drainage, that has been on the drawing board since 1945, the Long Hollow project, finally is about to become a reality. This is a project located in the mouth of the Long Hollow Drainage about 3 miles from the New Mexico state line. It will allow Colorado to store winter runoff and floodwater in the off irrigation season to be used to satisfy the New Mexico water right at critical times.
One of the big problems in managing the delivery of water to New Mexico under the compact is when there is very little water at Hesperus, all of it can be released and because of seepage and evaporation nothing is delivered to the state line. The idea of the Long Hollow project is to store water so that New Mexico’s portion can be delivered out of the dam and Colorado can use more water that is in the river. It is a great project, and it is too bad that it has taken 67 years to become a reality.
More La Plata River coverage here.
Animas-La Plata Project Repayment Negotiations Continue between Reclamation and Colorado
March 1, 2012
Here’s the release from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Ryan Christianson):
The Bureau of Reclamation and the state of Colorado are continuing negotiations on a proposed repayment contract for the Animas-La Plata Project. The contract will provide the terms and conditions by which the state will repay the construction costs associated with all or a portion of its statutory allocation of project water. The third negotiation meeting is scheduled for Wednesday August 10, 2011, at 10:00 a.m. at Reclamation’s office, 835 E. 2nd Ave., Suite 300, Durango, Colo. 81301.
The contract to be negotiated will provide for storage and delivery of project water, identify the amount of project construction costs to be paid to the federal government by the state, and provide for operation and maintenance of the project.
All negotiations are open to the public as observers, and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments pertaining to the contract during a thirty minute comment period following the negotiation session. The proposed contract and other pertinent documents will be available at the negotiation meeting, or can be obtained on our website under Current Focus or by contacting Brett Griffin of the Bureau of Reclamation, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado, 81301, telephone (970) 385-6531.
The La Plata Water Conservancy District to turn dirt for the long-proposed Longhollow Reservoir
February 20, 2012
From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):
The approval of an escrow agreement allows the La Plata Water Conservancy District to break ground on the Longhollow Reservoir. “It’s been 15 or 20 years,” Lee said Friday. “Things move slow, but we’re getting there.”
Groundbreaking could occur as early as next month, said Lee, president of the water district. The reservoir will be located just east of Colorado Highway 140 about five miles north of the New Mexico state line. It will store 5,400 acre-feet of water – 300 of them to help satisfy Colorado’s La Plata River obligation to New Mexico. The remainder is for irrigators in the arid southwest corner of La Plata County…
Longhollow Creek and drainage from Government Draw will fill the reservoir. The project will cost about $22.5 million.
More La Plata River coverage here.
