Office of the Deputy Secretary

For Immediate Release: July 14, 2000

Contact: Noel L. Gerson (202) 208-6444
Office of the Deputy Secretary

Reclamation Releases Final Environmental Document
for the Animas-La Plata Project

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt announced today the issuance of the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the Animas-La Plata Project. The FSEIS evaluates the environmental impacts of the Administration Proposal for a down-sized project, as well as a range of other various alternatives of the project. The primary objective of any action is to finalize implementation of the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988.

"The timely completion of this document represents the Clinton Administration's continued commitment to the Colorado Ute Tribes to overcome issues delaying implementation of their 1988 water rights settlement and to resolve the status of the Animas-La Plata Project," said Secretary Babbitt. "The United States has a trust responsibility to Indian Tribes and it is therefore extremely important that we honor the commitments made to the Ute Tribes in 1988. I remain committed to working with the Congress to enact necessary legislation this session."

The FSEIS recommends a modified version of the Administration Proposal as the best alternative to implement the settlement with the least environmental impacts. The proposal includes a significantly down-sized offstream dam and reservoir which will store water for municipal and industrial needs to satisfy the senior water rights of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes, while also providing some water for the Durango, Colorado and Farmington, New Mexico areas. The irrigation component of the project has been eliminated. In addition, because the smaller project fails to provide the Ute Tribes with the entire quantity of water secured in the original settlement, the balance of those rights may be acquired through market purchases of water rights. Finally, the modified proposal also includes a pipeline to deliver project water to the Navajo Nation community of Shiprock, New Mexico for domestic needs.

To satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the FSEIS addresses compliance with the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act. The document includes an in-depth environmental commitment plan for mitigating project impacts and there is also an extensive discussion on Indian trust assets, including the implications of constructing a down-sized Animas-La Plata Project on the water resources of the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Tribe.

The FSEIS is also being provided to members of Congress who are presently considering authorizing legislation. A Department of the Interior record of decision may be executed 30 days after providing notice of the FSEIS's release in the Federal Register. Any decision regarding the Animas-La Plata Project, as well as opportunities for future public involvement, will be publicized.

To obtain copies of the FSEIS, contact Mr. Pat Schumacher, Four Corners Division Manager, Bureau of Reclamation, 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado 81301-5475; telephone (970) 385-6558.