The Animas-La Plata Operation, Maintenance and Replacement Association is drafting a policy allowing for future use of the Animas-La Plata Project’s water for construction, maintenance and other one-time or short-term projects.
“My view is that entities that are building infrastructure to put the water to beneficial use, we should support that endeavor, and supply construction water at no cost to help that process move along,” general manager Russ Howard said. “That will continue for a period of time, but in the future, when outside entities not directly related to the ALP need water for construction or maintaining a county road, I felt it was important to have a policy in place to allow that activity – and there should be a cost.”
To date, water from Lake Nighthorse for such projects has been for the direct benefit of the Animas-La Plata Project, Howard said, including culvert installation at the reservoir to mitigate drainage problems.
The future policy would outline three general categories for uses and restrict each request to a maximum 5 acre-feet (an acre-foot is equal to the volume of 1 acre of water, 1 foot deep).
One policy would address projects requested by Animas-La Plata Project member entities, which would be exempt from the fee. That would include the pipeline La Plata West Water Authority is building to bring water from Lake Nighthorse to Lake Durango, as well as satisfy some future water needs.
Another would charge entities not related to ALP for construction activities, road maintenance and other projects.
The last would cover miscellaneous requests, which would be evaluated by the ALP board on a case-by-case basis.
The fees are undecided.
“The policy would outline a process whereby the cost of water in the reservoir would be reviewed annually, and the board would set those rates in the process,” Howard said.
The regulations will address projects that are perhaps years down the road, Howard said.
ALP is working in conjunction with the Bureau of Reclamation, whose approval would be necessary to access federal lands surrounding the Nighthorse reservoir to install a pump to transport water for anticipatory projects.
jpace@durangoherald.com
