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A-LP association accepts operation of water system
Lake Nighthorse is about 20% filled
Herald Staff Writer
The first use of water from the reservoir is still several years away.
- Pat Page, Bureau of Reclamation
An association created by the sponsors signed a contract Dec. 30, 2009, with the Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the project facilities. The project, which will provide water for three Native American tribes and other entities, consists of a man-made reservoir in Ridges Basin southwest of Bodo Park, a pumping station on the Animas River and a water-distribution system in New Mexico.
Project sponsors are the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, the La Plata Water Conservancy District, the Navajo Nation and the San Juan Water Commission, all of New Mexico, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe. The state of Colorado has dibs on a small share of the 120,000 acre-feet of water in the reservoir - known as Lake Nighthorse - but hasn't yet decided whether to exercise its prerogative.
The state's share reverts to the Ute tribes in equal portions if the state doesn't act.
Pat Page at the Bureau of Reclamation said Russ How-ard, maintenance manager for the Central Arizona Project, has been hired as general manager to oversee A-LP operations and maintenance.
Howard will have a staff and will answer to the Animas-La Plata Operations, Maintenance and Replacement Association on which all partners will have representation.
The Central Arizona Project provides 1.5 million acre-feet of Colorado River water annually from Lake Havasu to customers southwest of Tucson. The delivery system consists of pumping stations, tunnels and almost 350 miles of pipeline.
“Howard will handle day-to-day operations of the system," Page said. “He also will be the liaison to the Bureau of Reclamation."
All A-LP water is for household or industrial use. Water earmarked for agriculture was deleted when the project was downsized in 2000.
The Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority's share in the A-LP is being held for the Animas La Plata Water Conservancy District, which in turn will provide water for the city of Durango and the La Plata West Water Authority. The latter would supply water to the dry southwest corner of La Plata County.
The share of each partner's fixed operations and maintenance costs were negotiated and don't correspond to its share of project water. Each Ute tribe's share is 35.5 percent. None of the Native American tribes paid for construction, which cost $500 million. Fixed costs include labor, materials, equipment, administration and overhead, a financial reserve and the cost of power attributable to the pumping of water from the Animas River to the reservoir to cover evaporation and leakage.
Variable costs related to pumping will be assessed according to each partner needs, Page said. He said information still is being gathered on variable costs.
“We're looking at first-fill costs to give us an idea of what long-term pumping expenses will be," Page said. “The first use of water from the reservoir is still several years away."
After test runs, filling the reservoir began in earnest on May 4, 2009. The lake is about 20 percent full.
The sponsors will not share the cost of the Navajo Nation pipeline from Farmington to Shiprock or the cost of land purchased to replace 6,000 acres of wetlands taken for reservoir construction.
The contract between the Bureau of Reclamation and project partners will become effective when A-LP is deemed complete with the initial filling of the reservoir - in 2011 with normal river flow, a year later if flow is extremely low. The federal agency will retain ownership and ultimate oversight of the project.
It hasn't been determined who will develop recreation at Lake Nighthorse. The Animas La Plata Water Conservancy District is negotiating with a consultant on a recreation master plan but has almost no money to carry the project forward.
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