Northwest Pipeline Inc./Enterprise: The three interstate gas and gas products pipelines owned by these companies were relocated out of the reservoir basin during the summer of 2003. Transfer of right-of-way is pending.

Atmos Energy: No current activity.  Atmos gas pipeline, which is located in the upper portions of the reservoir pool must be relocated prior to filling of the reservoir.  A tentative alignment for this gas pipeline adjacent to the relocated/reconstructed County Road 211 has been selected. Relocation of this gas line is expected to occur during the fall of 2008.

County Road 211: Final designs have been completed.  Weeminuche Construction Authority and Reclamation are in the process of negotiating a price for this work.  Award of a contract for this work is planned for the fall of 2008. Clearing for the road has been accomplished as a modification to the Dam Completion contract.  Earthwork and cross drainage construction work will commence upon award of the contract and will continue through the fall and winter of 2008/2009 as weather permits.

Tri-State Transmission Line: An agreement for designing and relocating Tri State’s 115-kv transmission line, within the reservoir area and where it conflicts with the CR 211 relocation route, was put in place during the spring of 2008.  Tri-State has begun design work and will perform the relocation work during 2009.

Several contracts associated with construction of the dam have been completed by WCA.  Excavation for the outlet works tunnel portals was completed in 2003, as was excavation of the right abutment and construction of various haul roads.  Under a foundation excavation contract, nearly 2.3 million cubic yards of earth materials were excavated during 2004 revealing the rock foundation for the dam. Also, associated with the foundation excavation contract were construction of more haul roads and some of the drop structures needed for Basin Creek improvements.  An outlet works tunnel excavation contract was awarded in 2004 and completed in 2005, as was a contact for supplying and erecting a materials processing plant needed for manufacturing filter and drain materials for the dam.

Dam Completion Contract: A contract for completion of the dam was awarded to WCA in 2005.  Work associated with this contract includes: 1) completion of the Basin Creek Improvements; 2) manufacturing of the filter and drain materials needed for these dam embankment sections; 3) foundation grouting for the dam; 4) construction of the dam embankment; and, 5) completion of the outlet works including its intake structure, tunnel lining, control building and associated valves and piping.

Outlet Works Concrete Tunnel Lining: Harrison Western, subcontractor for the concrete tunnel lining construction, has completed placement of concrete for the tunnel’s invert and arch sections.  They have also completed placement of the concrete lining in the gate chamber area located near the center of the 1,400-foot long tunnel.  The guard gate and piping within the downstream tunnel has been installed.  The jet flow, sleeve valve, and associated piping were installed during the fall of 2007 in the control house area.

Materials Processing Plant: The materials processing plant was purchased, set up, and operated for the production of the processed sand and gravel filter and drain zones within Ridges Basin Dam.  Dam embankment construction is now complete; and therefore, the plant has been decommissioned and removed from the site.

Outlet Works Control House : Concrete work was begun on the outlet works control house and engine generator house located just outside of the downstream outlet works tunnel portal.  Construction of these two concrete buildings continued through the summer, fall, and winter of 2007, and was completed during the spring/summer of 2008.

Dam Foundation Grouting: Blanket hole and curtain hole grouting has been completed from abutment to abutment for Ridges Basin Dam.  Grouting to be conducted from the outlet works tunnel and gate chamber was completed during the fall of 2007.

Dam Embankment Construction: Upon completion of grouting work on the lowest portions of the dam foundation during mid-summer 2005, dam embankment placing operations were started.  During this first embankment placing season, until freezing weather conditions in November of 2005 stopped the work, WCA was able to place about 30 vertical feet of embankment.  Operations involved placement of the clay core; the sand filter and gravel drain zones of the embankment; the upstream and downstream shell zones composed of sand, gravel and cobble pit run material; and the miscellaneous materials zone used for refilling the excavation upstream of the dam embankment.

Borrow Area B Development: The borrow area has been cleared and completely stripped of topsoil and clay overburden.  The borrow area was used as a source area for the sand, gravel, and cobble dam embankment zone, and as a raw material source for manufacturing the sand, gravel drain, and downstream facing element embankment zones.   This borrow area has also served to supply materials for construction of drop structures in Basin Creek; to supply materials for haul road sub-grades; and as a raw material source for manufacturing haul road gravel surfacing.  With completion of the dam embankment, this borrow area has been graded to flatten steep slopes and topsoil placed for upcoming seeding operation.

Borrow Area A Development: Borrow Area A has been stripped and pre-wetting performed for moisture conditioning. The Borrow Area A is used as a source area for the clay core portion of the dam.  The clay material is selectively excavated from naturally occurring deposits of material with optimum moisture content or wetted to condition the material prior to excavation. As the borrow area is entirely within the reservoir area and eventually inundated, no attempt at restoration will be made.

Other Activities: Construction of Drop Structures 6, 7, and 8 were completed during the 2005-2006 winter.  Construction of the remainder of the drop structures and most of the Basin Creek Improvement work began and was completed in the winter of 2006-2007.  Work has been completed for the Basin Creek Improvements upstream of Drop
Structure 4.  Completion of access roads, gravel surfacing, and dam embankment instrumentation occurred during the spring of 2008.  Reservoir clearing was completed during the summer of 2008.

Construction for Ridges Basin Dam is essentially complete with only minor punch list items remaining to be completed during the next several months.  Filling of the reservoir will commence when the pumping plant is fully functional in the spring of 2009.

During construction, monitoring of the hydrologic conditions within the mitigation area was performed and is complete.  Existing and enhanced conditions were maintained, as well as associated irrigation methods.  Techniques were used to protect and stabilize eroding stream banks.  Degraded channel and floodplain areas were restored. 

Undesirable plant species were eliminated and replaced with desirable species.  Fencing to eliminate negative affects of livestock grazing is complete.  Vegetative conditions were improved in the upland buffers adjoining the riparian habitats.

Construction of physical features for wetland and riparian mitigation are 95 percent complete.  Wetland, riparian, and upland vegetation, as well as wildlife habitat mitigation, development is 100 percent complete.

Completion results are included in the April 2008 Vegetation and Wildlife Mitigation Final Report.

The Mitigation Area has been transferred to Operations and Maintenance status with some punch-list items to be addressed. On-going strategy development for long-term management continues. Reclamation is seeking contracting opportunities for the Colorado Ute Tribes to manage the Animas-La Plata Project Mitigation Area under Public Law 93-638.

In the FY 2007 effort, Reclamation surpassed the 95 percent completion of physical features milestone as set forth in the 2000 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) and the 2003 Wetland/Riparian Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (WMMP). The attainment of this milestone meets the FSEIS and Record of Decision commitment to reach this stage prior to the operation of the Durango Pumping Plant.  Reclamation’s definition of the 95% stage was provided in the 2003 WMMP.

Full Completion Statement : During FY 2007, full mitigation success for wildlife and vegetation in the Mitigation Area was met, as defined in the 2003 WMMP.  All mitigation goals were met or surpassed.

Endangered Species, Migratory Bird Treaty, and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act Compliance: Monitoring of golden eagles in Ridges Basin was terminated upon dam construction completion. Over a four-year period of reservoir filling and post-filling, monitoring will be performed to determine the effects on territory occupancy.

Reclamation is seeking to contract for various monitoring service contracts beginning in 2009.  These include: 1) eagle monitoring in Ridges Basin area; 2) migratory bird monitoring necessary to address Lake Nighthorse first-fill issues; and, 3) Endangered Species Act survey and monitoring for the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline in New Mexico.