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header image: Animas-La Plata Project

 

photo: Ridges Basin Dam
Ridges Basin Dam

The Animas-La Plata Project located in La Plata and Montezuma Counties in southwestern Colorado and in San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico, was authorized by the Colorado River Basin Project Act of September 30, 1968 (Public Law 84-485).In 1988, it was incorporated into the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act. The Colorado Ute Settlement Act Amendments of 2000 provide for implementation and completion of the project. Approval to begin construction was granted in October 2001 and initial site work began in April 2002.

Lake Nighthorse began filling on May 4, 2009, and filled for the first time on June 29, 2011. The maximum water surface elevation of 6,882 feet equates to 123,541 acre-feet in storage. The Colorado project features were transferred from construction status to operation and maintenance status in March 2013. Work on completion of the transfer stipulations is continuing. An operation and maintenance contract has been signed with the Animas-La Plata Operations, Maintenance and Replacement Association that allows project sponsors to operate Colorado project features.

Lake Nighthorse Recreation

photo: Construction at Lake Nighthorse
View of the proposed temporary office and decontamination
equipment storage location.

Reclamation's Western Colorado Area Office released the Finding of No Significant Impact and final Environmental Assessment for the Lake Nighthorse Recreation Plan on Monday, December 19, 2016. The selected alternative is the 2014 Recreation Plan proposed by the City of Durango. The 2014 Recreation Plan recommends implementing a small-scale, staged approach to the development of recreational opportunities and facilities, while protecting water quality, cultural resources, and the primary purposes of Lake Nighthorse.

Recreation development will include: public restrooms, an overflow parking area for the boat ramp, access road improvements, and development of a courtesy dock system at the boat ramp. Recreation activities will be day use only and include: canoeing, kayaking, rowing, sculling, and stand-up-paddle boarding; swimming and scuba diving; and fishing. Motorized boating would be allowed, however, the lake will be closed to all motorized boating from late fall to late spring. The 2014 Recreation Plan and other information is available at: http://www.durangogov.org/index.aspx?nid=647

The WCAO is currently in the process of negotiating a new Programmatic Agreement (PA) with the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office that will cover Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act compliance for the ongoing operations and maintenance of the Animas La-Plata Project, as well as for the recreation plan. Interested parties are being invited to participate in the development of this document. When enacted this PA will replace the PA that was originally developed for the construction of the project. The WCAO is conducting tribal consultations with 25 tribes on the cultural resource management plan and PA for the area. Work continues on a recreation lease and annexation agreement with the City of Durango.

Construction Update

photo: Construction at Lake Nighthorse
View of subgrade in parking area being prepared for pavement section.
  • The Bureau of Reclamation is contracting with Weeminuche Construction Authority, a Ute Mountain Ute Tribe construction company for surveying and construction of the Lake Nighthorse boat inspection and decontamination station. The station will be located off County Road 210 at the entrance of the Lake Nighthorse recreation area. The purpose of the station is to prevent aquatic invasive species from being introduced into Lake Nighthorse. Concrete and asphalt work will be finished in spring 2017.

    After construction is completed the area will remain closed to all public access. This is necessary until a recreation management entity is identified and appropriate recreation facilities are built to provide for public safety and protect resources from damage due to uncontrolled use.

  • Construction is underway on the La Plata West Water Authority’s 4.6 mile long water pipeline from Lake Nighthorse to Lake Durango. The purpose of the water pipeline is to meet the current and future needs for domestic water supply in western La Plata County. For more information about the project visit: www.lpwwa.org.

 

 

 

Last updated: December 19, 2016