From The Durango Herald (Dale Rodebaugh):
“Water users have gone far too long without water to sustain their crops,” Udall said at the committee meeting Thursday, at which time he introduced Southern Ute Indian Tribe Chairman Matthew Box. “Individuals who depend on the project have forgone the opportunity to bring idle lands back into production and continue to be good stewards of the land.” Box described to committee members the tribe’s need for irrigation water. He said the tribe would be willing to contribute to the cost of repairs. Udall and fellow Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet introduced Senate Bill S-1264 on June 15, 2009, to rescue the irrigation project from years of neglect and deterioration. S-1264 would allocate $4 million to determine the system’s deficiencies and $10 million annually for six years to fix problems.
The Pine River Indian Irrigation Project, which dates to the late 19th century, distributes 124,000 acre-feet of Pine River water via 175 miles of canals and ditches to 12,000 acres, including 10,000 acres of tribal land, in southern La Plata County.
More San Juan Basin coverage here.