Reclamation's Western Colorado Area Office announced today that it will begin negotiations with the Florida Water Conservancy District (District) on a water service contract that will enable the District to utilize a limited amount of water stored in Lemon Reservoir for augmentation plans. The water for this use comes from the water rights acquired with the land inundated by Lemon Reservoir and is in addition to the project irrigation water supply. This water is currently decreed for use in plans of augmentation. The water service contract will establish the terms and conditions for the utilization of up to 114 acre feet of water for these purposes.

The first negotiation meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 9, 2008, at 7:00 P.M. at the La Plata County Fairgrounds Extension Building, 2500 Main Avenue, Durango, Colorado.

All negotiations are open to the public, and the public will have the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments pertaining to the contract at the end of the negotiation session. The proposed contract and other pertinent documents will be available at the negotiation meeting. These documents can also be obtained on our Website or by contacting Ryan Randol with the Bureau of Reclamation at: 835 East Second Avenue, Suite 300, Durango, Colorado, 81301, telephone (970) 385-6531 or e-mail at rrandol@uc.usbr.gov.