• An off-stream reservoir at Ridges Basin, southwest of Durango, Colorado, to store about 120,000 acre-feet (total capacity) of water pumped from the Animas River.
• A 280 cubic-feet per second capacity pumping plant located south of the center of Durango on the west side of the Animas River across from the downstream end of Durango's Santa Rita Park.
• A buried pipeline that will carry project water from the pumping plant to Lake Nighthorse.
• A buried pipeline to carry water from the Farmington, New Mexico area to the Shiprock, New Mexico area to benefit the Navajo Nation.

Water stored in Lake Nighthorse will be released as necessary back to the Animas River for municipal and industrial users within Colorado and New Mexico. Water could also be pumped from the reservoir and conveyed to rural areas west of Durango, however, necessary facilities to pump and convey the water will have to be provided by others. The reservoir will also include an active pool of approximately 30,000 acre-feet for recreational, fishery, and water quality purposes. Recreation facilities to support public use of the reservoir are expected to also be provided by others.

The nonstructural components of the project are theTribal Resources Funds for use by the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Indian Tribes, respectively, for protection, acquisition, enhancement, or development of natural resources for the benefit of the Tribes and their members. The use of the funds shall be governed by an approved economic development plan provided by each Tribe.

Project Water Supply1

Colorado
Southwestern Colorado will receive 81,760 acre-feet of project municipal and industrial water during an average year:

New Mexico
Northwestern New Mexico will receive 27,040 acre-feet of project municipal and industrial water during an average year:

1Difference between total depletion shown and average annual 57,000 acre-foot depletion  allowed is allowance for evaporation that will occur at Lake Nighthorse

Project Data