The Animas-La Plata Project (ALP), 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). It provided for a multi-purpose project with a projected water supply of nearly 191,200 acre-feet for irrigation, municipal, and industrial uses. In 1980 the BOR released a Final Environmental Statement for the APL Project. With construction of the ALP Project set to begin in 1980, the Carter Administration suspended the initiation of new public works water projects. In 1986 the Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Final Settlement Agreement was signed. Throughout the 1990s numerous efforts were underway to include: biological assessments, endangered fish recovery program, legal actions, and public meetings. In 2000 Congress authorized a scaled-down version of the project to 120,000 acre feet and the elimination of the irrigation component. From 2001 to 2003 numerous pre-construction activities were undertaken to include: cultural resource mitigation, construction on the inlet conduit pipeline, construction haul roads to facilitate traffic, and project cost updates. In 2003, too, construction of Ridges Basin Dam began. From then to 2007 when the final topping off ceremony occured at the dam, work continued on not only the dam, but the Durango Pumping Plant structure. After more than a half century of planning and work, water began flowing into Lake Nighthorse on May 4, 2009. New county road and recreation planning continues at Lake Nighthorse, with the reservoir expected to fill in 2011. For additional details concerning the Animas-La Plata Project, visit Reclamation's web site at www.usbr.gov/uc.