MORE ON THE ANIMAS LA PLATA PROJECT

Work is continuing on the construction of the dam, the lake, the pumping station and pipeline. The big concrete buildings along the Animas River that we've watched being built over the last several years are finally getting roofs put on them. The dam is well over 200 feet high and is expected to be finished this year. The pipeline from the Animas River to the lake is buried all the way from the pumping station to as far as the public is allowed to go. The lake should start to fill up in 2009 and it will take two years to fill. There are still some pipelines to be built afterwards delivering water to the Navajo nation down in the Shiprock area.

This will be a large recreational lake and it is being built just south and a little bit west of Durango. If you know our area, it is almost due west of the Office Depot store. The current County Road 211, which starts at Office Depot on the east end, and ends by Trappers Crossing on Wildcat Canyon Road, will be rerouted and rebuilt with its western terminus just west of the entrance to the Rafter J subdivision. The lake will hold approximately 125,000 acre feet of water but to make it easier to understand, it is only 25 surface acres smaller than Vallecito Reservoir north of Bayfield. There will be boating and fishing and swimming allowed on the lake, however the recreational contracts have not yet been let by the Bureau of Reclamation. Homes will not be allowed to be built around the lake.

People interested in acquiring property near the lake or with views of the lake should give me a call as there certainly are some available. We recently listed a five acre parcel that fronts on Wildcat Canyon Road that will be less than one quarter of a mile from the new entrance to the lake. Although this property will not have a view of the lake, it will have a terrific location and is priced at just $189,000. Properties in Shenandoah and Trappers Crossing may offer views of the lake. Whether they can see the lake or not, they certainly will have close proximity to water recreation. Both Shenandoah and Trappers Crossing contain larger parcels of land with a minimum of three acres in Shenandoah and probably seven acres+ in Trappers Crossing. Many high-end homes are in these two subdivisions. For doctors and other emergency service personnel that need to be within 15 minutes of the new Mercy Medical Center, when the new County Road 211 is built it should be pretty easy to get to work on time.

The Animas La Plata Project is certainly going to have an impact on Durango area estate. The $500mil-$600mil already spent has certainly had an impact on a short to mid-term basis, but the long-term effects will be substantial with the addition of a beautiful recreational lake literally at our doorstep. Those in the know are already acquiring property on the west side of town and I'm absolutely certain that in a few years people will be saying to themselves “I wish I would've bought over by the new lake years ago." Please feel free to give me a call now to be happy to let you know about available properties.