The Southern Ute tribe has finally tapped into Animas-La Plata water. Why did it take 60 years?

The Southern Ute tribe has finally tapped into Animas-La Plata water. Why did it take 60 years?

Story first appeared in: SOUTHERN UTE RESERVATION This summer, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe rolled out miles of temporary rubber water lines. The above-ground tubes had one job: carrying water to oil and gas operations on the reservation. But the pipelines also represent something else: a historic moment in a drawn-out, arduous debate over water in southwestern Colorado. In May, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe tapped into its water in the contro…