mr. chairman , i rise today to express my support of the house version of the energy and water appropriations act for fiscal year 2006 , and i urge my colleagues to vote in support of this important measure .  i commend chairman hobson and ranking member visclosky for their work on this bill .  i believe it is a good start for addressing our nation 's water infrastructure and energy research needs , especially given the budget constraints .  as a farmer who works the land in colorado 's san luis valley , i know and understand water issues , and i ca n't emphasize how important it is to invest back into local water infrastructure .  without this investment , i fear we will continue to see a decline in the management of this irreplaceable resource -- water is the lifeblood of our rural communities .  the house energy and water appropriations bill would provide $ 29.7 billion for the army corps of engineers , the bureau of reclamation and department of energy , a $ 329 million increase over last year 's funding level .  i am pleased the committee included funding for three important projects which i had requested back in march for the 3rd district of colorado .  first and foremost , the committee included $ 56 million in funding for construction of the animas-la plata project .  this funding level represents a $ 4 million increase over the president 's budget request and comes on the heels of a colorado delegation letter which i spearheaded back in march .  i would also like to thank the committee for the inclusion of language which directs a larger percentage of program funds towards construction , not administrative costs .  completion of the a-lp will provide a much-needed water supply in the southwest corner of our state for both indian and non-indian municipal and industrial purposes .  it will also fulfill the intent of a carefully negotiated settlement agreement in the mid-1980s to ensure the legitimate claims of the two colorado ute tribes could be met without harm to the existing uses of their non-tribal neighbors .  since 2002 , the bureau of reclamation has made much progress , and work has been completed or initiated on many key project features .  this increased funding will allow the bureau to move forward in a way that will ensure timely completion of the a-lp and avoid costly delays .  the fy2006 energy and water appropriations bill also includes $ 315 , 000 for the arkansas river habitat restoration project .  the u.s. army corps of engineers in cooperation with the city of pueblo , colorado has completed 90 percent of the project including fish habitat structures along a 9-mile section of the river below pueblo dam through downtown pueblo .  this funding would be used to complete the project which is an important environmental restoration project for the project .  finally , the committee also provided a $ 1.021 million appropriation for the army corps of engineers to engage in operations and maintenance at trinidad lake , colorado ; this amount represents almost a $ 100 , 000 increase from the fy2005 funding level .  trinidad lake is a multipurpose project for flood control , irrigation and recreation , and was authorized by the 1958 flood control act .  the lake is located in southern colorado on the purgatoire river , and bordered by the historic santa fe trail .  the dam itself is an earthfill structure 6 , 860 feet long and 200 feet high , and constructed with some 8 million cubic yards of earth and rock .  each project is an important part of improving water related infrastructure .  as this bill proceeds through the appropriations process , i will continue the fight to preserve funding for the 3rd district of colorado .  