WSP08437

• File Number: 8220.105.LJ
• Description: Navajo Reservoir
• State: NM
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Date: 12/1/1983
• Title: Draft Hydrologic Determination - December 1983 - Water Availibility from Navajo Reservoir and the Upper Colorado River Basin for Use in New Mexico
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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possibly be fully depreciated by the year 2005. Therefore, in order that: (1)

UII can use the water in an energy project; (2) the United States can realize

significant repayment toward the investment costs of the Colorado River Storage

Project; and (3) Other competing users can more fully utilize the remaining

interim supplies in Navajo Reservoir, the State of New Mexico has requested the

availability of tbe Navajo Reservoir water supply be certified past the year

200S.

III. Hydrologic Investigation

The Department of Interior's present position on water availability in the Upper

Basin is that for planning purposes, it will be assumed that up to 5.8 MAP of

water can be safely depleted annually in the Upper Basin. This number was

derived from three assumptions: (1) the lowest 34-year period of natural

runoff; (2) tolerable shortages to irrigated agriculture; and (3) delivery of

half the Mexican Treaty commitment from the Upper Basin.

As to water use in the Upper Basin, subsection (b) of Article III of the Upper

Colorado River Basin Compact permits New Mexico or any other Upper Basin State

to use waters in excess of its percentage allotment, provided such excess use

does not prohibit any of the remaining Scates from utilizing its respective

allotment. Thus the availability of Nsvajo Reservoir water for municipal and

industrial purposes in New Mexico extended beyond the year 2005 depends upon the

extent of water use in the entire Upper Basin beyond 2005 as well as upon th~

physical availability of water in Navajo Reservoir.

To avoid a critical compact interpretation, we assume that the Upper Basin will

be obligated to deliver 75 MAP of water every 10 years at Lee Ferry, plus

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