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• Board Meeting Date: 1/27/2004
• Description: WSP Section - Navajo Nation Federal Reserved Water Right Settlement with the State of New Mexico
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

. December 5. 2003. Discussion Draft- Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement

Disclaimer. It is expressly understood that the governing bodies or authorities of the proposed
signatories have not approved this draft settlement agreement, including the draft partial final decree,
draft settlement act, draft settlement contract and draft executive summary. The New Mexico Interstate
Stream Commission staff prepared the draft depletion schedule. These draft documents are provided for
discussion purposes only.

SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN IN NEW MEXICO

NAVAJO NATION WATER RIGHTS SETTLEMENT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Representatives of the Navajo Nation and the State of New Mexico have drafted legislation to

authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to construct and operate the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

and to effectuate a proposed Settlement Agreement to resolve the claims of the Navajo Nation to the use

.

of waters of the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico in a manner that would inure to the benefit of the

Navajo Nation and the State of New Mexico. The proposed Settlement Agreement is intended to

provide water rights and associated water development projects, including the Navajo-Gallup Water

Supply Project, for the benefit of the Navajo Nation in exchange for a release of claims to water that

potentially might otherwise displace existing non-Navajo water uses in the Basin in New Mexico. The

proposed Settlement Agreement includes three appendix documents:

(1) a proposed Partial Final Decree for entry in the San Juan River Adjudication setting forth

the rights of the Navajo Nation to use and administer waters ofthe San Juan River Basin

in New Mexico;

(2) a proposed Settlement Act for Congress to authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to

construct and operate the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, to fund the Bureau of

Reclamation to complete and rehabilitate Navajo water projects in the San Juan River

.

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