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CHAPTER 2
<br />DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES
<br />Tribes may agree to a reallocation of 6,010 acre - feet/year (afy) to the State of Colorado and entities in
<br />New Mexico. A change of that magnitude in the overall allocation of project water may not be
<br />significant to the analysis contained herein (other than cost allocation), since a significant amount of the
<br />expected use of Tribal water would be for regional water needs (e.g., leasing).
<br />Actions which would trigger future NEPA compliance activities when future water uses are implemented
<br />are defined in Sections 2.1.1.1, 2.1.1.2, and 2.1.1.4.
<br />2.1.1.1 Future Water Uses of the Navajo Nation, ALPWCD and SJWC
<br />Based on the August 11, 1998 Administration Proposal for Final Implementation of the Colorado Ute
<br />Water Rights Settlement (Administration Proposal), the Navajo Nation, ALPWCD, and SJWC would
<br />annually receive 30,680 acre -feet (af) (representing 15,340 afy of depletion) of water from the ALP
<br />Project. (Refer to the Glossary for a definition of "diversion" and "depletion" as it applies to this
<br />project.) This represents about one -fourth of the total annual allocations from the ALP Project of
<br />111,965 of (57,100 afy depletion).
<br />As shown in Table 2 -1, the Navajo Nation would receive 4,680 afy (2,340 afy depletion) and would use
<br />it to serve a portion of the M &I requirements of the Shiprock, Cudei, Hogback, Nenahnezad, Upper
<br />Fruitland, San Juan, and Beclaibito Chapters in the Shiprock, New Mexico area. A new water pipeline,
<br />the Navajo Nation Municipal Pipeline (NNMP), is proposed for construction to deliver this water to
<br />these seven Navajo Nation Chapters, replacing the existing pipeline between Farmington and Shiprock.
<br />The 4,680 afy represents about one -half of the future projected M &I requirements of these chapters,
<br />based on a 40 -year projection. The NEPA evaluation of the proposed NNMP is included as part of this
<br />FSEIS (see Section 2.5.3).
<br />The ALPWCD projects growth of M &I water needs in the Durango, Colorado area (Gronning 1994),
<br />based on continued increases of up to 30,000 to 40,000 people in its service area. Water allocations of
<br />5,200 afy (2,600 afy depletions) from the ALP Project would supplement existing water supplies.
<br />Improvements to pumping plants and water treatment facilities and development of additional storage
<br />facilities have been evaluated and would likely be required. Development of the Horse Gulch Reservoir
<br />has been studied by the City of Durango as one specific facility for water storage. Enhancement of water
<br />delivery infrastructures would also be required to serve new residential, commercial, and industrial
<br />sectors. Future development of facilities to serve the City of Durango and other ALPWCD M &I water
<br />users would potentially be the subject of future NEPA complianc cif a federal action were involved
<br />The SJWC has identified water use needs and projected M &I growth in its service area, including the
<br />Cities of Aztec, Bloomfield, and Farmington, New Mexico (Cielo 1995). Under the ALP Project
<br />allocations, the SJWC would receive 20,800 afy (10,400 afy depletion), which would meet a portion of
<br />its projected water needs. The SJWC currently has a number of permitted diversions from the San Juan
<br />and Animas Rivers to supply its M &I requirements. ALP Project water would be similarly diverted from
<br />the Animas and San Juan Rivers, using existing diversion, pumping, and storage facilities. Water could
<br />also be stored in the Navajo Reservoir for SJWC uses. Future development of facilities to serve the
<br />Cities of Aztec, Bloomfield, and Farmington ,and -Ober SJWC water users would potentially be the
<br />subject of future NEPA compliance; if a federal acrion wereii volved.
<br />2 -3 2.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
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