Planning Report & Environmental Impact

• Contractor Name: Navaho-Gallup Water Supply Project
• Contract Type: Loan
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

Executive Summary
Gallup via diversions from the San Juan River in northern New Mexico. The Navajo
Nation, city of Gallup, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation are part of the project Steering
Committee that assisted in preparation of portions of this document.
Navajo Nation communities and the city of Gallup rely on a rapidly depleting
groundwater supply that is inadequate to meet present needs and anticipated growth.
Other water sources are needed to meet current and future M&1 demands of more than
43 Navajo chapters, including the communities of Fort Defiance and Window Rock in
Arizona, the city of Gallup, and the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
The proposed project would deplete approximately 35,893 acre–feet of water annually
from the San Juan River(Navajo Nation–27,193 acre-feet, Jicarilla Apache Nation–
1,200 acre-feet, city of Gallup–7,500 acre-feet). Based on the expected populations in
the year 2040, the proposed project would serve approximately 203,000 people in
43 chapters in the Navajo Nation, 1,300 people in the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and
approximately 47,000 people in the city of Gallup.
PLANNING PROCESS
•
Project planning has been intermittent over the past 40 years. Drawing from past analysis
and projecting water needs and environmental conditions into the next 40 years have
provided the basis for the planning work described in this report.
A project Steering Committee included representatives from the Navajo and Jicarilla
Apache Nations, city of Gallup, State of New Mexico, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
Indian Health Service (IHS),Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA), Northwest
New Mexico Council of Governments, and Reclamation. The Steering Committee was
formed in the early 1990s to guide the direction of this proposed project,provide
technical analysis, support public involvement,provide political background, and conduct
overall project coordination. Reclamation has provided planning, engineering, and
environmental expertise to this committee.
Funding for project planning has mostly been through annual congressional write-in
funds and cost sharing by the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache Nations and the city of Gallup.
The level of analysis—appraisal verses feasibility level work—has been tailored to stay
within the funds available.
To expedite planning and environmental steps, it was decided that this document would
be a combined PR/DE1S. This document complies with the Economic Principles and
Guidelines for Water and Related Land Resources Implementation Studies (Principles
and Guidelines) and NEPA.
S - 3