Planning Report & Environmental Impact

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Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project as the highest-ranked, or best, alternative considering all the factors. When considering only environmental factors, the SJRPNM Alternative also ranked the highest or least environmentally impacting. When considering only capital and annual operation, maintenance, and replacement(OM&R) costs as measured by present worth, the SJRPNM Alternative was least costly assuming Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) power rates. When locally available power rates from the NTUA were used, the NIIP Amarillo Alternative was the least costly. A detailed analysis of environmental impacts associated with the SJRPNM and NIIP Amarillo Alternatives and the No Action Alternative was completed in the environmental impact statement portion of this document. This analysis concluded that the SJRPNM Alternative is the least environmentally impacting alternative in most resources factors. The SJRPNM Alternative has been identified as the preferred alternative considering all the factors and resources evaluated. PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE The SJRPNM Alternative would divert water from the San Juan River downstream of Fruitland,New Mexico,just above the existing Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) diversion structure, treat the water to drinking water standards, and then deliver it along Highway N36 and south to Navajo chapters along U.S. Highway 491. Water would be provided to Window Rock, Arizona, and Crownpoint, New Mexico, through sublaterals. Water delivery would continue to the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock, Arizona, and to the city of Gallup, New Mexico. Another diversion would originate at Cutter Reservoir, an existing regulating reservoir on the NIIP, and would convey water to the eastern portion of the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache Nations. The construction cost of this alternative is estimated to be $716,100,000 (Reclamation, March 2005 cost estimate, table S-2) The annual OM&R costs for the preferred alternative are projected as shown in table S-3. The appraisal-level design and cost estimate was done by Reclamation's Technical Service Center. The design and cost estimate was peer reviewed by an independent engineering consulting firm, Boyle Engineering. Revisions were made to the estimate based on the review, and the contingency factor was increased. This estimate represents what this project could be constructed for at a January 2005 price level. This assumes that no unknown factors were encountered or changes made. S -6