BOARD00519

• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2003
• Description: WSP Section - Navajo Gallup Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

TO: Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Agenda Item 26 - Gallup-Navajo Project
May 19-20, 2003 Board Meeting
Page 4 of 10

STATE OF COLORADO ·

Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denverl Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cw<:b.state.co.us

MEMORANDUM,

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

FROM: Randy Seaholm, Chief, and Water Supply Protection

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

DATE: July 11, 2002

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 15, July 23-24, 2002, Board Meeting-
Water Supply Protection - Colorado River Basin-
Update on Navajo-Gallup Pro.iect in New Mexico

.

Introduction

Staff has been working with the Upper Colorado River Commission and others on
resolving the fundamental issue of the use of Upper Colorado River Basin water in portions of
the Lower Colorado River Basin. We are nearing! what we believe is an agreement among the
states on how to allow this use to occur while' protecting the integrity of the compacts.
Attached hereto is a proposed resolution of the Colorado River Basin States for the Board's
consideration. We have modified the January Board memorandum to reflect changes in the
project and thinking over the last several months. Those changes are in bold type.

Backl!:round

The Navajo Nation, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and
the State of New Mexico, is in the process of developing the Navajo-Gallup Project. NEPA
compliance was initiated in January 2000 and a Rec(lrd of Decision is anticipated in February 2003.
Federal legislation authorizing the project was targeted for introduction in January 2002, but
has not yet occurred.

The Navajo-Gallup Project as originally planhed would divert 37,764 acre-feet\year (AF\YR)
from the San Juan River Basin for domestic and agr\cultural use on Indian lands in New Mexico and .
Arizona and provide a municipal supply for the qty of Gallup (see attached map). The average
annual yield of the San Juan River Basin at the mouth is approximately 2.0 million acre-feet (MAF).

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and. Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning