BOARD01083

• Board Meeting Date: 5/16/2006
• Description: WSP Section - Upper Colorado River Basin Hydrologic Determination - Availability of Water in the Upper Colorado River Basin
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

WHEREAS, the 1988 Hydrologic Detennination evaluated the availability of
water from the Navajo Reservoir supply for uses in New Mexico through the 2040
planning horizon; and .

WHEREAS, an update and extension to the 1988 Hydrologic Determination is
needed to evaluate the availability of water from the Navajo Reservoir supply through a
2060 planning horizon under the allocation of water made to the State of New Mexico by
the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact for the purpose of furthering Congressional
legislative approval of the Settlement Agreement, the proposed Navajo-GalIup Water
Supply Project, and the proposed Settlement Contract for the Navajo Nation's project
uses in New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Settlement Contract between the United States and the
Navajo Nation would provide for the perpetual water supplies for Navajo Nation uses in
New Mexico under both the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project and the Navajo Indian
Irrigation Project which was authorized by Public Law 87-483, and would supersede the
existing Navajo Reservoir water supply contract for the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project;
and

WHEREAS, the US Bureau of Reclamation has presented to the Upper Colorado
River Commission for its consideration a draft hydrologic determination, dated ,
2006, that concludes: (I) at least _ miIlion acre-feet of water is available annualIy
for use by the Upper Basin, exclusive of reservoir evaporation at Lake PowelI, Flaming
Gorge Reservoir and the Aspinall Unit reservoirs of the Colorado River Storage Project;
and (2) sufficient water is reasonably likely to be available from the Navajo Reservoir .
supply to fulfilI the proposed Settlement Contract for the Navajo Nation's uses in New
Mexico under the Navajo-GalIup Water Supply Project and the Navajo Indian Irrigation
Project, in addition to existing Navajo Reservoir water supply contracts for other uses,
without causing New Mexico to exceed its Upper Colorado River Basin Compact
allocation; and

WHEREAS, the Settlement Agreement provides at subparagraph 9.3.1: ''The
Navajo Nation and the United States agree that the State of New Mexico may administer
in priority water rights in the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico, including rights of
the Navajo Nation, as may be necessary for New Mexico to comply with its obligations
under interstate compacts and other applicable law"; and

WHEREAS, the Upper Colorado River Commission supports water resource
development in the Upper Colorado River Basin to enable the Upper Division States to
fulIy develop their compact apportionments of Colorado River water while meeting
compact obligations relating to the flow of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry; and

WHEREAS, it is the position of the Upper Colorado River Commission and the
Upper Division States that, with the delivery at Lee Ferry of75 million acre-feet of water
in each period often consecutive years, the water supply available in the Colorado River
System below Lee Ferry is sufficient to meet the apportionments to the Lower Basin

.

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