BOARD01272

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2002
• Description: WSP Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - Update on Navajo- Gallup Project in New Mexico
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.cQ.us

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

FROM:

Randy Seaholm, Chief, 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 Basiu -
Update ou Navajo-Gallup Project 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.

Back!!: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 Record 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 planned would divert 37,764 acre-feet\year (AF\YR)
from the San Juan River Basin for domestic and agricultural use on Indian lands in New Mexico and
Arizona and provide a municipal supply for the City 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).
Of the estimated 37,764 AF\YR of project diversions, approximately 35,893 AF\YR would be
consumptively used. Of the 37,764 AF\YR of diversions, the City of Gallup would receive 7,500
AF\YR and the Jicarilla Apaches would receive 1,200 AF\YR. The City of Gallup and some of the
Navajo lands in New Mexico are located in the Little Colorado River Basin, a Lower Basin tributary
of the Colorado River. Also, some of the Navajo lands served in New Mexico are located in the Rio
Grande Basin. Navajo lands to be served in Arizona are all located in the Little Colorado River
Basin and would receive 6,411 AF\YR of project water. Recent discussions have been centered