WSP01866

• File Number: 8220.105.LJ
• Description: Navajo Reservoir
• State: NM
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Date: 10/1/1984
• Title: Draft Hydrologic Determination - October 1984 - Water Availibility from Navajo Reservoir and the Upper Colorado River Basin for Use in New Mexico
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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by the Southwest Region. This study estimated agricultural consumptive use of
226.000 a~re-feet. Several other estimates have been made. a 5-year field study
to determine a~tual consumptive use on the project ~as begun in 1978, and a
draft report completed in July 1983. Recent teChnical estimates, reoorted in a
Depart~nt of the Interior ~av 1980 report to OMB, are 254,000 acre-feet :or
agricultural ieplations, In :love!llber 1981. it 'Jas concluded and agreed by
Interior's Assistant SecreGary of Land and ~ater Resources and Assistant Secretary
of Indian Affairs, based on a Solicitor opinion dated July 30, 1980, that the
project's productive acreage should he 110.630 acres, rather than 105,000 acres
which had been assumed in the past.

Correspondingly, the annual depletion estimate has been revised from
254,000 acre-feet to 267,000 aere-feet. This depletion figure is an estimate
based solely on the project's productive acreage and has not yet been tech-
nically verified. This depletion figure will be evaluated for technical
accuracy. Should it be verified that a lower depletion level is required for
eonsUlllpti ve use on the NIIP, then the unalloeated amount of water will be made
available to New Mexieo to allocate in consultation with the Department of the
Intenor.

Jicarilla Apache Indian Uses

The Southwest Region is working on an appraisal study for putting to benefieial
consUlllptive use IIp to Z6,aaa acre-feet of water per year on tile Jicarilla Apache
Indian Reservation. The study is being made under a MemorandUlll of Understanding
between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. in response
to a request fro~ the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission that the Secretary
of the Interior reserve 26,000 acre-feet of water from the San Juan River System
for such use, if found to be economically feasible, Studies to date by tile
Bureau of Reclamation indicate the feasibility of consuming up to 3,000 acre-feet
of water per year for M&I use on the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation. The
Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Reclamation are condueting additional
studies to determine the feasibility of using the balance of the 26,000 acre-feet
of water on the Jicarilla Reservation. Fllrthermore, it is important to note the
Bureau of Indian Affairs is also involved in the preparation of elaims on behalf
of the Tribe in a pending adjudication of the Tribe's reserved water rights in
New :-lexica district court. While it is impossible to predict the total quant:lty
of reserved water rights that may ultimately be adjudicated to the Tri be in this
proceeding, the BIA currently estimates the rribe is entitled to more than
26,000 acre-feet of water under "he Winters' Doctrine.

Navajo Reservoir :iunicipal and Indllstrial Contracts

The following are current water service contracts EoI' Navajo Reservoir:

TABLE 2

NAVAJO RESERVOIR ~ICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL WATER SERVICE CONTRACTS

Contractor

NUlIIbe r of
Acre-feet Annually

Expiration
Date

Public Service Co,
of ~ew Mexico

16,200 depletion
za,zaa diversion

2005