WSP02462 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Memo to Executive Subcommittee, PSIAC Page 2 September 15, 1981 Special Report - Navajo Indian Irrigation Project Mr. Albert Keller, BIA Supervisory General Engineer for the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, gave a descriptive status report on this project. The NIIP is located in the Farmington, New Mexico area. When completed, this project will have 110,000 acres under sprinkler irrigation. The water supply aspects of the project are handled jointly by the BIA and the USBR. The USBR is responsible for delivery of water from Navajo Dam on the San Jaun River to the project boundaries, and the BIA is handling the distribution and sprinkling system design from that point. Navajo Dam is approximately forty miles from the project area. The project is being constructed in 10,000 acres blocks; five of these are in operation now, and additional blocks are scheduled at a rate of one per year. The total cost of the water system when complete will be $464,000,000. The Navajo Agricultural Products Industry is the operator of the project. The NAPI has entered into a contract with Ball Agricultural Systems (Boulder, Colorado) to manage the project; the twelve Ball employees are the only non-Indians on the project. Major crops are pinto beans, alfalfa, small grains, corn, and wheat. 2pecial Report - USBR Activities Mr. John Brown, USBR Projects Manager, Durango Office, gave a report on activities in the southeastern portion of the Upper Colorado Region. ~lcElmo Creek and Paradox Valley are two units of the Colorado River Water Quality Improvement Program authorized by Public Law 93-320. The purpose of the program is to reduce salinity in the mainstem Colorado River. The Paradox Valley Unit pumps from an aquifer in Paradox Valley brine which would otherwise emerge in the immediate drainage of the Debree River. Deep well injection is the most likely disposal method for the brine. The Paradox Valley Unit is presently under construction. The McElmo Creek Unit is being designed to reduce the salinity impacts of agriculture in the Cortez, Colorado area. The USBR and USDA are working together to produce plans which will include both on-farm and off-farm measures. . Mr. Brown also discussed the Animas-LaPlata Project which will provide 70,000 acre-feet of irrigation water and municipal water to Durango, Aztec, Farmington, Bloomington, and the Navajo Tribe. The project will also furnish industrial water to the Southern Ute Tribe for surface ~oal mining activities. The Glen Canyon Peaking Power Study was also discussed. This appraisal-level analysis should be complete in November 1981. B-8