WSP03532

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - BOR - Upper Colorado Region - Salt Lake City
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 11/30/1977
• Author: BOR
• Title: Availability of Water for Contract with El Paso Natural Gas Company Pursuant to Section 11 of the Act of June 13 1962
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

001666

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The pertinent concern with respect to certification of availability of

water for El Paso, so far as potential permanent allotments to Indians

are concerned, is whether or not permanent allotments of water to the

Jicarilla, Southern Ute, or Ute Mountain Ute Indians, or additional

development of water by the Navajo Indians not contemplated in the

Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, if they should occur, could possibly be

translated to consumptive use in sufficient quantities by 2005 to impair

the El Paso diversion. Because of the complexities of the engineering,

economic, political, and environmental factors involved, we believe it

is more likely that such an action would retard rather than accelerate

depletions to the river system.

The determination of the availability of water ~,der long-term water

service contracts for M&I uses from Navajo Reservoir as originally

estimated in 1963 and as reaffirmed and reported to the Congress on

November 21, 1967, which resulted in the enactment of Senate Joint

Resolution 123 on March 22, 1968, has not changed significantly. We

hereby determine that sufficient water is reasonably likely to be

available under the provisions of section 11 of the Act of June 13,

1962, to fulfill contracts that involve wate, depletions up to 100,000
acre-feet annually through year 2005.

The proposed contract with El Paso Natural Gas Company would increase

the long-term contract commitments for delivery of M&I water from

Navajo Reservoir through year 2005 by 15,000 acre-feet to a total of

66,550 acre-feet annually as shown on the following page.

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