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,';' 0001176 . ", \ ,,~::.... t\'tXP' ~:".;_~<, -,.' ,,"'. ~ , WATER SUPPLY FOR THE SAN JUAN-CHAMA RECLAMA- TION PROJECT AND THE NAVAJO INDIAN IRRIGATION' PROJECT COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, UNITED STATES, Washington, D.o', May 29,1961. Memorandum to: Hon.Wayne N. Aspinall, chairman. From: Sidney L. McFarland, engineering consultant. Subject: Watersupply for the San Juan-Chama Reclamation Project and the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project. P~rsuant to your request, I have examined the matter of the water supply for the San Juan-Chama reclamation project and the Navajo Indian irrigation project. The objective of this study was to deter- mine the availability of water for these two projects and for the pro- posed Animas-La Plata: project, and indicate the approximate amount that may be expected to be available in the San Juan Basin for future. use. My investigation, involved an analysis of the testimony given the committee and the operation studies referred to in the hearings as well as an analysis of additional studies and data furnished by the Bureau and others at my request, My conclusions are summarized at the end of this report. My study is divided into two parts: First, I examined the water situation for the entire upper Colorado River Basin to determine the amount of water which New Mexico might expect to be entitled to under the Colorado River compact and the upper Colorado River compact, Second, I studied the flows and the proposed operations /' , of the San Juan River with storage available in the Navajo Reservoir to determine (1) the physical a vailabili ty of water to supply the require- ments of the existing and authorized developments in the basin, thl} proposed Navajo, San Juan-Chama (initial phase), and the Animas- La Plata projects; and (2) whether the proposed uses in New Mexico were within New Mexico's entitlement, NEW MEXICO'S ENTITLEMENT TO WATER New Mexico's position Mr. S. K Reynolds, State engineer for New Mexico, testified that, jp his opinion, New Mexico's entitlement to water from the Colorado River Basin would amount to nt least 838,000 acre-feet per year measured in terms of depletion at points of use (11.25 percent of 7,5 million acre-feet less 50,000 acre-feet). The figure of 838,000 acre-feet is also used by the Depnrtment of the Interior for planning purposes. It compares with 804,000 acre-feet depletion at Lee Ferry resulting from the water supply study prepnred by Mr. Reynolds and filed with the committee during the hearings in May 1960 by Mr, John Bliss, and which appears on pages 80 and 81 of the printed hearings (Serial No. 22, 86th Cong.). Mr. Reynolds points out that depletion 1