Summary of Upper Colorado Region Native American Program Highlights in Fiscal Year 2005
Provo Area Office
Aneth Demonstration Landscape
At the boarding school in Aneth, Utah (Four Corners Region), on the Navajo Reservation, Phase I of the demonstration low water use landscaping project was completed. The work included the completion of "talking circles," installation of a sprinkler irrigation system, and planting of xeriscape plants and limited sod. This project is a joint effort of Reclamation, BIA staff, and Utah State University Extension Service. Periodic visits are being made to the school to help insure the sustainability of the project.
Work was begun on the plan for Phase II which will involve further landscaping.
Ute Canal Modernization
Canal automation activities were undertaken on the Uintah Indian Irrigation Project (UIIP) on the Ute Reservation. During FY05, real time monitoring and control sites on the Lake Fork and Uintah Rivers were either installed or upgraded. Canal sites worked on included: U.S. Lake Fork, Red Cap, Henry Jim, Bench and Consolidated. Additionally, the real time information from these sites was integrated into the existing Dushesne River website: www.duchesneriver.org.
A data collection center was installed in BIA office in Ft. Duchesne. This installation, equipped with a DSL line, collects data from the various UIIP sites and transfers it over the Internet to a webserver in the Roosevelt office of the Moon Lake Water Users Association. This project is a joint effort of Reclamation, Duchesne County Water Conservancy District, and BIA.
White Mesa Ute Sole Source Investigation
During FY05, Reclamation provided funding for the conclusion of a sole source water supply protection investigation for the White Mesa Ute (Ute Mountain Ute Tribe). This investigation involves the protection of the groundwater supply for the White Mesa Ute community. The principal threat is from contamination from abandonned Uranium milling activities. The investigation is being accomplished through the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe.
Navajo Mountain Water Supply
A micro filtration unit was purchased for the Rainbow Village water supply system. (The current DE filter only services the schools. The new filter will be easier to operate and treat water going to both the schools and the community.) The filter will treat water from Beaver Springs and bring the system into compliance with State law and better protect Rainbow Village residents. The filter is scheduled to be installed in December 2005. This project is a joint effort of Reclamation, Navajo Department of Water Resources, and Navajo Mountain Water User Association.
A water treatment system for Endichee spring, also on Navajo Mountain, was designed and the environmental clearances obained. This project was to be funded by monies obtained by Richard Dent. This project, however, is on hold pending decisions on how the Navajo Nation and water user association would like to spend the monies (on the big pipeline system or on the Endichee Spring development).
Goshute Watershed Improvement
This project was scheduled to be undertaken during FY05. However, equipment to accomplish the project was not available and work had to be postponned. All environmental clearances have been obtained, and sensitive archeological sites have been marked. This is a joint project of Reclamation, NRCS, and the Goshutes (Ibapah).
During FY05, the Goshutes expressed an interest in improving an existing small orchard development. Because of the isolated nature of the reservation, the orchard is very important. This activity was added to the Provo FY06 budget and looks to be a excellent small scale project which could greatly benefit the Tribe.
Western Colorado Area Office
Jicarilla Apache Nation
The Jicarilla Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, Public Law 102-411, and subsequent 1999 Partial Final Judgment and Decree established the Jicarilla Apache Nation’s right to divert and consumptively use water in the San Juan River Basin in New Mexico. The Nation is currently developing plans to beneficially use the water. One of the first steps in this process is to determine the amount of water that is physically available for use at specific locations. The purpose of the agreement was to provide cost share funding to the Nation through the Jicarilla Apache Utility Authority to conduct investigations and establish stream gauging stations to quantify the amount of water available for use at specific locations on the Reservation.
Under this agreement the Jicarilla Apache Nation, through the Jicarilla Apache Utility Authority, contracted with the United States Geological Survey to install a stream gauging station on the Navajo River near its entrance to the Reservation. Work was completed in FY05.
The Western Colorado Area Office completed NEPA and cultural resources compliance for the activities under this grant agreement.
The Jicarilla Apache Nation (Nation) has successfully completed consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and received a Section 404 permit under the Clean Water Act for construction and operation of a diversion, pumping plant, and pipeline facility to divert up to 12,000 acre-feet of water annually form the Navajo River. A condition for approval of the Section 7 consultation is a requirement for the Nation to construct 5 secure vegetation monitoring sites, 3 downstream and 2 upstream of the proposed diversion site along the Navajo River. An existing fenced area will provide one of the upstream monitoring sites. The sites will be monitored prior to construction and operation of the diversion and for 5 years after operation of the diversion to evaluate the effects the diversion may have on the riparian habitat. Data collected from the monitoring sites will also be used to design streamside restoration project that may be necessary to mitigate adverse effects of the diversion project. This agreement provides cost share funding to the Jicarilla Apache Utility Authority for establishing the monitoring sites. The 5 year monitoring program will be funded and conducted by the Nation.
Under this agreement, the Nation contracted for fencing of the monitoring sits. The Nation will conduct vegetation inventories of the sites and install groundwater monitoring wells at each site. Work was initiated in FY05 and will be completed in FY06.
The Western Colorado Area Office completed NEPA and cultural resources compliance for the activities under this grant agreement.
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
The purpose of this agreement was to provide cost share funding for the rehabilitation and construction of improvements to 3 springs and sealing of the basins of 2 small reservoirs. The spring work included the construction or repair of collection boxes, construction of pipelines to livestock/wildlife tanks, installation of livestock/wildlife tanks, and fencing as necessary. These improvements allow for human consumption of the water without the threat of livestock contamination, water storage for livestock and wildlife eliminating the need to haul water, and reduction of erosion in the area of the springs.
Horseshoe Reservoir and First Lake are small storage reservoirs located in the Ute Mountains. Due to the type of soils in the reservoir areas, the reservoir basins leaked Under this agreement, the reservoir basins were treated with either bentonite or PAM to reduce leakage. Conservation of storage in the reservoirs will eliminate the need to haul water for livestock and provide a source of water for wildlife.
Work under this agreement was completed in FY05
The purpose of this modification was to provide cost share funding for the rehabilitation and construction of improvements at Navajo Spring, a traditional Tribal water source located southeast of Towaoc on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. Work will include replacing the roof on the existing shelter, repair of the collection box, purchase and installation of a hand pump and plumbing, fencing, and seeding for erosion control. Work under this modification was initiated during FY05 and will be completed in FY06.
The Western Colorado Area Office completed NEPA and cultural resources compliance for the activities under the original agreement and the modification.
Ute Mountain Ute Farm and Ranch Enterprise
Pressure Reducing Valves Operational Problems
Amount: $8,000
The Ute Mountain Ute Farm and Ranch Enterprise farms about 7,600 acres of land under center pivots irrigation using Dolores Project water provided as part of the water rights settlement on the Mancos and Dolores Rivers in Colorado. The farm is experiencing operational problems with the pressure reducing valves on about half of the 110 center pivots resulting in uneven water application on the fields. Farm and Ranch Enterprise contracted a consulting engineer to collect data necessary to evaluate the problem and develop alternatives for a solution.
Reclamation personnel from the Technical Service Center and Western Colorado Area Office provided technical assistance to design the data collection program, evaluate the data, and develop alternatives for solutions. Data collection was completed during the 2005 irrigation season and a meeting will be held during January FY06 to develop alternatives for solutions to the problem.
Southern Ute Indian Tribe
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has settled their reserved water rights in Colorado. Since settlement, the Tribe has initiated a comprehensive program to plan the management, development, and conservation of its water resources.
There are over 200 miles of irrigation canals and ditches within the Southern Ute Reservation that carry both Tribal and non-Tribal water. Many of these ditches are associated with Reclamation’s Pine River Project and/or the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project. Most of the canals and ditches are from 70 to over 100 years old and have received minimal maintenance throughout their lifetime. Most of the canals and ditches lose significant amounts of water through leaks and seeps.
Under this agreement, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe hired a consulting engineering company to assist the Water Resources Division to complete a study to locate the leaking/seeping sections of the ditches, quantify the amount of water lost, identify and quantify the irrigable lands that are adversely effected by the leaks, and develop a plan of how best to allocate financial resources for improvements. This study will be completed by January 1, 2006.
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