Reclamation's Western Colorado Area Office announced today the release of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Planning Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The PR/FEIS provides a discussion of various ways to provide a long-term municipal and industrial (M&I) water supply to the Navajo Nation, city of Gallup, and Jicarilla Apache Nation in New Mexico and Arizona. The PR/FEIS evaluates potential environmental impacts and costs for two action alternatives compared to a No-Action Alternative.

The PR/FEIS identifies a preferred alternative that diverts a total of 37,764 acre-feet of water per year from the San Juan River basin with a resulting depletion of 35,893 acre-feet. This would meet the needs of projected population increases through the year 2040 with a use of 160 gallons per capita per day. The PNM Alternative diversion on the San Juan River would take 33,119 acre-feet of the diversion, with an average return flow of 1,871 acre-feet and provide M&I water supplies for the Navajo Nation and the city of Gallup. An additional Cutter Reservoir diversion would divert 4,645 acre-feet per year with no return flow to the San Juan River to provide M&I water supplies for the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project PR/FEIS is available on Reclamation's web site or call Stan Powers at 970-385-6555 or Terry Stroh at 970-248-0608 to have a paper copy or CD mailed to you.