[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 127 (Monday, July 6, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31973-31975]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-15650]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation


Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply 
Project Planning Report and Final Environmental Impact Statement FES 
09-10.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (as 
amended), Public Law (Pub. L.) 92-199, and the general authority to 
conduct water resources planning under the Reclamation Act of 1902 and 
all acts amendatory thereof and supplementary thereto, the Bureau of 
Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with the Navajo Nation, 
Jicarilla Apache Nation, City of Gallup, State of New Mexico, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Indian Heath Service, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, 
and Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments, has prepared and made 
available to the public a Planning Report and Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (PR/FEIS). This document was undertaken to provide a 
discussion for the (1) Various ways to provide a municipal and 
industrial (M&I) water supply to the Navajo Nation, City of Gallup, and 
Jicarilla Apache Nation; (2) identification of a preferred alternative; 
and (3) associated environmental impacts and costs of the No Action and 
two action alternatives.

ADDRESSES: Requests for copies should be addressed to Mr. Terry Stroh, 
Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 2764 Compass 
Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506; telephone (970) 248-
0608; facsimile (970) 248-0601; e-mail: [email protected]. The PR/FEIS is 
also available on Reclamation's Web site at http://www.usbr.gov/uc/ 
(click on Environmental Documents).
    Copies of the PR/FEIS are available for public review and 
inspection at the following locations:
     Main Interior Building, Natural Resources Library, Room 
1151, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Office Library, Denver 
Federal Center,

[[Page 31974]]

Sixth and Kipling, Building 67, Room 167, Denver, Colorado.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Regional Office, 125 
South State Street, Room 7418, Salt Lake City, Utah.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 835 
East Second Avenue, Durango, Colorado.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 2764 
Compass Drive, Suite 106, Grand Junction, Colorado.
     Bureau of Reclamation, Farmington Construction Office, 220 
Bloomfield Highway, Farmington, New Mexico.

Libraries

     Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library, 501 Cooper Avenue, 
NW., Albuquerque, New Mexico.
     Aztec Public Library, 319 South Ash, Aztec, New Mexico.
     Bloomfield City Library, 333 South First Street, 
Bloomfield, New Mexico.
     Cortez Public Library, 202 N. Park, Cortez, Colorado.
     Din[eacute] College Library, 1228 Yucca Street, Shiprock, 
New Mexico.
     Durango Public Library, 1188 E. 2nd Avenue, Durango, 
Colorado.
     Farmington Public Library, 2101 Farmington Avenue, 
Farmington, New Mexico.
     Fort Lewis College Library, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, 
Colorado.
     Navajo Nation Library, Window Rock, Arizona.
     New Mexico State Library, 1209 Camino Carlos Rey, Santa 
Fe, New Mexico.
     New Mexico State University Library, Las Cruces, New 
Mexico.
     San Juan College Library, 4601 College Boulevard, 
Farmington, New Mexico.
     University of Colorado Libraries, Government Publications, 
1720 Pleasant Street, Boulder, Colorado.
     Zimmerman Library, Government Information Department, 
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stan Powers, Bureau of 
Reclamation, Western Colorado Area Office, 835 East Second Avenue, 
Durango, Colorado 81301; telephone (970) 385-6555; facsimile (970) 385-
6539; e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The PR/FEIS describes the potential 
environmental impacts of constructing, operating, and maintaining a 
water supply system to meet project year 2040 water demands. The 
purpose of the proposed Federal action is to provide a long-term 
supply, treatment, and transmission of M&I water to the eastern portion 
of the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation, and City of Gallup, New 
Mexico. Construction of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project was 
authorized in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 
111-11).
    The PR/FEIS describes and analyzes in detail three alternatives. 
Under the No Action Alternative, it is assumed that M&I water supplies 
and delivery systems would not be constructed on the eastern side of 
the Navajo Nation, for the City of Gallup, or for the southwestern area 
of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. Under the two action alternatives, the 
project would divert a total of 37,764 acre-feet of water per year from 
the San Juan River with a resulting depletion of 35,893 acre-feet, 
based upon the 2040 projected population with a demand rate of 160 
gallons per capita per day.
    Under the San Juan River-Public Service Company of New Mexico (SJR-
PNM) Alternative, the Cutter diversion would require 4,645 acre-feet 
per year with no return flow to the San Juan River. The Public Service 
Company of New Mexico diversion would take the remaining 33,119 acre-
feet of diversion, with an average return flow of 1,871 acre-feet.
    The Navajo Indian Irrigation Project-Amarillo Alternative would 
divert all project water through improved NIIP facilities using both 
Cutter Reservoir and the Amarillo Canal. This alternative also requires 
the construction of a 4,500 acre-foot lined storage pond located near 
the Amarillo Canal.
    The PR/FEIS identifies the SJR-PNM Alternative as the preferred 
alternative. Public Law 111-11 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior 
(Secretary), acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation 
(Commissioner), to design, construct, operate, and maintain the project 
in substantial accordance with the preferred alternative (SJR-PNM) 
described in the Planning Report and Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (PR/DEIS).

Background

    The project area includes portions of the Navajo Nation in 
northwestern New Mexico and northeastern Arizona, and portions of the 
Jicarilla Apache Nation and the City of Gallup, New Mexico. Project 
planning has been intermittent over the past 40 years. A project 
steering committee included representatives from the Navajo Nation, 
Jicarilla Apache Nation, City of Gallup, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Indian Health Service, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, Northwest New 
Mexico Council of Governments, and Reclamation. Funding for the project 
has mostly been through annual congressional write-in funds and cost 
sharing by the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache Nations. The level of the 
analysis (appraisal versus feasibility level work) has been tailored to 
stay within the funds available. The PR/FEIS includes appraisal-level 
alternative designs and cost estimates. The Secretary, acting through 
the Commissioner, is authorized to design, construct, operate, and 
maintain the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project as described in Public 
Law 111-11.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The proposed project is to provide a long-term (year 2040) supply, 
treatment, and transmission of M&I water to the Navajo Nation, 
Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, New Mexico.
    A long-term sustainable water supply is needed for the area to 
support current and future populations. The proposed project will be 
designed to serve a future population of approximately 250,000 people 
by the year 2040. Existing groundwater supplies are dwindling, have 
limited capacity, and are of poor quality. More than 40 percent of 
Navajo households rely on water hauling to meet daily water needs. The 
City of Gallup's groundwater levels have dropped by approximately 200 
feet over the past 10 years and the supply is not expected to meet 
current water demands within the decade. The Jicarilla Apache people 
are currently not able to live and work outside the Town of Dulce on 
the reservation because of a lack of water supply.

Proposed Federal Action

    The proposed project would build facilities to convey a reliable 
M&I water supply from Navajo Reservoir to the eastern section of the 
Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, 
and the City of Gallup, New Mexico. Based upon expected populations in 
the year 2040, the proposed project would serve approximately 203,000 
people in 43 chapters of the Navajo Nation, 1,300 people in the 
Jicarilla Apache Nation, and approximately 47,000 people in the City of 
Gallup.
    The PR/DEIS was issued to the public on March 30, 2007, and a 
Notice of Availability of the draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on March 30, 2007 (72 FR 15159-15161). A 90-day public review 
and comment period for the PR/DEIS ended on June 28, 2007. During the 
public comment period, five public hearings were held. There were 
approximately 280 comments identified from letters and

[[Page 31975]]

public hearings that were addressed for inclusion in the PR/FEIS. Where 
appropriate, revisions were made in response to specific comments.
    No decision will be made on the proposed Federal action until at 
least 30 days after release of the PR/FEIS. After the 30-day waiting 
period, Reclamation will complete a Record of Decision. The Record of 
Decision will state which alternative analyzed in the PR/FEIS will be 
implemented and discuss all factors leading to that decision.

    Dated: June 5, 2009.
Larry Walkoviak,
Regional Director--UC Region.
[FR Doc. E9-15650 Filed 7-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-MN-P