The bill changes rules for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. It allows service to expand to Navajo communities in New Mexico’s Rio San Jose Basin and to Lupton, Arizona. It also permits up to 2,000 acre-feet of non-project water each year to be conveyed to Navajo communities in Utah, subject to settlement terms and other conditions. The bill provides for some project lands to be held in trust for the Navajo Nation, allows certain project construction to be deferred or replaced with agreed alternate facilities, and updates project funding and deadlines. It also sets rules for taxes on project work and adjusts the City’s repayment limit.
Navajo and Jicarilla Apache communities in the project area could be served by expanded or updated water facilities. Utah deliveries would depend on the stated water-rights and implementation requirements. The bill does not guarantee that any particular community will receive water.
The bill authorizes $2.175 billion for the project for fiscal years 2009 through 2029, with adjustments for construction cost changes. It authorizes $37.5 million for project operations, maintenance, and replacement for fiscal years 2009 through 2032, also subject to adjustment. It authorizes $250 million for the Navajo Nation’s operations, maintenance, and replacement trust fund and up to $10 million for the Jicarilla Apache Nation’s fund. It also permits up to $6.25 million of project funds for renewable energy, including up to $1.25 million for hydroelectric power. These are authorizations, not statements of amounts spent.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.