Tue. Jan 14th, 2025

Construction workers in an undated 2020 photo, working on the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. The project aims to pipe clean water to the eastern Navajo Nation, the Jicarilla Apache Nation and the City of Gallup from the San Juan river. (Courtesy of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

A project to bring drinking water to Gallup, the Navajo Nation and the Jicarilla Apache Nation received a lifeline of $120 million in federal funding for the next year, but more approvals are needed from U.S. Congress to continue construction in future years.

The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will divert water from the San Juan River to bolster water supplies for about 250,000 in three communities who rely on a rapidly depleting and poor-quality aquifer.

The project has been under construction for more than a decade. It was anticipated to be completed in 2024, but the deadline was extended to 2029 after the parties decided to look at further storage and energy generation.

The U.S. Department of the Interior confirmed it allocated $120 million for the next year for the project, in a letter Sunday.

The water project upholds the federal government’s responsibility to financially assist tribal nations and protect treaty obligations, said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) in a written statement. She sponsored five settlements to end litigation and support water projects with tribal nations last year.

Federal officials had spent up to the maximum amount allocated by Congress earlier last year and faced a shortfall on the Navajo-Gallup water supply project, without further required approval.

In December, U.S. lawmakers passed the continuing resolution, which allows the government to operate until mid-March. The temporary spending bill included a line allowing the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to spend up to $1.6 billion on Northwestern New Mexico water projects, nearly double from the previous $870 million cap.

“We worked hard to raise the funding ceiling for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in the contentious end of year funding fight because we knew this $120 million would get us a step closer to delivering clean, reliable water to communities on the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation, and across northwestern New Mexico,” Ledger Fernández said, adding that she would fight for continued funding for infrastructure projects.

A proposed settlement sponsored by Leger Fernández last year requested $725 million to finish the project, putting the total bill to $2.1 billion.

The six settlements with tribal communities over New Mexico water rights proceeded through a crucial committee hearing, but were not passed this congressional session.

Details on the U.S. House proposals to resolve tribal water rights settlements in NM

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s office did not respond to an email requesting comment before deadline.

Nygren has appeared before U.S. lawmakers multiple times emphasizing the importance of the project, and celebrated the additional funding in stopgap spending bill in a December social media post.

“Securing funding for the Navajo-Gallup project has been a top priority for us,” Nygren wrote. “We needed to extend its timeline to ensure this water project serves our communities without interruption.”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.