Thursday, Jun 30 2011 8:26AM
Water rights for Navajo tribes in Arizona and New Mexico will be discussed at a series of meetings in Shiprock, Farmington, Aztec and Bloomfield, New Mexico.
Five meetings will be held in northwest New Mexico, to resolve an issue concerning the environmental impact a Navajo water pipeline project would have on the San Juan River, reports say.
In 2009, the Navajo Water Rights Settlement was signed after years of discussion. The agreement stated federal, state and local governments would provide $1.3 billion for the construction of new pipelines across 600,000 acres of Navajo territory in New Mexico and Arizona.
However, the San Juan County Agricultural Water Users Association (SJCWUA) is opposing the deal, stating some Navajo tribes plan to sell the water to other states. Mike Sullivan, SJCWUA president, told the Daily Times that may not leave enough water for non-reservation tribes who rely on water from the basin.
"Our association is opposed to the settlement in its current form. We believe it will do irreparable harm to the basin," he told the newspaper.
New Mexico state engineer John D'Antonio said Navajo tribes wouldn't be able to sell the water, despite Sullivan's claims, and that the pipeline project would create jobs while the system is built.