MCKINLEY COUNTY WATER FORUM

 

NOTES FROM THE MEETING

 

 

 

 

KEY POINTS:

 

Open Comments

1.       Commissioner Moore gave an introduction and welcomed everybody.  He outlined that the County needs the help of a volunteer to help advise the water future of the County.  He stressed collaboration and partnering, pitching in to get the job done.

 

 

Overview

2.                 Doug Decker, County Manager, explained why the forum had been called and what the County’s needs are.  He relayed the history of the process and the conversation that highlighted the need for a Water Advisory Board.

 

3.                 Larry Winn, Director of MCSWCD, followed up in more detail and explained how the McKinley County Soil and Water Conversation District got involved and who they were.

 

Presentations

a.     Larry Winn then gave an overview on the Gallup Water Town Hall, and stressed the key points of regional collaboration, a strong conversation plan, and securing a new water source for the water future of this area.

 

b.    Larry Winn gave an overview on the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project and its implications with water future for Navajo Chapters and the City of Gallup.  He also discussed briefly the Gallup Regional System.

 

c.     Larry Winn then discussed the Canyon Project and its implications for riparian development and restoration.

 

d.    Barbara Russell, Associate COG Planner, gave an overview on the State Water Plan and the process that took place in framing that document.  The group also was introduced to the Region 6 Water Plan.

 

e.    Larry Winn then described the Rio Puerco Restoration Project and its connections to the water discussion.

 

f.      John Leeper, Director of Navajo Nation Water Management Branch, gave an overview of the Navajo Water Rights Settlement and described the timeline that needs to be followed for things to get done.

Formation of an Advisory Board

4.                 The group then took volunteers to serve on the Water Advisory Board.   There was a conversation on how the group should be representative of the broad-based regional interests and needs.

 

A list of the group includes:

FirstName	LastName	Company
Edward	Wemytewa	Zuni Tribal Council
Rhonda	Berg	Rehoboth-Red Mesa Foundation
Michael	Daly	White Cliffs MDWUA
Loline	Hathaway	Yahtehey Water & Sanitation District
Sherry	Botkin	Thoreau Water & Sanitation
Pauline	McCabe	Manuelito Chapter
Hue	Smith	Whitehorse Lake Chapter
Charley	Long	Thoreau Chapter House
Jonathan	Flannery	Private (Hospitals)
Chuck	Friedman	Indian Health Services
Leonard	Haskie	School District Representative

 

It was also recommended to add a domestic user, a representative of Thoreau, the Office of Environmental Health, and a representative of the School District.

 

Questions

There were many questions raised, especially concerning Navajo- Gallup Water Supply Project and how the Navajo Chapters would tie into the project, in terms of NTUA water systems and how this infrastructure would be realized financially.

 

NOTES BY,

Evan Williams, Associate Planner

NWNMCOG