April 16, 2012 - Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Reclamation today has awarded a $10.75 million construction contract for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, setting the stage for construction to begin on the major water infrastructure project this summer. When completed, the project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply to meet the critical needs of more than 43 Navajo chapters; the city of Gallup, New Mexico; and the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Once construction is underway, it is possible that the first water delivery to Navajo communities – where more than 40 percent of Navajo Nation households rely on hauling water to meet their daily need - could occur in two...