Navajo–Gallup Water Supply 

Project Newsletter

If you would like to learn more visit our website at 

https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/navajo-gallup/.

2nd Quarter, January 2021

Faces of NGWSP

Yateeh, my name is Bert Sandoval, I 

am currently the Navajo Nation Water 

Rights Commissioner for the Shiprock 

Agency. As a young man back in 

1975, I had the opportunity to attend 

a meeting at Nenahnezad Chapter to 

hear Senator Pete Domenici speak. 

As I recall, he mentioned water for 

the Navajo Nation and the City 

of Gallup, and here we are. Move 

forward 35 years to 2010, one of my 

first functions as a Commissioner was 

to attend a meeting at the Nenahnezad 

Chapter. The discussion focused on 

the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply 

Project.

Originally, I am from Dzilth-Na-ODith-Hle area. I herded sheep and 

participated in traditional ceremonies, 

as a Veteran, on top of DZ mountain. 

Many thanks to Reclamation for 

letting us participate in our traditional 

blessings for our Navajo people to 

be happy, with strong mental health, 

and spiritual well-being from our 

prayers of blessing throughout the 

construction of this project. We all 

have learned a lot on the NGWSP 

tours, to see and touch equipment that 

will be moving the Nation’s water. 

I am forever thankful for all who 

participated in bringing water to the 

Navajo Nation, all I can say is Ahe’ 

hee’

Commissioner Burman Inspects Cutter Lateral

By Pat Page and Bart Deming, Bureau of Reclamation

On October 19, 2020, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman visited 

the Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant to commemorate the completion of plant 

construction and the beginning of the testing and commissioning phase of the 

Cutter Lateral. The water treatment plant can now treat a peak flow of 3.5 million 

gallons per day and has the capability to be expanded to treat 5.4 million gallons per 

day, sufficient to allow for economic growth and meet water needs decades into the 

future.

The Commissioner 

participated in an 

inspection of the 

water treatment 

plant with Project 

partners, including 

Navajo Nation 

President Jonathan 

Nez and City of 

Gallup Mayor 

Louis Bonaguidi. 

Other attendees 

included members 

of the New Mexico 

Interstate Stream 

Commission, as 

well as staff from 

Reclamation, 

Navajo Nation, City of Gallup, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, and Jacobs 

(Reclamation’s Design-Build Contractor for the water treatment plant).

In her remarks to the Project partners, Commissioner Burman noted that “this 

collaboration of federal, tribal, state, and local entities is truly an outstanding 

example of what we can accomplish together”.

The visit coincided with the beginning of the introduction of drinking water, treated 

by the Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant, into the Cutter Lateral and to the first 

two public water systems connected to the Lateral, Dzilth-Nah-O-Dith-Hle and 

Carson/Huerfano.

“We couldn’t be more proud that construction is finished on the Cutter Lateral 

and that water should be flowing very soon...To know that there can be a clean, 

reliable water supply is so important for health. It’s so important for safety. It’s 

overwhelmingly important for building a strong economy on the Navajo Nation,” 

Commissioner Burman said.

This represents a major milestone in the long history of the Project and marks 

another important step forward towards meeting the Federal Government’s 

obligation of completing the Project.

Commissioner Brenda Burman and Navajo Nation President 

Jonathan Nez touring the Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant
Navajo–Gallup Water Supply 

Project Newsletter

If you would like to learn more visit our website at 

https://www.usbr.gov/uc/progact/navajo-gallup/.

2nd Quarter, January 2021

By Eric Creeden, Biologist, Bureau of Reclamation

The Southwest Conservation Corps Ancestral Lands Program is assisting the Bureau of Reclamation with the enhancement of 

a large wetland and riparian area below Cutter Reservoir. The project mitigates the loss of wetlands that occurred during the 

construction of Reach 22a on the Cutter Lateral of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. Goals of the project are to eradicate 

woody invasive species in upper Cutter Canyon, increase native species diversity, and improve wetland and riparian habitat.

The Ancestral Lands Program engages Native American youth and young adults in meaningful conservation projects on Native 

Lands. For this project, a Navajo crew removed salt cedar and Russian olive from approximately 20 acres of riparian forest. The 

crew planted 150 eastern cottonwoods, 200 clumps of coyote willow, and 10 clumps of Gooding’s willow within the project area, 

and constructed a fence around a small wetland.

Reclamation is appreciative of the hard work by the Ancestral Lands crew, comprised of Toby Showa, Latrell McCray, Nolson 

Scott, Tierney Begay, Patrick Billie, Kevin Ashley, and Michellsey Benally, who worked under challenging conditions, tolerated 

countless Russian olive thorns, and spent many hours behind chainsaws to deliver a successful project. Their efforts are helping 

Reclamation meet its environmental commitments on the Cutter Lateral. For more information on the Ancestral Lands Program, 

visit https://sccorps.org/ancestrallands.

Cutter Lateral Wetlands Enhancement Project

NGWSP Construction Update 

By Bart Deming, PE – Bureau of Reclamation

Reclamation and our project partners continue to make substantial progress towards the completion of the Project. Construction 

on the Cutter Lateral is complete, with the exception of just a few community connections, and many miles of pipeline 

construction have been completed in the last year on the San Juan Lateral. 

● Construction was completed on the Cutter Lateral in October 

2020 and the first water deliveries were made from the 

Cutter Lateral Water Treatment Plant to NTUA community 

water systems in Dzilth-Na-O-Dith-Hle and Carson/Huerfano 

in November. NTUA plans on continuing to systematically 

introduce water from the water treatment plant to other 

community systems along the Cutter Lateral with Nageezi and 

Counselor scheduled later this winter and Torreon, Pueblo 

Pintado, and Whitehorse Lake in the spring of 2021.

● Construction is continuing on the Jicarilla Apache Turnout 

connection with water deliveries planned to begin later in 2021.

● Reach 27.10 is under construction within the Gallup Regional 

System with completion scheduled for summer 2021. Reach 27.11 

is being planned for a construction start by summer 2021.

● Construction on Block 9-11 between Twin Lakes and Naschitti is 

complete and the contractor is in the process of final cleanup.

● Block 4C-8 construction between Naschitti and Little Water is 

nearing the 50% completion milestone and is scheduled to be 

complete in late winter 2022.

● Construction is scheduled to begin on the Tooh Haltsooi 

Pumping Plant near the community of Sheep Springs and 

the Bahastl’ah Pumping Plant near the communities of Twin 

Lakes and Coyote Canyon in January 2021 with a scheduled 

completion in 2023.

Cutter Lateral San Juan Lateral

Ancestral Lands Program crew members Woody invasive slash piling and removal Cottonwood and willow staging prior to 

planting