NAVAJO-GALLUP WATER SUPPLY PROJECT

PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE MEETING NO. 54

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022 9:00 AM

via MICROSOFT TEAMS

SUMMARY

1. Review and approve agenda (Reclamation) - approved

2. Review and approve October 28, 2021 PCC Meeting Summary Handout (Reclamation) - approved

3. Review of PCC Action Item List – Handout (Reclamation) - reviewed

a. AI #175: NTUA to coordinate focus call

b. AI #178: NN to provide letter requesting Reclamation to design and construct Shiprock Connection

4. Other Related Navajo-San Juan NM Settlement Issues (BIA/Navajo Nation) - see slides

a. Conjunctive Groundwater Use Plan 

b. San Juan River Navajo Irrigation Projects

 

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

5. Block 4C-8 (Reclamation) - see slides

 

6. Pumping Plants No. 4 and 7 (Reclamation) - see slides

 

7. Navajo Code Talkers Sublateral (Reaches 12.1/12.2) (Reclamation) - see slides

 

8. Reach 27.10 (Gallup) - see slides

 

SAN JUAN LATERAL- ISSUES / DESIGN UPDATE

9. Value Planning Update

a. Leeper: A number of questions concerning the risk register which may affect the request to congress. We have not 

seen responses to those questions.

Deming: Those are under review.

 

10. San Juan Lateral Intake (aka Reach 1) – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. SJR Intake Pumping Plant Rehab and SJGS Reservoir Modifications

a. Designers on-site 1/26/2022

b. Looking to upgrade the river pumping plant to be capable of handling 71cfs vs 56cfs which is the current 

limit

c. USFWS/SJRIP on-site 1/21/2022

d. Been in discussions with USFWS regarding fish screening options

e. Leaning toward a weir but USFWS was out last week to look and had some ideas/preferences

b. SJGS Land/Facilities Acquisition Update

a. Land Agreement - being finalized

b. Improvements Agreement- will use lands agreement as template

c. Water Conveyance Agreements

i. PNM - Negotiations ongoing and going well

ii. Enchant - In technical meetings

c. NEPA Compliance – Update and Schedule

a. Draft EA for public comment in March 2022

b. Completed EA in May 2022

 

11. Block 2-3 – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. Pumping Plant #1

a. Pumping Plant 1 is expected to be located at the PNM reservoir. Currently finishing investigations of 

potential for pumping plant location south of the river.

b. 30% design review will be sent to project participants in February 2022

c. VE Study planed for March 28-30

d. Review C scheduled for Spring 2023

 

12. SJL Pumping Plants – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. Pumping Plants #2 & #3
a. Spec B was completed on January 14, 2022

b. Solicitation scheduled for April 2022

c. Award in late summer 2022

d. ROW – Application submitted the week of 1/24/2022

 

13. Block 4A-4B – Status/Schedule (Reclamation)

a. Review C was held virtually during the week of December 6, 2021.

b. Reclamation is gathering more field data to complete 100% design of 4B HDD.

c. Solicitation scheduled for August 2022 with Award end of 2022.

d. ROW- Application to be submitted in February 2022

 

14. Reach 27– Status/Schedule (City of Gallup)

a. 27.11 - Awarded, pre-con at beginning of March

b. 27.7b - Increasing from 16" to 18"

c. 27.12 - last reach for the GRS

 

15. Tohlakai Pumping Plant

a. Interim Groundwater Delivery from Twin Lakes Well (City of Gallup)

a. Gallup awaiting repairs at flow control station before beginning water deliveries

b. Pumping Plant #8 – PIN 046 (Reclamation)

a. Complete and ready for signatures

 

16. Reach 14 (Indian Health Service)

a. Reaches 14.1 and 14.2 – Status/Schedule

a. Pre-meeting with USBR completed in Dec 2021 regarding upcoming construction

b. Preparing for construction to begin in late-spring 2022

c. Pre-construction meeting planned in March 2022

b. Reaches 14.6a, 14.7a, 14.8a – Status/Schedule

a. Acquiring ROW, planning on March submission of applications

b. Potential construction in 2023

 

17. BBN9 – Status/Schedule (Navajo Nation/SMA)

a. 8 design submittals for reaches turned in last year to USBR, 6 have been responded to,

b. 2 awaiting responses from USBR

c. Cultural Resources (mitigation plan) contract pending with Navajo Nation

d. 10.1.1 Construction to begin summer 2022

e. 10.1 and 10.1.1 planning, design with USBR funds

f. 10.1 and 10.1.1 construction with State of NM funds

 

CUTTER LATERAL

18. Construction and Commissioning Update (Reclamation/NTUA/Navajo Nation)

a. OM&R Transfer Contract Status Update (WCAO)

b. Reaches 24 – 26 Construction Closeout and JAN Water Delivery

a. Approaching substantial completion on JAN line to Teepee Junction.

c. Area-Wide Optimization Program and Cutter Lateral NMED Sanitary Survey

a. All items in the Sanitary Survey have been addressed and were accepted by NMED

d. Cutter Lateral Completion Ceremony and Commemoration

a. Was targeting April 2022 but likely will be postponed until June 2022

 

WATER TREATMENT

19. Regulatory Issues (Reclamation)

a. SJL Disinfection By-Product Study Update

 

20. San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant (Reclamation)

a. Appraisal Level Treatment Analysis and Recommendation (TSC) - see slides, discussion will be continued 

1/31/2022

b. SJLWTP Stakeholder Project Requirements and SJLWTP Sizing
a. Project Requirements discussed with participants during the 1/21/2022 call

b. Final document will be sent back out to participants for review

c. The SJL Water Quality Basis of Design Flows paper was sent out on 1/18/2022 for review and comments

 

PROJECT WIDE

 

21. Upcoming PINs / Modified PINs (Reclamation)

a. PIN 024.3 – Water Storage Tank Materials – Recommend eliminating bolted steel tanks due to ongoing leaks and 

increased O&M needs on recently installed projects - Discussion will take place 1/31/2022

b. PIN 027.1 – Cutter Turnout Flows – Being updated to add start-up flows - will be ready for signature in the coming 

month

c. PIN 038.1 – In-Tank Chlorination Systems, Water Quality Sampling, Pre-use Monitoring, and Tank Penetrations – 

Will be updated and included in a focus call in Feb 2022

d. PIN 022.4 – Add Startup Flows for SJLWTP – To be updated once WTP Sizing Basis of Design is finalized

e. PIN 034 – SJ Lateral Storage – will be discussed to at the 1/31/2022 focus call

f. PIN 039.1 – SJLWTP Site Selection – to be updated

g. PIN 045 – Reallocation of Funds from Shiprock Connection to other Priority Connections – To be deleted?

a. AI: NN/NTUA to review and consider deletion based on potential amendments

h. PIN 048 – Recognition of Key Individuals - Pat Page - approved by all

 

22. Cultural Resources Compliance – Project-Wide (Reclamation)

a. Workgroup Meetings-Next PA WG Meeting will be held February 8 over Microsoft Teams. 

b. BBN9 Reaches 10.1 , 10.2, and 10.3 - Once additional funds are in place the remote sensing (GPR) will get started 

by SRI.- Still planning a VSV video on the sites going through treatment plan. 

c. The 27.12 CRC is being redone as Cipriano extension was added to this reach – due this week. 

d. 4a and 4b will be the next CRC issued – due May 2022. 

e. 12.1 and 12.2 had cultural compliance completed and CRC issued – need for a short access road came up recently 

and NNHHPD just completed the survey for us saving a huge amount of time and money so we didn’t have to try to 

get a contracting task order in place for that. Much appreciated! 

f. Block 1- 3, SJLWTP - our most recent cultural surveys completed on the new routes. 

 

23. Environmental Compliance – Project-Wide (Reclamation)

a. Ongoing NEPA Projects

a. BBN9 - Draft EA with BIA Navajo for initial review. Reclamation waiting on BIA’s submittal of 

comments before finalizing EA.

b. Pumping Plant 8 - NEPA Sufficiency Review document anticipated. City of Gallup drafting initial 

documents and completing additional biological/cultural surveys.

c. 14.6a/7a/8a - Draft EA being written. Need to incorporate newest alignment changes and project updates 

into document.

d. Lybrook 24.1 - Waiting on cultural surveys to be completed prior to scheduling onsite with BLM and 

starting NEPA process.

e. Reach 1-4B Realignment

i. Biological Assessment - Draft BA submitted and reviewed; in process of finalizing but need a 

final design of PNM intake. The intake design influences the level of potential take of endangered

fish which needs to be calculated in the BA. Take of endangered fish is more of less the crux of 

USFWS consultation on the project. Planning to submit final Biological Assessment and reinitiate 

USFWS consultation in February 2022.

ii. Draft EA - Would like to have Draft EA completed and out for public comment (30 days) in 

March of 2022.

iii. Final EA - Finalization date of EA dependent upon scope of comments received and if they are 

controversial or need to be addressed. Also need other agency consultations completed (e.g. 

USFWS).

b. NGWSP Overall Revegetation Plan - Out for signatures from BIA and Navajo Nation

c. Nesting Birds - Quickly approaching migratory bird and raptor nesting season with multiple projects planned for 

construction during the nesting season (12.1 & 12.2 / 14.1 & 14.2 / 27.11). Reclamation is currently drafting 

contract for nest surveys.

 

24. Power Transmission (Reclamation)

a. San Juan Lateral Status (NTUA)

a. Power to Pumping Plants #4 and #7
b. Power to Block 9-11 Rectifiers

c. Power to Block 4C-8 Rectifiers

d. 115kV Powerline Construction

b. Power Supply Agreements

a. Awaiting comments from CoG

c. Cutter Lateral Renewable Energy Feasibility Study w/NREL (WCAO)

 

25. SCADA/Cybersecurity (Reclamation)

 

26. Budget (Reclamation)

a. FY2022 President’s Request: $56,342,000 (incl. $5,301,000 of O&M funding)

b. NM Cost-Share Update/Status

c. City of Gallup Credit Request Status

d. 2nd Quarter FY2022 Bills

 

27. Design and Procurement Schedule

 

28. Information Sharing / Public Outreach (Reclamation)

a. Quarterly Newsletter

 

29. Action items and assignments (Reclamation)

 

30. Schedule next PCC meeting – April 21, 2022

a. Possible in-person with virtual option