Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) introduced the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act of 2025. The legislation amends the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to ensure it has the resources and time needed to reach completion to deliver drinking water to northwestern New Mexico communities.
The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project was first authorized as part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which settled the Navajo Nation’s water rights in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and funded the design and construction of the waterline to reach an estimated 250,000 people by the year 2040. Upon completion, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply from the San Juan River to roughly 43 Chapters on the eastern Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, which currently rely on a rapidly depleting groundwater supply of poor quality. Full project completion is planned for 2029. When complete, it will include approximately 300 miles of pipeline, two water treatment plants, 19 pumping plants and multiple water storage tanks.
“Communities in northwest New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation deserve water security and clean drinking water. Our legislation achieves this by funding the completion of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to deliver clean, reliable water to 43 Tribal communities and the City of Gallup. I call on the Senate to quickly take up this legislation and ensure the project can be completed,” said Heinrich.
“Ensuring that the Navajo Nation, City of Gallup, and Jicarilla Apache Nation have access to safe, clean, and reliable drinking water is vital for the health and well-being of rural and Tribal communities,” said Luján, a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.“The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will help provide a reliable, sustainable surface water supply to improve the public health and economic opportunities for the region. I’m proud to lead this bipartisan legislation to move this critical project forward and reduce the financial burden on Tribal and local governments. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this much-needed legislation to help meet the water needs in the San Juan Basin for years to come.”
“Since I was elected to Congress, I have prioritized funding for the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project so we can provide clean, reliable, and affordable water to the Navajo people and surrounding communities in New Mexico. We secured $615 million in funding to move the project forward,” said Leger Fernández. “The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act builds upon this work. We won’t stop until this project is completed because in New Mexico, we know that water sustains us. Sabemos que Agua Es Vida.”
“Water is the lifeblood of the West, and Utahns know that securing a reliable water supply is essential for our communities, our economy, and our way of life,” said Curtis. “I’m proud to join my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation to help ensure the Navajo Nation in Utah have the water they need to thrive.”
The amending legislation makes several important changes:
The Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation, State of New Mexico, and the City of Gallup support the legislation.
Heinrich, Luján and Leger Fernández have long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
Heinrich, Luján and Leger Fernández secured $137 million in 2023 and $164 million in 2024 for the project through the Infrastructure Law toward the total authorized project cost. In August 2024, the N.M. Delegation welcomed a $267 million Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project contract to design and build the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
In January 2025, Heinrich, Luján and Leger Fernández announced $120 million for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project using funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Reclamation Water Settlements Fund. The original version of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act was passed out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in November 2023. However, new legislation is required to authorize additional time and resources to complete the project and for its long-term, sustainable operations and maintenance.
Additionally, the N.M. Delegation recently reintroduced a slate of Tribal water rights settlement bills they are pushing to pass in this Congress.
For more information about the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, click here.
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