Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act of 2025
Summary
S. 637, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments Act of 2025, would modify an existing water infrastructure project that was authorized in 2009 to address the Navajo Nation's water rights in New Mexico's San Juan Basin. The bill would extend the deadline for completing project facilities from its current date through December 31, 2029, giving the project additional time to finish construction.
The legislation would expand the project's service areas, allowing the Navajo Nation to deliver water to Lupton, Arizona, and establishing criteria for non-project water to reach Navajo communities in Utah. Additionally, the bill would direct the Department of the Interior to place certain lands into trust for the Navajo Nation's benefit and would create two new trust funds—one for the Navajo Nation and one for the Jicarilla Apache Nation—to cover the ongoing operations, maintenance, and replacement costs of project infrastructure.
This bill has been approved by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and is eligible for a floor vote. If enacted, it would help ensure reliable water supply to Native American communities in the Southwest while establishing long-term funding mechanisms for maintaining the water infrastructure.