Albuquerque, N.M. - The Bureau of Reclamation released its draft Environmental Impact Statement today for the Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System. The draft EIS analyzes potential environmental impacts of five alternatives for planning, designing and constructing the regional water system in the Pojoaque Basin of north-central New Mexico. A 45-day public comment period is open from January 13 to Feb. 27, 2017.
The Pojoaque Basin Regional Water System is part of the Aamodt Settlement Agreement and was authorized by Congress under the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-291). It will divert water from the Rio Grande and will include water treatment facilities on the Pueblo de San Ildefonso along with storage tanks, transmission and distribution pipelines and well fields to supply up to 4,000 acre-feet of water annually. When complete, the system will provide reliable, safe drinking water to the four Pueblos and other Santa Fe County customers in the Pojoaque Basin.
Reclamation prepared the draft EIS in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Indian Health Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the four Settlement Pueblos (San Ildefonso, Pojoaque, Nambé, and Tesuque), New Mexico Department of Transportation, Santa Fe County, and the City of Santa Fe. The draft EIS analyzes key resource topics, such as surface and ground water, vegetation, wetlands and floodplains, cultural resources, socioeconomic resources and air quality. It lists potential mitigation measures to lessen or eliminate possible negative project-related effects on those resources
Reclamation will host four public meetings; one each in Pojoaque, Tesuque, Nambé, and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The public is encouraged to attend one of the draft EIS public meetings to learn more about the project, visit with project staff, view maps, ask questions and submit comments. Reclamation, State, County and Tribal subject matter experts will be available to answer questions about the details of the draft EIS. The meetings are scheduled as follows:
• Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Pojoaque Valley High School Gymnasium, 1574 NM-502
• Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Tesuque Elementary School Gymnasium, 1555 Bishops Lodge Road
• Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Nambé Community Center, 180 A SR 503
• Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Santa Fe Community College, Jemez Room, 6401 Richards Avenue
The draft EIS is available on the project website, www.PojoaqueBasinEIS.com. Printed copies are available at:
• Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office - 555 Broadway NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM
• Santa Fe County Pojoaque Satellite Office - 5 West Gutierrez, Suite 9, Pojoaque (in the Pojoaque Pueblo Plaza)
• Natural Resources Library, U.S. Department of the Interior - 1849 C Street NW, Main Interior Building, Washington, DC
Comments may be submitted in person at the public meetings; by fax to 505-462-3797; by email to PojoaqueBasinEIS@usbr.gov; through the project website at www.PojoaqueBasinEIS.com; or by US mail to Sarah Branum, Bureau of Reclamation, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE, ALB-115, Albuquerque, NM 87102. All comments must be submitted or postmarked on or before Feb. 27, 2017. For more information about the draft EIS, visit www.PojoaqueBasinEIS.com.
The draft EIS was prepared in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
Source: Bureau of Reclamation
