Chapters mixed on opening canals

Posted by Navajo Times | Aug 27, 2015 | News |

By Cindy Yurth and Sunnie Clahchischiligi
Navajo Times

SHIPROCK

Some irrigation canals from the San Juan River could open this week if President Russell Begaye accepts a resolution from a coalition of four chapters affected by the closure of the canals.

The District 13 Council, comprised of officials from Tiis Tsoh Sikaad, San Juan, Upper Fruitland and Nenahnezad chapters, on Tuesday passed a resolution lifting the state of emergency that was declared after an Aug. 5 chemical spill upriver and asking Begaye to immediately release water from the river.

The release would only affect those four chapters, as they are on a separate irrigation system from the other chapters along the San Juan, according to a press release from the Office of the Navajo Nation Speaker. Individual farmers who don’t want to use the water have the option to leave their irrigation gates closed.

As of press time Wednesday, two days after the deadline imposed by President Russell Begaye for affected chapters to vote on whether or not they wanted to open them, all the canals remained closed.

Paul Long Jr with the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources tops of a 55-gallon barrel with non-potable water Thursday in Shiprock, N.M. Residents living along the San Juan River who’ve been affected by the Aug. 5 toxic water spill don’t have access to the river since the Navajo tribal government shut down access to it until further notice. (Times photo – Donovan Quintero)

Only Shiprock Chapter had held a vote, voting 104-0-11 to keep the canals closed. However, the District 13 officials had met with the Navajo Nation Council’s Resource and Development Committee Tuesday and, after voicing their concerns about the lack of water, passed the resolution.