Arizona city, tribe reach water deal
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Flagstaff has reached a tentative deal with the Navajo Nation that will allow the city to pump millions of gallons of water a day from a ranch near the reservation.
The agreement, which was reached after months of negotiations, lets the city pump as much as 7 million gallons a day from C-Aquifer, City Manager Kevin Burke said.
If approved by the City Council and Navajo attorney general, the deal will settle all outstanding legal claims between the city and the tribe. As part of the tentative agreement, the Navajo Nation will not file any legal claims related to the city drilling, pumping or delivering water to Flagstaff from Red Gap Ranch, which borders the Navajo Nation.
In February, Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly had threatened to seek an injunction against the city to block the city's plans to start drilling under a state-approved permit.
Burke said that under the deal, the city will be allowed to start drilling six water wells at the ranch 35 miles east of Flagstaff. Although the wells would be drilled, the city is at least a decade away from needing the water .
The city uses between 7 million and 13 million gallons of potable water a day. The extra water is enough to cover the city's needs for an estimated 80 years .
