Thank you for visiting the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Albuquerque Area Office’s scoping website for the Environmental Assessment on the City of Santa Fe’s (City) proposed San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Albuquerque Area Office, is preparing an Environmental Assessment on the City of Santa Fe’s (City) and Santa Fe County’s (County) proposed San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project (Project). The City’s water supply consists of a combination of native surface water from the Santa Fe River, groundwater, and 5,230 acre-feet per year (AFY) of imported San Juan-Chama Project surface water. The County’s water supply consists of surface water from the Rio Grande, and 375 AFY of San Juan-Chama Project surface water. The San Juan-Chama Project is a Reclamation inter-basin water transfer project that supplies water from the greater Colorado River basin to the Rio Grande basin where it is diverted by the City and County at the Buckman Direct Diversion (BDD) and treated at the Buckman Water Treatment Plant for drinking water. Long-term projections of the City and County’s water supply indicate that additional water supplies may be needed to meet demand by as early as the 2030s, and consistently by the 2050s. One of the strategies to meet the projected shortfall is to fully consume San Juan-Chama Project water, 2,200 AFY of which is currently unconsumed and discharged to the Santa Fe River.

The City and County are proposing to construct and operate a pipeline to convey reclaimed San Juan-Chama Project water from the City’s Paseo Real Water Reclamation Facility to discharge directly into the Rio Grande downstream of the BDD intake. To the extent possible, the pipeline and associated facilities would be constructed within the existing utility corridor that passes through lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, State of New Mexico, City of Santa Fe, and private ownership. The proposed Project would not involve native Rio Grande water, and no improvements to the BDD intake structure or water treatment plant are required.

More information can be found in the following project facts sheets: Fact Sheet in English or Fact Sheet in Spanish.

Public Scoping

Reclamation is seeking input from other agencies, interested parties, and the public during a 30-day public scoping period from October 20 to November 19, 2021. During that time Reclamation will accept comments on the resources to be evaluated in the environmental assessment, issues or concerns, and potential alternatives.

Reclamation held two Live Virtual Meetings, one on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time and one on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 10 a.m. to noon Mountain Daylight Time. A brief presentation covering the project was provided followed by a verbal public comment period. You can view a video of each meeting using the links below.

Comments must be submitted by close of business on November 19, 2021 by email to SJCReturnFlowProject@empsi.com or by mail to Bureau of Reclamation, c/o EMPSi, 54½ Lincoln St., Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Reclamation está buscando comentarios de otras agencias, grupos interesados, y el público en general durante un período de contacto con el público de 30 días, del 20 de Octubre al 19 de Noviembre de 2021. Durante este tiempo, Reclamation aceptará comentarios sobre los recursos a evaluar en la Evaluación Ambiental, problemas o inquietudes, y posibles alternativas.

Reclamation celebró dos Live Virtual Meetings, el martes 2 de noviembre de 2021, a partir de las 6:30 p.m. a las 8:30 p.m. y el miércoles 3 de noviembre de 2021, de 10 a.m. a 12 a.m. En las reuniones hubo una breve presentación sobre el Proyecto, seguida de un período de comentario público verbal.

Los comentarios pueden ser en Español en persona durante las dos reuniones virtuales, o por computadora/correo electrónico, o por correo. Los comentarios deben enviarse antes del cierre de negocios del 19 de Noviembre de 2021, por correo electrónico a SJCReturnFlowProject@empsi.com o por correo al Bureau of Reclamation, c/o EMPSi, 541/2 Lincoln St., Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Virtual Public Meetings

Schedule

Scoping Period: October 20 through November 19, 2021

Draft EA for Public Review: February 2022

Final EA: April 2022

For more information, visit the following:

For more information on the San Juan-Chama Return Flow Project Environmental Assessment or to be added to the mailing list, please email SJCReturnFlowProject@empsi.com.

This site is managed and owned by EMPSi acting as contracted agent for the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). No warranty is made by Reclamation for the use of the data for purposes not intended by Reclamation.