Luján, Heinrich, Leger Fernández Announce Release of $120 Million in Funding for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian Affairs, announced that the Bureau of Reclamation has expedited the release of $120 million in funding for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project from its Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

This announcement directly follows Senator Luján's questioning during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing last week where he pressed Scott Cameron, the Acting Commissioner of Bureau of Reclamation, regarding the hold up in distributing the $120 million in approved funding through the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

"Ensuring that the Navajo Nation, City of Gallup, and Jicarilla Apache Nation have access to safe, clean, and reliable drinking water is vital for the health and well-being of rural and Tribal communities," said Senator Luján. "This year, I was proud to help raise the cost ceiling in the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund so that the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project could access $120 million in much needed funds. Raising the cap was critical, but the funding was not guaranteed. That is why last week, I pressed the Acting Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation to dedicate that funding immediately. I received a commitment from the Bureau of Reclamation that they would prioritize the project, and today, I am proud to announce that the Bureau of Reclamation has expedited the full $120 million in funding to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. This is a critical step forward, and I remain committed to seeing this project through to completion."

"Dependable water supplies are critical to the long-term health and safety of Tribal communities," said Senator Heinrich, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. "This much-needed $120 million from the Bureau of Reclamation builds on the $55 million I recently secured and got signed into law through my work on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Together, these investments will help deliver clean, reliable water to Tribal communities and the City of Gallup. And I will continue holding the federal government accountable to its trust and treaty obligations and fighting for the resources needed to complete long-overdue water infrastructure projects across New Mexico."

"Too many homes and businesses on the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache Nation still lack indoor plumbing," said Congresswoman Leger Fernández. "Gallup and other communities don't have the water infrastructure they need for their health care, businesses, and residents. This $120 million funding moves us closer to the day when these communities can turn on a tap and trust that water will flow. This happened only because we were able to raise the project's budget ceiling in the FY26 appropriations bill in both the House and Senate. It shows how good relationships and the powerful story of this project make things possible - even in a Congress that sometimes feels broken beyond repair. I'm grateful to my Republican and Democratic colleagues on appropriations for listening to the stories of the people that need the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project."

Background:

Senators Luján and Heinrich and Congresswoman Leger Fernández have long supported efforts to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

Senator Luján introduced the original Navajo-Gallup Water Supply legislation in the House of Representatives when he represented New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District. That original authorization was part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009.

The Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project settled the Navajo Nation's water rights in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and funded the design and construction of the waterline to reach an estimated 250,000 people by the year 2040. Upon completion, the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply from the San Juan River to roughly 43 Chapters on the eastern Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the City of Gallup, which currently rely on a rapidly depleting groundwater supply of poor quality.

In January 2026, Senators Luján and Heinrich secured $55 million to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in the Fiscal Year 2026 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill. Senators Luján and Heinrich and Congresswoman Leger Fernández also raised the project's cost ceiling to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to release $120 million for Fiscal Year 2026 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project through its Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

In July 2025, Senator Luján pressed nominee for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, Billy Kirkland, on commitment to fund and complete the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

In March 2025, Senator Luján passed the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project Amendments out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. The bill amends the Navajo Gallup Water Supply Project to ensure it has the resources and time needed to reach completion to deliver drinking water to northwestern New Mexico communities.

In January 2025, Senators Luján and Heinrich and Congresswoman Leger Fernández announced $120 million for Fiscal Year 2025 for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project using funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Reclamation Water Settlements Fund.

In August 2024, Senators Luján, Heinrich and Congresswoman Leger Fernández welcomed a $267 million Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project contract to design and build the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant in northwest New Mexico. The plant is the largest and most important feature of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.

For more information about the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, click here.

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