2018 Issue

44 Crossing Borders: 'Engineers Without Borders' Collaborate to Bring More Water to Navajo Mountain By JULIE KELSO I n June 2006 a wildfire on Navajo Mountain destroyed all vegetation resulting in debris and sediment contaminating Beaver Springs, the source of all water for the Navajo Mountain community. Currently, a pipeline 40 miles away in Inscription House, Arizona provides a limit- ed amount of water for household use by the 400 residents of Navajo Mountain. Unfortunately, secondary water - usable for gardening and livestock - is not avail- able. Citizens have to drive miles to haul water back to their community. At a weekly meeting of Engineers Without out borders, Utah State University students discuss design plans for a fill station at Navajo Mountain. A collabora- tion between the engineering firm Jones and DeMille, the Navajo Nation, and Engineers Without Borders are planning new infrastructure that will reestablish Beaver Springs as a usable water-source. “Right now there is not a lot of economic potential," said USU engineering student Justin Pace. "One of the main economic drivers is livestock. If you have to drive just to get to an adequate water supply you’re going to have to take several trips. So we hope to make more economic opportunities for the Navajo Mountain community.” Jones and DeMille engineer Ryan Jolly described how Engineers Without Bor- ders can help bring secondary water to the community. Aerial image of the Navajo Mountain fire in 2006 CREDIT EARTHOBSERVATORY.NASA.GOV Navajo Mountain chapter president Hank Stevens shows Utah State University student group Engineers Without Borders the former water collection site. CREDIT JUSTIN PACE “The focus right now with this proj- ect is to get the locals a fill station, somewhere they can drive their trucks and fill up,” he said. “Throughout the Navajo Nation, the majority of the homes are a mile apart or more so it’s not very feasible to pipe water to each home. We are going to pipe to a central spot so all those residents can come get their water there instead of driving to Arizona.” The Navajo people have a long tra- dition of cultivating crops and live- stock in the desert. Navajo Mountain Chapter President Hank Stevens said a central filling station would radically change life for local residents. “Life actually will change dramatically because commuting to these water collection stands is time-consuming,” he said. “It puts wear-and-tear on the vehicle. Even just the cost of traveling back and forth can be enormous. So when we are able to establish a collec- tion point closer to their homes that will alleviate some hardships. At this point in time, they have to travel to Ari- zona. You know they might be traveling 20 or 30 miles just to retrieve water.” While Navajos live just miles from the Colorado River - one of the largest