2018 Issue

45 Aerial image of the Navajo Mountain fire in 2006 CREDIT EARTHOBSERVATORY.NASA.GOV freshwater resources in the U.S. - it remains inaccessible as a secondary water source. Ryan Jolly spoke of the chal- lenges associated with harnessing water in such a remote region. “It’s the desert - there’s just not a lot of water,” Jolly said. “It’s funny because the Navajo have a lot of water resourc- es in the Colorado River and there is just no way to get it up to the community. It’s a long way, four or five miles plus several hundred feet in elevation – it’s really deep! It’s an in- credible area that many people will never see in their lives. It’s beautiful down there but it’s just so remote that no one ever goes there” said Jolly. In addition to water for citizens, more water means new infrastructure projects that previously, construction compa- nies would have considered impossible without access to reliable water. Hank Stevens acknowledged working with Engineers With- out Borders has helped accelerate much-needed water projects. “The only thing I can say is without them we wouldn’t be doing some of the projects that we are doing out here,” he said. “Some of the infrastructures, which are a main focal part of our community were made possible. Also, the potential to reacquaint our community with some of our ancestral corn fields and orchards that were implemented back in the late 1800s.” With so little precipitation in the area, it seems impossible that crops were once grown in the high desert, but by re- pairing old infrastructure, Stevens sees a brighter future. “Some of the water systems that were being used for our croplands were in existence back then. Now there is a new generation, we need to improve on that, make it more usable. We can store it, we can turn the valve on when we need to, and save some of that water,” Stevens said. Increased wildfire safety, self-sustaining agriculture, and more infrastructures are just the beginning of what second- ary water can provide for the people of Navajo Mountain. The UPR Original Series “Crossing Borders” is a yearlong storytelling project between UPR and the USU Office of Global Engagement - providing services for international students and scholars; and facilitating study abroad oppor- tunities for students and faculty. Details can be found at https://globalengagement.usu.edu/ 801-569-1315 www.MEIamerica.com Land Surveying Civil Engineering Right-of-Way Transportation GIS Mapping LiDAR