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The Navajo community of LeChee is located on the Navajo Nation Reservation about four miles south of the city of Page, AZ. Under a contract transferred from Reclamation, the city of Page delivers up to 100,000 gallons of treated water per day to a pumping plant located near the Navajo Reservation boundary. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority owns and operates the pumping plant and pipelines that delivers the treated water to LeChee. Water deliveries often exceed the 100,000 gallons per day contract amount during the summer months.

The U.S. 2000 Census data shows the population of LeChee at 1,890 people, however the Navajo Nation typicaly has an undercount of about five percent. Navajo Nation communities have an average growth rate of 2.48 percent to 2.5 percent. The per capita water use in LeChee is about 45 gallons per day compared to about 300 gallons per day for the city of Page and a national average of about 160 gallons per day. The purpose of this contract is to provide additional water for the population of LeChee to acheive the standard of living that would accompnay an increased water use and to mee the future needs of the community. Future water demand presented in a Summary Report entitled Page-LeChee Water Supply Project Alternatives (2003) were based on a population growth rate of 2.48% per year and a gradual increase in per capita use to the national average by the year 2020. The existing water supply has limited growth and development in LeChee for a number of years. If an adequate water supply is secured for the community under the proposed contract, growth will likely exceed projections.

Reclamation proposes to contract with the Navajo Nation for an additional water supply for the community of LeChee for M&I purposes. The contract will cover a 40 year period, reserve in standby 950 acre-feet annually, and deliver water in 25 acre-feet blocks.