In this Section
Issues > Water Main Page > All Water Documents
Drawdown
An Update on Groundwater Mining on Black Mesa
For more than 40 years, Peabody Western Coal Company has been draining billions of gallons of potable, pristine groundwater from an aquifer under the Black Mesa plateau in Arizona -- water that serves as the primary source of drinking water for the area's Hopi and Navajo residents. In 2000, NRDC published an assessment of the damage caused by this groundwater mining and determined that the Navajo aquifer showed signs of serious decline after years of pumping by Peabody. This 2006 update to the original report concludes that material damage is still present in Black Mesa and that the aquifer shows signs of continuing damage and deterioration. NRDC also considers the role of the federal government in addressing the damage and recommends actions that would help conserve Black Mesa's water supply.
FULL ISSUE PAPER IN PDF
Adobe Acrobat file (239 KB)
Click here if you need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (free)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
March 2006
Executive Summary
The Navajo Aquifer Shows Signs of Material Damage
and Continuing Decline
Flawed Modeling Obscures Evidence of Material Damage
to the Navajo Aquifer
Controversy Comes to a Head with Peabody's New Request
for Increased Navajo Aquifer Access
Recommendations for Preserving the Navajo Aquifer
ORIGINAL REPORT
October 2000
Executive Summary
Chapter 1: The Worth of Water
Chapter 2: A Question of Trust
Chapter 3: Reclaiming the Future
Appendix
Glossary
Report Credits and Acknowledgments
Tables
Table 1: The CHIA Criteria
Table 2: Data on Black Mesa Wells
Table 3: Discharge to N-Aquifer Springs
Sign up for NRDC's online newsletter
Water on Switchboard
NRDC experts write about water efficiency, green infrastructure and climate on the NRDC blog.
Recent Water Posts
- California's Co-Equal Goals for the Delta
- posted by Doug Obegi, 11/12/09
- California Takes a Big Step Forward in Improving Water Efficiency
- posted by Doug Obegi, 11/11/09
- EPA unveils new federal strategy for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay
- posted by Nancy Stoner, 11/9/09
Related NRDC Press Releases
- 11/4/2009
- Historic Water Reform Package Passes California Legislature
- 10/2/2009
- San Joaquin River Reborn
- 9/11/2009
- EPA Puts Brakes On Mountaintop Removal Mining
Related Links
Find Your Favorite NRDC website
- Global Warming & Energy:
- Beat the Heat
- Activism:
- Save BioGems
- NRDC Action Fund
- Ocean Protection:
- Your Oceans
- Green, Healthy Living:
- Simple Steps
- Smarter Cities
- This Green Life
- Green Paws
- NRDC Cool Sites:
- It's Your Nature
- GreenDay+NRDC
- For Kids:
- Green Squad