Record drought in the southwestern United States continues to threaten municipal water supplies with severe shortages. The city of Eunice, New Mexico, is dependent on groundwater for its municipal water, with nearly all of its water supplied by groundwater pumped from six existing wells located approximately 20 miles north of the city (Figure 1). These wells range in depth from 130 to 200 feet and pull water from the subsurface aquifer in the Ogallala Formation of the Lea County Underground Water Basin. Prolonged periods of drought have a negative impact on groundwater levels, often requiring the need for deeper and more expensive wells. The drought is forecast to continue and may be very long, based on the historic record.

The Federal action addressed in this Environmental Assessment (EA) would be the funding and development of a municipal groundwater well for the city of Eunice. The proposed drought emergency water well would be drilled by a private contractor, licensed to drill water wells in the State of New Mexico, for the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation. The purpose of the proposed action is to provide a supplemental source of municipal water for the city of Eunice to fully utilize their existing water rights by providing additional capacity and operational flexibility during a drought emergency. The project is needed due to the severe drought now gripping the southwest United States and the potential for the drought to continue for the indeterminate future.