Local
Flooding compromises Shiprock wastewater plant as river rises; bridge partially reopens
Flooding along the San Juan River prompted 20 rescues and damaged wastewater systems in the Shiprock area. The Shiprock Bridge reopened Oct. 24 with traffic restricted to one lane, while officials urged residents to stay out of the river and floodwaters.
The Shiprock Bridge reopened Oct. 24 after rising floodwaters forced its closure for about a day, but traffic remained restricted as crews responded to flooding and wastewater system damage along the San Juan River.
Only the eastbound lane of U.S. 64 was open, Navajo Nation police said. Traffic in both directions was being escorted across in groups of 10 vehicles, and officials warned the bridge could close again if severe weather returned.
First responders carried out 20 rescues overnight, with several operations involving more than one person, police said. Response work continued around Farmington and west toward Shiprock, where heavy rain had fallen through the week.
Flooding also compromised Shiprock’s wastewater treatment plant, the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority said Oct. 24, sending untreated wastewater into the San Juan River. The authority urged people to keep themselves, their families and livestock out of the river and floodwaters until further notice.
A wastewater facility in Bloomfield was also affected and temporarily stopped treating sewage, though it later resumed operations. San Juan County public information officer Devin Neely warned during an emergency briefing that a sewer system breach had made the river hazardous. “There is raw sewage in the river,” Neely said, urging people not to enter the water.
The flooding disrupted multiple utility systems in Shiprock. Wilford Franklin Jr., the utility authority’s district manager for the community, said electrical systems were affected and a circuit serving southern Shiprock was lost, impacting about 500 customers. Water, natural gas and sewer facilities were also compromised, he said, with restoration work underway.
Navajo Deputy Police Chief Donnie Kee said shifting river and weather conditions, along with bridge closures, had complicated response efforts and lengthened travel times for responders. During an Oct. 23 briefing, he urged residents in areas at risk to prepare evacuation plans for their families and animals.
The Four Corners Monument remained closed Oct. 24 after flooding near the Animas River made conditions unsafe. The Shiprock Bridge is a major route connecting Navajo communities in Arizona with northwestern New Mexico and providing access toward Colorado.