San Juan River: Sewage releases and flood risks follow heavy rain

The San Juan River rose above flood stage, forcing evacuations and prompting warnings about contamination.

Heavy rainfall since Wednesday caused rivers to surge across the Four Corners region, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. Flooding led to water rescues, and a tornado touched down in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday night. The weather service reported that by Monday morning, the San Juan River stood 1.5 feet above the flood stage of 23 feet. Forecasts called for the river to reach 31 feet later on Monday before dropping below flood stage by Tuesday morning. This follows a crest of 32 feet recorded on Sept. 10, 1927.

Rising water contaminated with sewage and chemicals creates a health risk for returning residents. The weather service warned the public to stay out of the river, noting that water levels remain elevated and possible sewage contamination poses additional health risks. Officials in hard-hit counties urged caution, citing the presence of raw sewage, chemicals, and potentially broken gas and propane lines. In the Shiprock area of the Navajo Nation, flooding damaged wastewater facilities and water holding ponds, causing sewage releases into the river, according to Navajo Tribal Utility Authority Shiprock District Manager Wilfred Franklin Jr. San Juan County Fire & Rescue Chief David Vega stated, “The public is anxious to get back in.. But I want the public to know there are still hazards out there.”

Local authorities are conducting house-to-house inspections for hazards while managing evacuations and assessing damage. Some residents in Bluff, Utah, evacuated over the weekend but were allowed to return early Monday, though county officials cautioned that several properties remained flooded. In the Farmington area of New Mexico, rivers were receding, but many people remained evacuated and hundreds lacked power. San Juan County, New Mexico, had not released official figures for damaged homes or evacuees, spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press, calling the situation “a pretty active disaster zone.” Undersheriff Cory Tanner said officials were checking properties for hazards, a process expected to take days. One death was reported in Santa Fe on Saturday during a water rescue of a family that attempted to cross a flooded arroyo in their vehicle.

Flooding is linked to two months of intermittent heavy rain driven by tropical moisture from the Pacific. Forecasters attributed the storm's intensity to El Niño, the temporary warming of parts of the Pacific. New Mexico's congressional delegation urged President Donald Trump on Sunday to declare an emergency for the state to release federal assistance funding. In Colorado, teams created maps of some counties to identify affected roads, closures, impacted areas, and evacuation zones.

Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard planned to visit San Juan County on Monday to survey damage and meet with residents.