CHINLE, Ariz. — Windmill 10-T523, located just over two miles off Highway 191 near Chinle, is a life water source to 86 head of cattle, eight horses, and eight to 10 Navajo families who rely on it daily.
Each cow drinks about 25 gallons of water per day. For the 86 head of cattle that is over 2,150 gallons in one day.
Repairs at this windmill were completed over a month ago by the Navajo Department of Water Resources (NDWR) , after a leaky 4,000-gallon tank and damaged slab were reported to tribal department.
The water resources team replaced the tank and windmill, which pulls groundwater to fill the tank.
“In two to three days, if the wind is good, the tank will be decently full,” said Delbert Price, irrigation supervisor with NDWR.
But vandalism and neglect threaten the infrastructure.
Both Price and Roland Tso, project manager for NDWR, said windmill parts are often stolen or damaged—pipes, cords, and ladders taken; some use the windmill for target practice.
Waste is also dumped into tanks. Tso recalled an incident where livestock died after drinking from a tank contaminated with antifreeze and oil.
In Many Farms, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren visited windmill 10-T553 to see the conditions firsthand with Division of Natural Resources Director Mike Halona.
Tso noted a hopeful sign: women in the community often take it upon themselves to pull the windmill brake, which helps extend the system’s life.
“This prolongs the lifeline,” Tso said. “That way these can last longer.”
President Nygren called for community action to protect vital water sources by taking ownership and accountability.
“If people could build windmills with wagons in the 1920s, we should be able to maintain them today,” President Nygren said. “We need water, and that means taking responsibility—not just to build, but to protect and maintain what we have.”
