San Juan River Crests at 31 Feet as Sewage Enters Floodwaters

Residents in the Four Corners region are dealing with contaminated water and broken utility lines as the San Juan River reaches its peak. The river is expected to hit 31 feet later Monday, according to the National Weather Service. This level is just one foot lower than the record set on September 10, 1927.

The surge follows two months of intermittent heavy rain fueled by tropical moisture from the Pacific. Forecasters link the unusually intense storms to El Niño, a temporary warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean. The weather has caused rivers to swell, flooding homes and forcing water rescues across Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

One person died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on Saturday. The county sheriff's office reported that a family attempted to cross a flooded arroyo in their vehicle. A father and child reached land, but a female passenger was swept away by the current. Her body was found a mile downstream.

Health officials warn that floodwaters are mixed with raw sewage and chemicals. In the Shiprock area of the Navajo Nation, Wilfred Franklin Jr., the Shiprock District Manager for the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, confirmed that wastewater facilities and holding ponds were damaged. These structures released sewage directly into the San Juan River.

In Bluff, Utah, residents evacuated over the weekend were allowed back into their neighborhoods early Monday. County officials advised returning families to move cautiously because several properties remain submerged. The weather service urged the public to stay out of the river entirely due to the high water levels and contamination risks.

San Juan County, New Mexico, is still assessing the extent of the damage. Spokesperson Devin Neeley told The Associated Press that officials do not have official figures on the number of damaged homes or evacuated residents. He described the situation as a pretty active disaster zone. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Major General Miguel Aguilar of the New Mexico National Guard are scheduled to visit the county Monday to survey the damage.

Fire and rescue crews are checking houses to find broken gas and propane lines. San Juan County Fire and Rescue Chief David Vega said at a news conference on Sunday that the public is anxious to return home. He emphasized that hazards remain in the area. Undersheriff Cory Tanner noted that the house-to-house inspection process could take several days to finish.

Zach and Abigail Flatt of Bloomfield, New Mexico, received evacuation orders on their phones Thursday evening. Their home sits on the San Juan River. Zach Flatt recalled that the water level jumped four feet in 30 to 40 minutes. The family loaded their two children, ages 2 and 4, into their car as water covered the tires.

The Flatts stayed at a hotel and monitored their property through webcams. They watched at least 18 inches of water inundate their home. The flood washed away 22 of their 24 chickens. Zach Flatt said they watched items float off the porch into the front yard.

New Mexico's congressional delegation asked President Donald Trump on Sunday to declare a state of emergency. This declaration would unlock federal assistance funding for recovery efforts. In Colorado, teams are creating maps to identify affected roads, closures, and evacuation zones. The flooding follows other deadly events in New Mexico and the Grand Canyon area earlier in the year after months of drought.