NAVAJO DAM, N.M. — Folks docking their boats at Navajo Lake may have noticed some changes, and there’s nothing fishy about it.

“If you look over my shoulder here, you can see some of the new docks. There are over 170 new slips, those range from 24 feet in size all the way to 75 feet in size. They have covered boathouses, they are wider slips, they have modern electrical codes. All the flotation for the docks are encapsulated foam, so it’s very environmentally friendly, as opposed to what was here,” said Jarrett Johnson, president of Navajo Dam Enterprises.

Johnson acquired the Navajo Lake Marina in 2013 and since then he’s spent millions on a makeover, but his latest $4 million investment:

“On August 21 of 2024 and we had over 80 mile-an-hour winds out here. Fortunately, none of the vessels were damaged, but the docks did not fare so well,” Johnson said.

It comes after a terrible storm that left the marina docks broken, bent, and torn apart. Thankfully, it did not put him in the deep end.

Johnson says he had already planned to make the new improvements to Navajo Lake, but the storm in August pushed that gear into full throttle.

“Luckily, most of the damage was contained to our older boat houses that we had not replaced yet, which was on our five to 10-year plan. Those docks were built in the late 1960s, and they were due for replacement. So, this storm, in the end, turned out to be a blessing,” said Johnson.

With the new slips, docks, and electric system it’s bound to be a great summer.

“I think all our customers are really excited about the new improvements. These new docks have wider walkways, ADA compliance, state-of-the-art features, higher rooflines, and better electric. We’re real excited about it,” said Johnson.