State High Court Rejects Tribe's Challenge to Water Settlement

PHOENIX - The Arizona Supreme Court has rejected a southern Arizona Indian tribe's legal challenge to a water rights settlement involving another tribe.

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled unanimously against the Pasqua Yaqui Tribe's challenge to a 2004 federal law that settles groundwater rights claims of another southern Arizona tribe, the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The Pascua Yaquis argued that their interests would be hurt by the settlement but the Supreme Court said the tribe's objections are unfounded.

The settlement has the Tohono O'odhams' giving up their claim for federally reserved groundwater rights in exchange for getting Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project canal and other considerations.