Leaders of 3 Arizona tribes sign water rights settlement agreement

PHOENIX — Arizona tribal leaders announced the completion of a landmark water rights settlement on Wednesday.

The Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe signed the agreement at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, settling decades of litigation among the parties.

The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Settlement Agreement is the largest Indian water settlement to date, according to a Hopi Tribe press release.

“This is not just an Indian water settlement,” Hopi Tribe Vice Chairman Craig Andrews said during the event. “It is an Arizona water settlement.”

The deal still requires congressional approval to go into effect.

What impact will this Arizona Indian water settlement agreement have?

In addition to resolving inter-tribal litigation, the agreement also settled rights to the Little Colorado River watershed in Arizona.

For instance, it settled disputes over groundwater management and federal funding for water infrastructure projects on the various reservations.

It authorizes $5 billion to maintain, build and buy infrastructure projects needed to promote water development, officials said. It will also support a $1.75 billion distribution pipeline.

If passed by Congress, the settlement would allow the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe to lease their water, according to The Associated Press. This would create economic opportunities until new infrastructure is completed, officials said.

The upgrades are necessary due to outdated infrastructure, Andrews said.

“Although our communities are the oldest in Arizona, they lack basic access to clean, reliable water,” Andrews said. “Our current infrastructure is a patchwork of aging and inadequate systems, which has long jeopardized the well-being of our people and forced many to leave their ancestral lands.”

The agreement would also give the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe a reservation. It is the only federally recognized tribe in the state without one.

“We live within the boundaries of the Navajo reservation but are unable to get homesite leases, unable to get running water and electricity, unable to provide safe sanitation or assistance for our homeless population, and unable to get government services — all because we have no exclusive homeland. This settlement will change everything,” San Juan Southern Paiute President Robbin Preston Jr. said in a Thursday announcement.

What’s next to ensure this agreement becomes law?

Now, leaders are turning their attention to ratifying and funding the agreement through the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024.

Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema introduced the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 on June 8.

Rep. Juan Ciscomani introduced a House version that same day, with fellow Arizona Reps. Greg Stanton, David Schweikert and Raúl Grijalva joining as cosponsors.

Tribal leaders will urge Congress to pass the water settlement next week.

“Let’s keep the momentum going and let’s get this across the finish line,” Navajo President Buu Nygren said during the signing ceremony. “Water is life and there is nothing we can’t do without water.”