Monday, lawmakers from Arizona presented a bill that would allow a water rights settlement with three Native American tribes in the Southwest. This would give the dry area more certainty.
The price tag on the plan is $5 billion, which is more than any similar deal that Congress has made.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said that the bill is a big step toward ending a disagreement that has been going on for decades with the Navajo Nation, the Hopi tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute tribe.
A settlement deal that was agreed upon by all six groups in May would be made official by the law. The tribes would be able to use more than 56,000 acre-feet of water from the Colorado River, and they would also have certain rights to and regulations for groundwater. The bill would also give the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe a place to call home.
The money in the bill would be sent to special trust funds so that they can be used to build and manage water delivery and development projects, such as a $1.75 billion distribution pipeline.
Kelly said, “Giving these tribes water rights protects their sovereignty and opens the door for their growth and prosperity by bringing more money into water infrastructure.”
Raul Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, said that the federal government owes the tribes drinking water and that this duty could not be more important as climate change makes what he called a “multigenerational drought” worse.
Tribal President of the San Juan Southern Paiute, Robbin Preston Jr., said that the law would give his people chances that would change their lives.
In a statement, he said, “Our people will have opportunities that we have never had before if we can depend on our electricity, water, and housing.” “This law does more than settle water rights; it creates a reservation just for a tribe so they don’t have to live like strangers on our land anymore.”
For generations, people have been trying to agree. However, tribal leaders say that the latest round of talks was difficult because of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the current drought.
