Arizona delegation pushes largest tribal water rights settlement in US history
Shondiin Silversmith AZ Mirror
A settlement that will provide reliable and safe water for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe has been introduced in Congress, where it must be approved to take effect.
'This is a historic moment for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe,' U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, Arizona's Democratic senior senator, said in a press release. 'After years of hard work and collaboration, we're delivering a water settlement that secures reliable, clean water and strengthens Tribal sovereignty.'
The Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 would ratify and fund the largest Indian water rights settlement in the country, which will secure water rights for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
Kelly and U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, Arizona's other senator, introduced the legislation. Identical legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Tucson); it has been cosponsored by Arizona Reps. Yassamin Ansari (D-Phoenix), Eli Crane (R-Oro Valley), Raúl Grijalva (D-Tucson), David Schweikert (R-Scottsdale) and Greg Stanton (D-Phoenix).
The agreement will end the three tribes' claims to the main stem of the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River and relevant groundwater sources in Arizona. The settlement would guarantee the tribes' access to over 56,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water, with specific groundwater rights and protections.
Additionally, the agreement requires the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe to leave 17,050 acre-feet per year of Arizona Upper Basin water in Lake Powell for the first 20 years.
It will also allow the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to lease a portion of their water rights, providing the tribes a chance to create economic opportunities until local demand is met through new infrastructure.
The legislation authorizes $5.1 billion to acquire, build, and maintain essential water development and delivery projects, including a distribution pipeline.
'For countless generations, Arizona's tribes have been caretakers of the Colorado River,' Gallego said in a written statement. 'But for too long, water rights disputes have prevented them from having full certainty around their water future.'
'With this historic legislation, Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe will finally get the security and stability they deserve,' he added.
Gov. Katie Hobbs said that her administration is proud to support the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, as it will provide clean and reliable water to thousands of Indigenous families, address generations of injustice, and promote economic and social progress.
'For decades, the Navajo, Hopi, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribes have fought for a fundamental human right: access to water,' Hobbs said.
Navajo Nation Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley said the settlement will secure prosperity for future generations of the Diné, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute people.
'People doubted that three tribes could unite,' Curley said. 'This dispute was imposed on us, but with something as vital as water at stake, we came together — not for ourselves, but for our children.'
Curley said that, without the settlement, their communities would remain disproportionately vulnerable to diseases and development, and the Navajo Nation would continue to be limited by the lack of water infrastructure.
'Tens of thousands of Navajo people in Arizona do not have water in their homes,' Curley said. 'The infrastructure funded under the bill secures the necessary water supply that will serve our communities and our future generations.'
Hopi Chairman Tom Nuvangyaoma echoed Curley's statements and called the settlement's introduction a historic moment.
'I want to thank our Navajo and San Juan Southern Paiute relatives for setting aside differences, as we did as Hopi,' Nuvangyaoma said. 'This settlement isn't for us — it's for the sustainability and survival of future generations. It must happen.'
Nuvangyaoma said the settlement will ensure the Hopi Tribe's water future by providing a reliable water supply and much needed infrastructure.
'The act will benefit water users throughout northeastern Arizona by ending costly, decades-long litigation and providing certainty about water resources,' he added.
San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe President Carlene Yellowhair called the settlement a genuinely historic moment for all the tribes because clean, running water and home structures are luxuries that their people have gone too long without.
'This legislation will ensure we have these basic human rights now and into the future,' Yellowhair said, adding that she is grateful for the Arizona delegation's support of the legislation.
In addition to the water allotment and funding, the legislation will formally establish a reservation for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. The tribe will receive 5,400 acres of land within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation.
'This Legislation establishes our homeland, ensures our water rights and provides for secure infrastructure,' San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Vice President Johnny Lehi, Jr. said. 'It has been a long time coming and we are excited about the new challenges and opportunities that will surely follow.'
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