Bill > HR2025

This bill provides for the settlement of water rights claims for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe in Arizona. Specifically, the bill establishes a comprehensive water rights settlement that allocates Colorado River water to these tribes, creates trust funds for water projects and conservation, and authorizes the construction of the iiná bá - paa tuwaqat'si pipeline to deliver potable water to tribal communities. The bill appropriates $1.7 billion for the pipeline and $3.4 billion for tribal water settlement trust funds, with the funds to be used for water infrastructure, agricultural conservation, and operational costs. Key provisions include defining specific water rights for each tribe, allowing limited leasing of water rights, establishing a complex accounting system for water use, and providing a limited waiver of sovereign immunity to enable legal enforcement of the settlement. The bill also ratifies a treaty with the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and creates their reservation. The settlement aims to resolve long-standing water rights disputes, provide sustainable water resources for tribal communities, and offer a comprehensive approach to water management in northeastern Arizona that balances the needs of the tribes, the state, and existing water users.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/2025/all-info