Bill > HJR1017

This joint resolution calls upon the federal government to fulfill its trust obligations to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe regarding their water rights, which are legally recognized rights to use water that are inherent to their reservations. The resolution highlights that despite a 1986 settlement agreement and subsequent federal legislation that quantified these rights, the tribes face significant challenges in utilizing them due to a lack of infrastructure, poor federal management of existing systems like the Pine River Indian Irrigation Project (PRIIP), and stalled federal funding for crucial projects. Specifically, it urges the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to rehabilitate the PRIIP, ensure timely payments for water resource maintenance, and provide funds for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's infrastructure and water delivery projects. Furthermore, it encourages federal cooperation to allow the tribes to participate in a voluntary program to place their water into a Lake Powell conservation pool, acknowledging the ongoing drought in the Colorado River Basin and the tribes' need for flexibility and federal support to develop their water resources and economies.

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HJR26-1017