IID Supports Water Rights For 3 Arizona Tribes
The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors has approved a resolution in support of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement Act of 2024.
Officially IID is urging Congress to put the provisions of the agreement in place.
The deal would address one of the longest-running water issues in Arizona by securing water rights for the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe by providing reliable and safe water for tribal communities.
It also allows for tribal autonomy to lease and exchange its water supplies to fund infrastructure improvements, provide potable water supplies to their communities that lack access to clean water, and allocate $5 billion to build essential water development and delivery projects.
This involves water from the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River, and groundwater sources in Arizona.
On Capitol Hill, legislation for the settlement agreement was introduced the week of July 8th 2024 in the U-S Senate and the House.
It has been approved by all three tribes, but requires the federal government to ratify and fund.
Water flowing through canyons in Arizona
Photo from Imperial Irrigation District CA July 2024