Last month, the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe unanimously approved the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement to resolve water rights disputes among the three tribes.
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Hopi Tribe Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma, and San Juan Southern Paiute President Robbin Preston to discuss the proposed Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement agreement that was recently reached by the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, San Juan Southern San Paiute Tribe, and other water users in Northern and Central Arizona. This agreement is a historic collaboration between the tribes and non-tribal parties that aims to settle decades-long water disputes on Arizona tribal lands and would create a new reservation for the San Juan Southern Paiute.
“In Arizona, access to water is critical to support the health and safety of our tribal communities and expand economic opportunities on tribal lands. As we continue experiencing historic drought in our state, securing water certainty for tribes is one of my top priorities,” said Sinema.
Last month, the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe unanimously approved the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement – a historic collaboration between the tribes that aims to settle decades-long water disputes on Arizona tribal lands. The settlement would allocate Colorado River and Little Colorado River water to tribes, and other water users in Northern and Eastern AZ, and authorize $5 billion to implement the agreement and construct multiple water infrastructure projects.
Last month, Sinema spoke in a Senate Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee hearing with the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation about the need for Colorado River Basin states to address unprecedented drought conditions by working together as a region, rather than as individual states.