H.R. 2025
Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
This bill recognizes and settles certain water rights claims in Arizona of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. It also provides funding for a water pipeline and three settlement trust funds.
Specifically, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by the tribes, the United States, Arizona, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in Arizona (including with respect to the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River).
Additionally, the bill outlines the water rights of the tribes. For example, the bill allocates and assigns Colorado River water from Arizona's share to the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe.
The bill establishes and provides funding for an implementation fund account for the Bureau of Reclamation to plan, design, and construct a pipeline to deliver water to the tribes.
Further, the bill establishes and provides funding for the Navajo Nation Water Settlement Trust Fund, the Hopi Tribe Water Settlement Trust Fund, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Water Settlement Trust Fund.
The bill also establishes a reservation consisting of approximately 5,400 acres of land in Arizona and Utah for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe by ratifying and confirming the treaty entered into by the Navajo Nation and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.
The bill outlines waivers, releases, and retention of claims by the tribes and the United States under the settlement agreement.
Text of the bill
(a) Short title. This Act may be cited as the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025.
(b) Table of contents. The table of contents for this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.Sec. 2. Purposes.Sec. 3. Definitions.Sec. 4. Ratification and execution of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement.Sec. 5. Water Rights.Sec. 6. Allocation and assignment of Arizona Colorado River Water to the Tribes; water use; storage; water delivery contracts.Sec. 7. Colorado River Water leases and exchanges; Uses.Sec. 8. iiná bá – paa tuwaqat’si pipeline.Sec. 9. iiná bá – paa tuwaqat’si pipeline Implementation Fund Account.Sec. 10. Navajo Nation Water Settlement Trust Fund.Sec. 11. Hopi Tribe Water Settlement Trust Fund.Sec. 12. San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Water Settlement Trust Fund.Sec. 13. Funding.Sec. 14. Waivers, releases, and retention of claims.Sec. 15. Satisfaction of Water Rights and other benefits.Sec. 16. Enforceability Date.Sec. 17. Colorado River accounting.Sec. 18. Limited waiver of sovereign immunity.Sec. 19. Ratification of the Treaty and creation of the San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation.Sec. 20. Authorization for use of Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project facilities.Sec. 21. Antideficiency; savings provisions; effect.