The bill would approve a settlement of the Navajo Nation’s water rights in New Mexico’s Rio San José Stream System. It would place the recognized water rights in federal trust and allow the Navajo Nation to manage, lease, and use them under the settlement’s terms. The bill would also create a trust fund for water projects and allow the service area of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project to expand to Navajo communities in the Rio San José Basin. The settlement would take effect only after specified funding, court, state, and other conditions are met. The bill was introduced in the House and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
If enacted and the settlement takes effect, the Navajo Nation could use trust fund money for water supply systems, wells, water treatment and delivery, wastewater projects, and related work. The bill protects individual allottee water rights from being included in the Nation’s settlement rights. It also requires the Nation to release certain past water-related claims in exchange for the settlement benefits. The bill does not state how many people would receive water or when projects would be completed.
The bill would provide $200.271 million for the Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement Account and $23 million for operations, maintenance, and replacement of water infrastructure. These amounts would be adjusted for certain cost changes. The bill also requires New Mexico to contribute $3 million, adjusted for inflation, to named irrigation groups, with possible additional state funding under the agreement. The bill allows up to $15 million from the settlement account to be used before the settlement takes effect for specified planning, compliance, and well-related costs.
The bill states that its purpose is to reach a fair, equitable, and final settlement of the Navajo Nation’s water rights claims in the Rio San José Stream System and to provide funds to carry out the settlement.
No publicly available information.