Ratifies a long-negotiated settlement of the water-rights claims of the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe across northeastern Arizona, allocating 44,700 acre-feet per year of Upper Basin Colorado River water to the Navajo Nation, 2,300 to the Hopi Tribe, plus Lower Basin and tributary rights. Authorizes the iina ba - paa tuwaqat'si pipeline from Lake Powell to deliver up to 7,100 acre-feet per year of potable water to Navajo communities and 3,076 to Hopi communities, with 350 acre-feet routed to the San Juan Southern Paiute Southern Area. Mandatorily appropriates $1.715 billion for the pipeline and $3.421 billion for three tribal water settlement trust funds (Navajo $2.876B, Hopi $515M, San Juan Southern Paiute $29.8M) covering project construction, operation and maintenance, agricultural conservation, and renewable energy. Sets a December 31, 2040 deadline for substantial pipeline completion and creates a 20-year, 17,050 acre-feet per year system-conservation program at Lake Powell. In exchange, the tribes waive past, present, and future water-rights claims against Arizona, other tribes, and the United States, and ratify the Treaty creating an approximately 5,400-acre San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation. Requires NEPA and Endangered Species Act compliance for project implementation, annual tribal expenditure reports, and Secretary approval of tribal management or expenditure plans before trust-fund withdrawals.
Average Household Impact
- Pipeline potable-water delivery to Navajo, Hopi, and San Juan Southern Paiute — up to 10,176 AFY combined
- Tribal trust funds for community water projects — covers Leupp, Dilkon, Ganado, Kayenta, and other towns
- Tribal waiver of water-rights claims — accepted in exchange for the settlement package
Environmental Concerns
- NEPA and Endangered Species Act compliance — required for settlement implementation
- NEPA major-federal-action review — Secretary's execution of the Settlement Agreement exempted
- System-conservation program — 20-year authority for 17,050 AFY of tribal water stored in Lake Powell
Transparency & Accountability
- Annual tribal expenditure reports — required to the Secretary on trust-fund use
- Trust-fund withdrawal controls — Secretary-approved management or expenditure plans required
- Per-capita distributions of trust-fund principal or interest to tribal members — barred
- Judicial review of Secretary's plan-approval decisions — limited to Administrative Procedure Act grounds
Congressional Summary
Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025This 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.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-03-11
- Date Added
- 2026-05-07
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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