Family Farm Alliance: Indian Water Rights Settlement Legislation Introduced
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), the vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced the Indian Water Rights Settlement Extension Act today to fund water infrastructure projects in tribal communities. Click here for the full Committee press release, which notes the Family Farm Alliance support for this legislation.
The Alliance earlier this year provided qualified supported for this legislation because we have members in Arizona, Colorado and Idaho, in particular, who have a long history and ongoing interactions in Indian water rights settlement efforts. The Alliance supports the intent of this legislation, since water rights settlements will continue to move forward, with or without the fund, and future settlements that are authorized by Congress will hit the Bureau of Reclamation’s budget even harder. However, many of our members also believe there are more direct needs for Reclamation projects, such as addressing and modernizing aging water structures. We will continue to work with Congress to advance the necessary suite of funding, demand management and supply enhancement actions that are required to fairly and effectively address water challenges in the Western U.S.
