Enacted Indian Water Rights Settlements

Enacted Indian Water Rights Settlements – as of June 2024

  1. Ak-Chin Indian Community Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-328, 92 Stat. 409, amended by Pub. L. No. 98-530, 98 Stat. 2698 (1984), amended by Pub. L. No. 102-497, § 10, 106 Stat. 3255, 3258 (1992), amended by Pub. L. No. 106-285, 114 Stat. 878 (2000).
  2. Southern Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act of 1982, Pub. L. No. 97-293, tit. III, 96 Stat. 1261, 1274, amended by Pub. L. No. 102-497, § 8, 106 Stat. 3255, 3256 (1992), amended by Pub L. No. 108-451, tit. III, 118 Stat. 3478, 3535 (2004) (Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona (formerly known as the Papago Tribe of Arizona)).
  3. Seminole Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1987, Pub. L. No. 100-228, § 7, 101 Stat. 1556, 1560 incorporating Seminole Water Rights Compact, reprinted in Seminole Indian Land Claims Settlement Act: Hearings on S. 1684 Before the Senate Select Comm. on Indian Affairs, 100th Cong. 83-122 (1987).
  4. Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-512, 102 Stat. 2549, amended by Pub. L. No. 102-238, § 7, 105 Stat. 1908, 1910 (1991).
  5. Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988, Pub. L. No. 100-585, 102 Stat. 2973, amended by Pub. L. No. 104-46, tit. V, § 507, 109 Stat. 402, 419 (1995), amended by Pub. L. No. 106-554, tit. III, 114 Stat. 2763 (2000) (Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Ute Indian Tribe).
  6. San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. 100-675, tit. I, 102 Stat. 4000 (1988), amended by Pub. L. No. 102-154, § 117, 105 Stat. 990, 1012-13 (1991), amended by Pub. L. No. 105-256, § 11, 112 Stat. 1896, 1899 (1998), amended by Pub. L. No. 106-377, tit. II, § 211, 114 Stat. 1441, 1441A-71 (2000), amended by Pub. L. No. 114-322, tit. III, part II, subtit. F, § 3605, 130 Stat. 1628, 1793 (La Jolla, Rincon, San Pasqual, Pauma, and Pala Bands of Mission Indians).
  7. Fort Hall Indian Water Rights Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-602, 104 Stat. 3059 (Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation).
  8. Fallon Paiute Shoshone Indian Tribes Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-618, tit. I, 104 Stat. 3289, amended by Pub. L. No. 109-221, tit. I, §104, 120 Stat. 336, 337-39 (2006). 
  9. Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-618, tit. II, 104 Stat. 3289, 3294-324 (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe).
  10. Fort McDowell Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-628, tit. IV, 104 Stat. 4469, 4480-92, amended by Pub. L. No. 109-373, 120 Stat. 2650 (2006) (Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona).
  11. Ute Indian Rights Settlement Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-575, tit. V, 106 Stat. 4600, 4651-55 (Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, Utah).
  12. San Carlos Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 102-575, tit. XXXVII, 106 Stat. 4600, 4740-52 (1992), amended by Pub. L. No. 103-263, § 2, 108 Stat. 707, 708 (1994), amended by Pub. L. No. 103-435, § 13, 108 Stat. 4566, 4572 (1994), amended by Pub. L. No. 104-91, tit. II, § 202, 110 Stat. 7, 14-15 (1996), amended by Pub. L. No. 104-261, § 3, 110 Stat. 3176 (1996), amended by Pub. L. No. 105-18, § 5003, 111 Stat. 158, 181-87 (1997).
  13. Northern Cheyenne Indian Reserved Water Rights Settlement Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-374, 106 Stat. 1186, amended by Pub. L. No. 103-263, § 1, 108 Stat. 707 (1993).
  14. Jicarilla Apache Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1992, Pub. L. No. 102-441, 106 Stat. 2237, amended by Pub. L. No. 104-261, § 2, 110 Stat. 3176 (1996), amended by Pub. L. No. 105-256, § 10, 112 Stat. 1896, 1898-99 (1998).
  15. Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 1994, Pub. L. No. 103-434, tit. I, 108 Stat. 4526, amended by Pub. L. No. 104-91, tit. II, § 201, 110 Stat. 7, 14 (1996).
  16. Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation Indian Reserved Water Rights Settlement and Water Supply Enhancement Act of 1999, Pub. L. No. 106-163, 113 Stat. 1778. 
  17. Shivwits Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 106-263, 114 Stat. 737 (2000).
  18. Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-34, 117 Stat. 782. 
  19. Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-447, div. J, tit. X, 118 Stat. 2809, 3431 (Nez Perce Tribe).
  20. Gila River Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-451, tit. II, 118 Stat. 3478, 3499-535 (Arizona Water Rights Settlement Act of 2004).
  21. Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 110-297, 122 Stat. 2975 (2008).
  22. Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act (Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project and Navajo Nation Water Rights), Pub. L. No. 111-11, tit. X, subtit. B, pts. III-IV, 123 Stat. 991, 1379-1405 (2009), amended by Pub. L. No. 114-57, 129 Stat. 528 (2015).
  23. Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement, Pub. L. No. 111-11, tit. X, subtit. C, 123 Stat. 991, 1405-14 (2009).
  24. White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-291, tit. III, 124 Stat. 3064, 3073-97, amended by Pub. L. No. 115-227, 132 Stat. 1626 (2018), amended by Pub. L. No. 116-94, div. C, tit. II, § 206, 133 Stat. 2534, 2669 (2020), amended by Pub. L. No. 117-342, 136 Stat. 6182 (2023). 
  25. Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-291, tit. IV, 124 Stat. 3064, 3097-122.
  26. Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 111-291, tit. V, 124 Stat. 3064, 3122-34 (2010).
  27. Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 111-291, tit. VI, 124 Stat. 3064, 3134-56 (2010), amended by Pub. L. No. 116-260, div. FF, tit. XI, § 1103, 134 Stat. 1182, 3235-27 (2020) (San Ildefonso, Tesuque, Nambe, and Pojoaque Pueblos).
  28. Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe-Fish Springs Ranch Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 113-169, 128 Stat. 1887 (2014).
  29. Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-223, 128 Stat. 2096 (Hualapai Tribe).
  30. Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 114-322, tit. III, subtit. D, 130 Stat. 1627, 1755-70 (2016). 
  31. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation Water Settlement, Pub. L. No. 114-322, tit. III, subtit. F, § 3068, 130 Stat. 1627, 1796-814 (2016). 
  32. Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 114-322, tit. III, subtit. G, 130 Stat. 1627, 1814-46 (2016), amended by Pub. L. No. 115-270, tit. IV, subtit. C, § 4311, 132 Stat. 3765, 3891-92 (2018).
  33. Montana Water Rights Protection Act, Pub. L. No. 116-260, div. DD, 134 Stat. 1181, 3008-38 (2020) (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation).
  34. Navajo-Utah Water Rights Settlement Act, Pub. L. No. 116-260, div. FF, tit. XI, § 1102, 134 Stat. 1181, 3224-34 (2020).
  35. Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022, Pub. L. No. 117-349, 136 Stat. 6225 (2023).

Administratively Approved Indian Water Rights Settlements

  1. Fort Peck-Montana Compact, Mont. Code Ann. 85-20-201 (1985).
  2. Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation Water Rights Settlement Agreement (1997).
  3. In the Matter of the Determination of the Relative Rights in and to the Waters of the Las Vegas Artesian Basin in Clark County, Nevada (1999) (Las Vegas Paiute Tribe; groundwater).
  4. United States and Lummi Indian Nation v. Washington Department of Ecology, No. CV-01-00047-TSZ (W.D. Wash. 2007), aff’d sub nom. United States et al. v. Dawson et al., No. 07-36057 (9th Cir., July 2, 2009) (order denying reh’g en banc issued Sept. 11, 2009) (Lummi Peninsula; groundwater).

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment