Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022

Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022

This act authorizes the Colorado River Indian tribes (CRIT) to enter into agreements for the transfer or storage of a portion of its water allocation to be used in other locations in Arizona. The CRIT include four Indian tribes—the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo. The reservation is located along the Colorado River in both Arizona and California.

(Sec. 4) The CRIT is authorized to enter into an agreement to lease or exchange a portion of the CRIT's consumptive use of water for use off the reservation if the receiving facility is located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona. The term of a lease under this section must not exceed 100 years.

(Sec. 5) The CRIT is authorized to enter into a storage agreement, including with the Arizona Water Banking Authority, for the storage of a portion of the consumptive use, or the water received under an exchange pursuant to an exchange agreement under this act, at one or more underground storage facilities or groundwater savings facilities off the reservation if the facility is located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona.

(Sec. 6) The CRIT is authorized to enter into an agreement for water conservation or other methods for voluntarily leaving a portion of the CRIT reduced consumptive use in Lake Mead, which is located in Arizona and Nevada. If the conserved water is delivered, the delivery must be located in the Lower Basin of the Colorado River in Arizona and is not located in Navajo, Apache, or Cochise counties in Arizona. The term of an agreement under this section must not exceed 100 years.

(Sec. 7) This section grants authority to the Department of the Interior to approve or disapprove of an agreement under this act. Interior is also authorized to enter into agreements with CRIT under this act, provided Interior pays fair market value for the reduced consumptive use. Among other requirements, Interior must ensure that water agreements under this act do not permanently alienate any portion of the CRIT water allocation.

(Sec. 8) Interior, when approving an agreement under this act, must ensure that such agreement complies with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and other federal environmental laws.

(Sec. 9) The CRIT must enter into an agreement with the state of Arizona prior to entering into an agreement under this act. The agreement with Arizona must outline all notice, information sharing, and collaboration requirements.

(Sec. 10) Interior must enter into an agreement with the state of Arizona and the CRIT describing the procedural, technical, and accounting methodologies for an agreement under this act.

(Sec. 11) This section reserves the CRIT's allocated water rights, including by ensuring that no agreement reduces or limits the right of the CRIT to use the remaining portion of their allocation.

(Sec. 12) This section prohibits an agreement under this act from interfering with an allottee's water rights.

(Sec. 13) This section establishes that the CRIT is entitled to all consideration from an agreement under this act.

(Sec. 14) The United States has limited liability against claims under this act, except for those relating to the above environmental requirements.