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Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022
3/9/2023, 5:47 PM
Summary of Bill HR 7633
The Hualapai Tribe has long-standing water rights claims that have not been fully resolved, leading to uncertainty and disputes over water usage in the region. This bill seeks to address these issues by providing the tribe with a secure water supply that meets their needs for domestic, agricultural, and municipal purposes.
The settlement outlined in the bill includes provisions for the construction of water infrastructure, such as pipelines and storage facilities, to ensure that the Hualapai Tribe has access to a sufficient and reliable water supply. The bill also includes funding mechanisms to support the implementation of the settlement agreement and to ensure that the tribe has the resources needed to manage and maintain their water rights. Overall, the Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022 aims to provide a fair and equitable resolution to the water rights claims of the Hualapai Tribe, while also ensuring that the tribe has the necessary resources to access and manage their water supply in a sustainable manner.
Congressional Summary of HR 7633
Hualapai Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2022
This bill modifies and ratifies the Hualapai Tribe water rights settlement agreement negotiated between the tribe, the United States, Arizona, and others, thus satisfying the tribe's claims for groundwater and surface water rights to water in Arizona, including the Verde River, the Bill Williams River, and the Colorado River.
The bill outlines the tribe's water rights, including the right to divert, use, and store 4,000 acre-feet of agricultural priority water of the Central Arizona Project that was previously allocated to nontribal agricultural entities, but retained by the Department of the Interior for reallocation to tribes in Arizona pursuant to the Central Arizona Project Settlement Act of 2004.
Amounts deposited in an established trust fund account shall be made available to the tribe for specified purposes, including to construct the Hualapai Water Project. The project must be designed to divert, treat, and convey up to 3,414 acre-feet of water per year from the Colorado River for municipal, commercial, and industrial uses on the Hualapai Reservation.
The bill authorizes Interior to take specified land into trust for the benefit of the tribe. In the future, land located outside the reservation may only be taken into trust through an act of Congress.
The bill outlines (1) waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the tribe and the United States under the settlement agreement; and (2) a limited waiver of sovereign immunity by the United States and the tribe with respect to certain claims.
