Legislation secures tribe’s rights to water supplies

An agreement has been reached in the Verde Valley, Arizona (USA) to secure tribal water rights and to fund additional supplies to the Yavapai-Apache Nation.

Ratifying a water rights agreement

An Arizona congressional delegation introduced a bipartisan legislation to ratify and fund the Yavapai-Apache Nation's Water Rights Settlement Agreement.

Arizona's Democratic US senator, Mark Kelly, told media: "Securing water rights and providing reliable water supplies are essential for the future of Arizona. This settlement is a significant step toward ensuring the Yavapai-Apache Nation and surrounding communities have the resources they need to thrive while also protecting the vital flow of the Verde River."

The Yavapai-Apache Nation tribal council voted unanimously to approve the legalisation, which concluded decades of negotiation between communities, the Salt River Project, the State of Arizona, and the United States.

A critical milestone for the Nation

The Yavapai-Apache Nation is located in Arizona's Verde Valley; there are five tribal communities with more than 2,500 tribal members: Tunlii; Middle Verde; Rimrock; Camp Verde; and Clarkdale.

Tanya Lewis, chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, said of the agreement: "This is a critical milestone in ensuring the Yavapai-Apache Nation's water future and protecting the Verde River

"To reach a settlement, the Nation worked with our neighbouring communities, the State of Arizona, the Salt River Project, and other stakeholders to attain agreement on a settlement that not only protects the Nation's water future, but also ensures the benefits of the settlement will help support a sustainable water future for the entire Verde Valley."

Rights granted in the settlement

The settlement will offer approximately €1 billion funding to help the tribe build and maintain essential water infrastructure, including the Cragin-Verde Pipeline and a Surface Water Drinking Plant.

Rights are also guaranteed to 4,610 acre-feet per year of water, infrastructure, water conservation promotion, and protection of the flow of the Verde River.

The settlement directs the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design and construct the €676 million pipeline taking water from the CC Cragin Reservoir to the Yavapai-Apache Nation and surrounding communities as part of the Salt River Federal Reclamation Project. The Surface Water Drinking Plant is costed at €140 million, while €144 million has been promised for the water settlement trust fund.

The pipeline will reduce the need for the Nation pump groundwater, helping to protect flows in the Verde River.

In addition, the settlement includes a land exchange with the Forest Service to secure lands around the Middle Verde Reservation, which will enhance both community resilience and environmental stewardship.

The Yavapai-Apache Nation has agreed to not pursue claims against existing water users for damages to water rights in the Verde River watershed