85:
61:
that the federal government of the United States has no obligation to ensure that the Navajo Nation has access to water. The court ruled that the 1868 treaty establishing the Navajo
Reservation reserved necessary water to accomplish the purpose of the Navajo Reservation but did not require the United
47:
Native
American tribes along the Colorado River were left out of the 1922 Colorado River Compact that divided water among the states, forcing tribes to negotiate settlements with the states for water. The Navajo negotiated water settlements with New Mexico and Utah in 2009 and 2020 respectively, but
158:
In 2023, the tribe still had not completed a settlement with the state of
Arizona, and is not receiving their share of Arizona's water under the Colorado River Compact. Arizona has tried to use water access as a way to force the Navajo to make concessions on unrelated issues, and other tribes have
175:
The tribe brought a lawsuit against the federal government in 2003, seeking to force the federal government to assess the Nation's water needs and "devise a plan to meet those needs." The states of Nevada, Arizona, and
Colorado intervened in the suit to protect their access to water from the
35:
withdrew more than 3 million gallons of water/day from the Navajo aquifer, reducing the number of springs on the reservation. The Navajo
Generating Station also consumed about 11 billion gallons of water per year to provide power for the
30:
for decades, as Navajo lands have provided energy and water for residents of neighboring states while many of the Navajo do not have electricity or running water in their homes. Beginning in the 1960s, coal mining by
315:
205:
wrote the dissenting opinion, and argued that the federal government should identify the water rights that are held for the Navajo Nation and ensure that water had not been misappropriated.
104:
that divides the water among western states. Indigenous
Nations were left out of this agreement, forcing them to negotiate for water from the states. In 1908, the US Supreme Court ruled in
487:
654:
265:
340:
537:
110:
that Native
American water rights should have priority over settler claims, because the federal government established those claims when the reservations were formed.
659:
562:
117:
withdrew more than 3 million gallons of water/day from the Navajo aquifer, reducing the number of springs on the reservation. From 1968 until 2019, the
639:
586:
511:
289:
437:
412:
365:
66:
462:
114:
32:
390:
233:
81:
in the US with a population of about 175,000 people. In 2023, about one third of residents did not have running water in their homes.
52:
184:
198:
between the Navajo Nation and the federal government did not require that the US government secure water access for the Navajo.
615:
649:
148:
in 2023 to provide a reliable and sustainable water supply to Navajo homes and businesses. The reservoir was renamed the
137:
145:
136:. Congress approved that agreement in 2009, but the tribe lacked pipeline infrastructure to access that water. The
118:
93:
488:"After decades of use in a coal power plant, a New Mexico reservoir will help bring water to the Navajo Nation"
195:
170:
106:
57:
122:
89:
37:
644:
101:
27:
132:
In 2005, the tribe made a water agreement with the state of New Mexico securing some water rights in the
341:"Tribes along the Colorado River navigate a stacked settlement process to claim their water rights"
316:"Tribes along the Colorado River navigate a stacked settlement process to claim their water rights"
149:
78:
208:
The court affirmed the Navajo Nation's right to intervene in lawsuits related to water claims.
241:
92:
pumps water from the
Colorado River into central and Southern Arizona. It was powered by the
191:
141:
177:
133:
633:
23:
202:
190:
The suit was decided by the
Supreme Court in 2023 in favor of the states. Justice
126:
84:
41:
19:
290:"Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case"
187:
ruled that the tribe could force the government to ensure its access to water.
245:
266:"Navajo Crops Drying Out as San Juan River Remains Closed After Toxic Spill"
155:
In 2020, the tribe completed a water settlement with the state of Utah.
438:"Navajo Generating Station closure leaves questions of water ownership"
366:"Navajo Generating Station closure leaves questions of water ownership"
391:"When the Navajo Generating Station Closes, Where Does the Water Go?"
616:"Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation request for water rights"
587:"Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in water rights dispute"
121:
consumed 11 billion gallons of water/year to provide power for the
413:"The fight for an equitable energy economy for the Navajo Nation"
234:"Supreme Court Rules Against Navajo Nation in Water Rights Case"
62:
States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe.
69:
have had lasting impact on the Nation's access to clean water.
512:"'A 100-year tragedy' for tribes in the Colorado River Basin"
159:
also had trouble negotiating water settlements with
Arizona.
100:
Water rights to the Colorado River are governed by the 1922
538:"Tribal nations fight for influence on the Colorado River"
398:
Colorado Natural Resources Energy and Environmental Review
463:"Navajo Nation Council Approves Water Rights Settlement"
48:had not reached an agreement with Arizona in 2023.
194:wrote the majority opinion, and said that the 1868
65:Additionally, environmental crises, such as the
536:Smith, Anna V.; Blaeser, Jessie (2022-11-16).
8:
561:Smith, Anna V.; Olalde, Mark (2023-06-14).
655:Environmental justice in the United States
83:
563:"How Arizona squeezes tribes for water"
217:
113:Beginning in the 1960s, coal mining by
660:Indigenous peoples and the environment
77:The Navajo reservation is the largest
609:
607:
67:2015 Gold King Mine waste water spill
7:
227:
225:
223:
221:
270:indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com
14:
185:9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
16:Water rights on the Navajo Nation
614:Barnes, Robert (June 22, 2023).
339:Denetclaw, Pauly (2022-03-10).
314:Denetclaw, Pauly (2022-03-01).
640:Water law in the United States
486:Segarra, Curtis (2023-07-20).
1:
461:Walton, Brett (2010-11-10).
411:Kutz, Jessica (2021-02-01).
436:Shea, Parker (2019-11-08).
364:Shea, Parker (2019-11-08).
232:Liptak, Adam (2023-06-22).
138:San Juan Generating Station
676:
168:
146:U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
115:Peabody coal at Black Mesa
33:Peabody coal at Black Mesa
125:, which pumps water from
119:Navajo Generating Station
94:Navajo Generating Station
196:Treaty of Bosque Redondo
171:Arizona v. Navajo Nation
107:Winters vs United States
58:Arizona v. Navajo Nation
164:Arizona v Navajo Nation
123:Central Arizona Project
90:Central Arizona Project
73:Water rights and access
38:Central Arizona Project
102:Colorado River Compact
97:
51:On June 22, 2023, the
40:that pumps water from
28:environmental conflict
26:have been a source of
87:
650:Environmental ethics
150:Frank Chee Willetto
389:MacGregor (2020).
238:The New York Times
98:
96:from 1968 to 2019.
79:Indian reservation
542:High Country News
320:High Country News
667:
624:
623:
611:
602:
601:
599:
598:
583:
577:
576:
574:
573:
558:
552:
551:
549:
548:
533:
527:
526:
524:
523:
508:
502:
501:
499:
498:
483:
477:
476:
474:
473:
458:
452:
451:
449:
448:
433:
427:
426:
424:
423:
408:
402:
401:
395:
386:
380:
379:
377:
376:
361:
355:
354:
352:
351:
336:
330:
329:
327:
326:
311:
305:
304:
302:
301:
286:
280:
279:
277:
276:
262:
256:
255:
253:
252:
229:
144:was sold to the
53:US Supreme Court
675:
674:
670:
669:
668:
666:
665:
664:
630:
629:
628:
627:
620:Washington Post
613:
612:
605:
596:
594:
585:
584:
580:
571:
569:
560:
559:
555:
546:
544:
535:
534:
530:
521:
519:
510:
509:
505:
496:
494:
485:
484:
480:
471:
469:
460:
459:
455:
446:
444:
435:
434:
430:
421:
419:
410:
409:
405:
393:
388:
387:
383:
374:
372:
363:
362:
358:
349:
347:
338:
337:
333:
324:
322:
313:
312:
308:
299:
297:
288:
287:
283:
274:
272:
264:
263:
259:
250:
248:
231:
230:
219:
214:
192:Brett Kavanaugh
173:
167:
142:water reservoir
75:
44:into Arizona.
17:
12:
11:
5:
673:
671:
663:
662:
657:
652:
647:
642:
632:
631:
626:
625:
603:
578:
553:
528:
503:
478:
467:Circle of Blue
453:
442:Arizona Mirror
428:
403:
381:
370:Arizona Mirror
356:
345:Arizona Mirror
331:
306:
281:
257:
216:
215:
213:
210:
178:Colorado River
169:Main article:
166:
161:
134:San Juan Basin
129:into Arizona.
74:
71:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
672:
661:
658:
656:
653:
651:
648:
646:
645:Navajo Nation
643:
641:
638:
637:
635:
621:
617:
610:
608:
604:
592:
588:
582:
579:
568:
564:
557:
554:
543:
539:
532:
529:
517:
513:
507:
504:
493:
489:
482:
479:
468:
464:
457:
454:
443:
439:
432:
429:
418:
414:
407:
404:
399:
392:
385:
382:
371:
367:
360:
357:
346:
342:
335:
332:
321:
317:
310:
307:
295:
291:
285:
282:
271:
267:
261:
258:
247:
243:
239:
235:
228:
226:
224:
222:
218:
211:
209:
206:
204:
199:
197:
193:
188:
186:
183:In 2021, the
181:
179:
172:
165:
162:
160:
156:
153:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
130:
128:
124:
120:
116:
111:
109:
108:
103:
95:
91:
86:
82:
80:
72:
70:
68:
63:
60:
59:
54:
49:
45:
43:
39:
34:
29:
25:
24:Navajo Nation
21:
619:
595:. Retrieved
593:. 2023-06-22
590:
581:
570:. Retrieved
566:
556:
545:. Retrieved
541:
531:
520:. Retrieved
518:. 2022-12-20
516:Deseret News
515:
506:
495:. Retrieved
492:KRQE News 13
491:
481:
470:. Retrieved
466:
456:
445:. Retrieved
441:
431:
420:. Retrieved
416:
406:
397:
384:
373:. Retrieved
369:
359:
348:. Retrieved
344:
334:
323:. Retrieved
319:
309:
298:. Retrieved
296:. 2023-06-22
293:
284:
273:. Retrieved
269:
260:
249:. Retrieved
237:
207:
203:Neil Gorsuch
200:
189:
182:
174:
163:
157:
154:
131:
112:
105:
99:
76:
64:
56:
50:
46:
20:Water rights
18:
567:www.hcn.org
417:www.hcn.org
152:Reservoir.
127:Lake Havasu
42:Lake Havasu
634:Categories
597:2023-06-24
572:2023-10-02
547:2023-06-25
522:2023-10-02
497:2023-07-22
472:2023-06-24
447:2023-10-02
422:2023-10-02
375:2023-10-02
350:2023-10-02
325:2023-06-25
300:2023-06-24
275:2016-05-07
251:2023-06-24
212:References
246:0362-4331
55:ruled in
591:NBC News
201:Justice
22:for the
294:AP NEWS
244:
394:(PDF)
242:ISSN
88:The
140:’s
636::
618:.
606:^
589:.
565:.
540:.
514:.
490:.
465:.
440:.
415:.
396:.
368:.
343:.
318:.
292:.
268:.
240:.
236:.
220:^
180:.
622:.
600:.
575:.
550:.
525:.
500:.
475:.
450:.
425:.
400:.
378:.
353:.
328:.
303:.
278:.
254:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
