A monthly members-only column by Alan Dulaney
For years, we have watched as the seven states, plus Mexico, that comprise the Colorado River basin attempted to develop some agreement governing the future operations of that river. We watched as the states, all professing faith in the efficacy of a collaborative effort, yielded not one inch in their stated positions. And it all collapsed with the issuance of a Preliminary Environmental Impact Statement by the United States that imposed operational guidelines that the Bureau of Reclamation saw as necessary and doable. Arizona came out on the short end of that stick.
Yet at the same time another group was negotiating a settlement of water rights that directly impacts northern Arizona and adjacent areas in Utah and New Mexico. Quietly, cooperatively, the Navajo Nation, the Hopi Tribe, and the Southern Paiutes worked out a solution to a variety of issues that had remained unresolved for several decades. Other entities were also involved in the negotiations (39 in all), which culminated in 2004. Governor Hobbs signed what became known as the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement (NAIWRSA). For a full explanation of NAIWRSA and a list of all the parties, go to the Kyl Center at the ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy here.
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