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Mesa Indigenous Support
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS; AZ Daily Star, Saturday 12-11-04
President Bush signed historic water legislation into law on Friday,
ratifying settlements of decades-old claims and lawsuits involving several
American Indian tribes in Arizona and New Mexico.
The bill, which the president signed in Washington, also resolves a
dispute between Arizona and the federal government over the size of the
state's obligation to repay costs of building the Central Arizona Project
aqueduct.
Also, money paid by the state to satisfy its obligation would go into a
federal fund to build distribution systems for Indian water and other
costs authorized under the law.
The 336-mile CAP canal system delivers water from the Colorado River to
thirsty cities and other users in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.
U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican who was the new law's main Senate
sponsor, said the enactment of the settlement bill "was a relief" after
years of working on it.
The Senate passed the bill on Oct. 10, and the House did so on Nov. 18.
"The primary benefits are that it provides certainty for Arizona water
users, especially here in the central part of the state," Kyl said. "We
know how much water each major city … and Indian tribe has."
Key provisions of the legislation include designating shares of Colorado
River water for Indian tribes, which can lease it back to cities for a
profit. The water cannot be sold to other states.
The legislation makes minor changes in a 1982 settlement involving the
Tohono O'odham Nation west of Tucson. That tribe is to receive 37,800
additional acre-feet of CAP water under the new law.
Talks have begun with the San Carlos and White Mountain Apache, Navajo and
Hopi tribes, Kyl said.
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