WASHINGTON, D.C. -Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and Speaker of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, Crystalyne Curley joined San Juan Paiute Tribe and Hopi Tribal leaders on March 11 for a meeting with Senator Mark Kelly to discuss advancing the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement and securing funding for long-planned water infrastructure.
The discussion with Senator Kelly surrounded the importance of the settlement in providing long-term certainty for tribal water rights and for the Colorado River system. The proposed settlement would support drinking water systems, water treatment facilities, and related infrastructure serving communities across the region.
President Nygren urged continued collaboration to move the agreement forward.
“We appreciated Senator Kelly’s engagement and encourage continued work with tribal leadership to identify a path to fund and advance this settlement,” said President Nygren. “By bringing our teams together and working with the Upper Basin states, we can move forward in a way that allows our communities to finally use the water promised to them and strengthen other settlements across the region.”
Senator Kelly acknowledged the scale of the investment, noting the roughly $5.1 billion cost of the settlement equals about what the United States spends in the first two days of conflict in the Middle East. He reaffirmed the importance of working with tribal leadership and regional partners to identify funding strategies and maintain momentum toward passage.
Discussions also addressed infrastructure needs serving communities across northeastern Arizona, continued negotiations with Upper Basin states, and the importance of maintaining progress on water infrastructure projects such as the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project.
