Colorado River Water Indian Tribal User Profiles

Christopher Yazzie, September 17, 2015

Arizona Tribes with Colorado River ContractsOn Colorado River1. Cocopah Indian Reservation2. Colorado River Indian Reservations3. Fort Mojave Indian Tribe4. Fort Yuma-Quechan Indian Reservation5. Hopi Tribe *uses land in Cibola

CAP customers6. Ak-Chin Indian Community7. Fort McDowell Indian Community8. Gila River Indian Community9. Pascua Yaqui Tribe10.Tohono O’odham Tribe11.Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community 12.San Carlos-Apache Tribe 13.Yavapai-Prescott Tribe 14.White Mountain Apache Tribe #15.Yavapai-Apache Tribe **#Relatively recent exchange agreements**Does not use water entitlement

Indian Tribal Water Rights

• 1908- U.S. Supreme Court case Winters v. Unites States

• Role of the United States as trustee to Indian Tribes

• Water Settlements minimize time and cost to all parties

involved

• Water Entitlements depend on tribal uses such as

agricultural, recreation, religious activities, wildlife,

forestry, energy, mining, industry, and domestic needs

purposes.

• Settlement often include option to Lease or Exchange

besides on-reservation use.

Cocopah Indian Tribe

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1917• Land base covers 6,500 acres• On Tribe Population: 817

• Water Entitlement• 10,847 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Colorado River Indian Tribes

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1865• Land base covers 276,620 acres• On Tribe Population: 7,077

• Water Entitlement• 662,402 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Fort Mojave Indian Tribe

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1870• Land base

• 23,669 acres in Arizona, 42,000 total.• On Tribe Population: 1,004

• Water Entitlement• 103,535 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Fort Yuma-Quechan Indian Reservation• Biographical

• Federally Established in 1884• Land base covers 43,570 acres• On Tribe Population: 2,197

• Water Entitlement• 6,350 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Hopi Tribe of Arizona

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1882• Land base covers 1,543,306 acres *north-eastern

AZ• On Tribe Population: 6,946

• Water Entitlement• 6,028 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Ak-Chin Indian Community

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1912• Land base covers 21,000 acres• On Tribe Population: 1,001

• Water Entitlement• 75,000 acre-feet per year + losses + 10,000

additional• Water Use Leases

• Pascua Yaqui Tribe

• Del Webb

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1890• Land base covers 24,000 acres• On Tribe Population: 971

• Water Entitlement• 18,233 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Lease Agreements• City of Phoenix• City of Gilbert

Exchange Agreement• Salt River Project

Gila River Indian Community

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1859• Land base covers 372,000 acres• On Tribe Population: 11,712

• Water Entitlement• 311,800 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

20142012

20102008

20062004

20022000

19981996

19941992

19901988

19861984

19821980

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

Gila River Indian Community Water Delivery by CAP

ExchangesLeasesGRIC Use

Year

Acre

-Fee

t of W

ater

Lease Agreements• Freeport-Mc Moran• City of Phoenix• City of Peoria• City of Scottsdale

Exchange Agreements• Salt River Project• City of Mesa• City of Chandler

Pascua Yaqui Tribe

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1964• Land base covers 1,194 acres• On Tribe Population: 3,484

• Water Entitlement• 500 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Tohono O’odham Nation

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1874 as San Xavier Mission• Land base covers 2,800,000 acres• On Tribe Population: 10,201

• Water Entitlement• 72,000 acre-feet per year

• Water Use

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community• Biographical

• Federally Established in 1859• Land base covers 52,600 acres• On Tribe Population: 6,289

• Water Entitlement• 13,300 acre-feet per year

• Water UseLease Agreements• City of Chandler• Town of Gilbert• City of Glendale• City of Mesa• City of Phoenix• City of Scottsdale• City of Tempe

San Carlos Apache Tribe

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1871• Land base covers 1,834,781 acres• On Tribe Population: 10,068

• Water Entitlement• 61,645 acre-feet per year

• Water UseLease Agreements• City of Scottsdale• Pascua Yaqui Tribe• City of Gilbert

Exchange Agreement• Freeport-McMoran

Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe

• Biographical• Federally Established in 1935• Land base covers 1,413 acres• On Tribe Population: 192

• Water Entitlement• 500 acre-feet per year

• Water Use- Assigned to the City of ScottsdaleAll water entitlement assigned to theCity of Scottsdale

Central Arizona Project Diversion

• 2014 Tribal deliveries was 31% of CAP diversion from Colorado River

Future Work

• Investigate Surface Rights, Groundwater Rights• Water Rights Economic Impact on Tribes• 67,300 acre-feet per year of CAP water is reserved for

future AZ tribal water settlements• 12+ tribes that need to settle

Thank You