Tribes Fight for Water Rights

There are about a half-dozen water settlements at various stages on Capitol Hill this year. With only about 25 ratified over the last two or so decades, many will conclude with congressional action. Some, though, will end in court. No matter how tribes fight for their water rights, they can count on a long battle and investing a lot of resources. In fact, for any tribe that has not yet pursued its reserved water rights, the fight could get tougher. As the nation’s population grows, the demand for water will increase. Water supplies in some regions, such as the West and Southwest, are drying up from droughts caused by climate change. Read more about the struggle for water rights in this month’s issue of American Indian Report.