Federal Settlements Give Western Tribes Water Right Shares

From denverpost.com -Six recent water settlements have forced the government to commit $2.04 billion for dam, pipeline and reservoir projects — giving sovereign tribes from Montana to New Mexico control over 1.5 million acre-feet of new water each year. Tribes have used lawsuits and hard bargaining to assert water rights. Now, with many Western rivers already over-subscribed, tribes are in a position to play a greater role in development.  The Obama administration legal teams are negotiating 16 additional settlements. There's no better choice, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said, inspecting the Nighthorse reservoir on a recent aeriel swing. More News New Mexico

Federal Settlements Give Western Tribes Water Right Shares