Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Summary

Creates a congressionally approved settlement that funds and implements a comprehensive water-rights agreement among the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. It deposits multi-billion dollar sums into tribal trust funds and a pipeline implementation account, directs the Secretary of the Interior to plan, design, and build the iiná bá – paa tuwaqat’si pipeline, allocates specific Colorado River water volumes to tribes, authorizes leasing and other water-use rules, and conditions full enforceability on completion of required contracts, exhibits, environmental reviews, and a set of signatories by a statutory deadline. The law also requires tribal trust fund management or approved expenditure plans before withdrawals, establishes limited waivers of certain claims and limited sovereign-immunity waivers for enforcement/interpretation actions, and transfers specific lands into trust for the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe.

• Creates three tribal Water Settlement Trust Funds and an iiná bá – paa tuwaqat’si pipeline Implementation Fund with $5.1364 billion in mandatory transfers.
• Conditions full enforceability on completion of many contractual, legal, and environmental milestones and signatures by a large set of parties; failure by June 30, 2035 can repeal the Act and revert funds.
• Allocates specific Colorado River water volumes to the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe and sets rules for accounting, diversion, leasing, and place-of-use.
• Requires federally managed trust accounts, allows tribal withdrawals only under approved tribal management plans or Secretary‑approved expenditure plans, and gives the Secretary enforcement authority.
• Directs the Department of the Interior to design and build the iiná bá – paa tuwaqat’si pipeline with a Project Construction Committee that includes tribal representatives.
• Implements broad waivers/releases of many past and future water claims by participating tribes while preserving certain carved-out rights and enforcement pathways.
• Establishes limited tribal sovereign-immunity waivers allowing interpretation/enforcement suits that do not seek money damages against tribes or the United States-as-trustee.
• Ratifies and authorizes execution of the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement subject to NEPA/ESA compliance and cost-sharing rules for environmental review.
• Creates a new San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation of about 5,400 acres to be taken into trust and clarifies associated jurisdictional steps.
• Designates certain costs (environmental review, pipeline compliance) to be paid from specific tribal trust subaccounts or the pipeline account; investment earnings may be appropriated for use.