2024 Colorado River Water Conference Focuses on Future of Water Rights

The 2024 Annual Conference of the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) held at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas marked a historic gathering. The event brought together representatives from the seven U.S. states—Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, California, and Nevada—as well as Mexico and the ten Indigenous tribes that share the river’s waters. The conference, titled Piecing the Puzzle Together: Post-2026 Operations, focused on addressing the pressing water issues that impact 40 million people who rely on the Colorado River.

The ten tribes in attendance include the Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Jicarilla Apache Nation, Navajo Nation, Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Quechan Indian Tribe, and Cocopah Indian Tribe. Tribal leaders voiced concerns about the future of the river, with a particular focus on securing finalized agreements from the Bureau of Reclamation regarding Indigenous water rights. They met with Bureau Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, the first Filipino American to head the agency, to push for more comprehensive action.

The conference also highlighted challenges regarding the Colorado River Compact, a set of agreements established in 1922 that are struggling to meet the current demands of water use amidst a changing climate. Representatives from both the upper and lower basin states presented updates on their water situations in separate panels, sharing concerns about finalizing a new water compact to ensure the river’s future sustainability.

One of the major topics discussed was the 2024 Senate bill introduced by U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement (NAIWRSA). This bill aims to resolve longstanding water rights disputes for Native American tribes in Arizona. Senator Kelly introduced the bill with strong backing from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, Hopi Chairman Tim Nuvangyaoma, Yavapai-Apache Nation Chairwoman Teresa Lewis, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Vice President James Lehi. “This bill is historic,” said President Nygren. “It has been in the works for decades, and it’s time for us to secure the basic water rights that have long been denied.”

Despite the historic nature of the conference, no final agreement was reached on the Colorado River’s future water use. However, water managers remain hopeful that an agreement will be finalized soon, with the goal of submitting it to Congress for approval. On the final day of the conference, the ten tribes and Mexico participated in a Sovereign-to-Sovereign dialogue panel, where tribal leaders pushed for fairer water rights allocations after decades of unfulfilled negotiations.

During the conference, several symbolic gifts were exchanged. A traditional prayer feather was presented to J.B. Hamby, California’s representative on the Colorado River Board, as a sign of respect for his role in future discussions. Navajo Nation President Nygren had also planned to present a hand-carved wooden flute to Nevada’s representative John Entsminger, though Entsminger was absent. Tribal leaders hope to arrange a future meeting to present the gift and engage in meaningful conversations about water rights. The final gift was a Hopi Pueblo wood lighting stick, or dance wand, presented to Mexican Commissioner Adriana Reséndez Maldonado. This symbol of water and life has been used in rituals to invoke rain and ensure bountiful harvests.

The tribes’ struggle for fair water rights continues in the face of climate change and rising population demands. As they push for more equal access to the river’s resources, the tribes remain committed to ensuring the future of the Colorado River for all who depend on it.

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