LAS VEGAS — Navajo President Buu Nygren said Friday that congressional lawmakers could soon take up legislation enacting a $5 billion water rights settlement for three Arizona tribes, even as some state officials in the Colorado River Basin continued to express unease over the proposal.
The Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe are awaiting federal action on an agreement to secure their share of flows from the Colorado River, along with the money needed for infrastructure to deliver water to their reservations.
“We’ve been working on this for decades,” Nygren said in remarks to the Colorado River Water Users Association conference, adding that he expects to reach a deal on outstanding issues in the bill by as early as Tuesday. “It’d be nice to get it done very soon.”
There’s talk on Capitol Hill of approving more natural resources and water settlement legislation before the end of the year, but it’s unclear whether lawmakers will have enough time to settle the details in the next two weeks. They’ve also expressed concern about any spending that isn’t offset.
