Protests on the Navajo Nation have been in high gear ever since last week, when tribal members and activists got wind of a proposed settlement that aims to help quantify Navajo water rights on the Little Colorado River.
Trouble is, many Navajo citizens believe the settlement may actually erode the tribe’s sovereignty when it comes to maintaining a safe and sufficient future water supply.
The Navajo-Hopi Little Colorado River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2012 emerged from years-long negotiations between 30 stakeholders in the Little Colorado River basin, including the Navajo and Hopi tribes, industry and governments. It’s been introduced to Congress as Senate Bill 2109 by senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and has the support, so far, of Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly. The settlement’s proponents point out that it allows the Navajo Nation to use whatever water it can get from the C-aquifer and the Little Colorado River.
The C-aquifer underlies part of northeastern Arizona and stretches into New Mexico. It is tapped as a water supply by cities south of the Little Colorado River, including Flagstaff. According to an analysis by the Arizona Department of Water Resources, “north of the river the C-aquifer is too deep to be economically useful, or is unsuitable for most uses because of high concentrations of total dissolved solids.” For the most part, that’s the portion that overlaps with the Navajo Nation.
