Zuni Tribe would get $685 million and protected land to settle water rights in New Mexico.
This bill would settle long-standing water rights claims for the Zuni Indian Tribe in New Mexico. It would set aside over $685 million in federal funds for the Tribe's water projects and management, and protect the Zuni Salt Lake by transferring federal land into trust for the Tribe. This means the Tribe would gain secure water access and control over important cultural lands, while giving up past claims.
Today, the Zuni Indian Tribe has ongoing water rights claims in New Mexico's Zuni River Stream System, which are being decided in federal court. If this bill passes, it would approve a settlement, giving the Tribe confirmed water rights and setting aside $685 million in federal funds for water infrastructure and management. It would also protect the Zuni Salt Lake by withdrawing about 92,364 acres of federal land from development and transferring some land into trust for the Tribe.
S 564 · 119th Congress · February 13, 2025 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 9/10
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2 filings mentioned this bill
Amounts reflect total quarterly lobbying spend reported to the Senate, not bill-specific spending. Source: Senate LDA filings.