Last week, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians entered into a water rights settlement agreement with two local water districts that ends over a decade of litigation regarding Tribal water rights and groundwater management in the Coachella Valley. This historic settlement provides a pathway for cooperative water management on Reservation lands and secures a 20,000 acre-foot water right for the Tribe that will provide immediate benefits. WestWater is proud to have supported the settlement, which required creative solutions for a unique Tribal water rights dispute. We look forward to moving the settlement forward and continued work with other Tribal clients in water rights negotiation and water resources management.
Please reach out to us if you would like to learn more about our Tribal water consulting experience. Over the past 20 years, WestWater has supported many Native American Tribes in developing water right strategies that effectively intersect with local water management issues and opportunities. Our team has worked with over 25 Tribal communities across most Western states. In recent years, and working alongside Tribal staff, we have helped to manage a water marketing program in Idaho, explore water banking in Oklahoma, develop water marketing strategies in Oregon and Montana, and support water management planning in Arizona. Native American Tribes have a unique vantage point and place among water users in the Western US, and we are proud to help Tribal communities craft water plans and strategies to manage their water resources.
Brett Bovee
Intermountain Regional Director
970.672.1811
bovee@waterexchange.com