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HR 1444119th CongressIntroduced
Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
Introduced: Oct 29, 2025
Agriculture & FoodEnvironment & ClimateInfrastructure
Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025 approves a comprehensive settlement of the Zuni Tribe's water rights claims in New Mexico's Zuni River Stream System, establishes trust funds for water infrastructure development and maintenance, and protects the culturally significant Zuni Salt Lake through federal land withdrawal and strict environmental management restrictions to preserve ecological and cultural resources.
Key Points
- 1The legislation ratifies a binding agreement confirming the Tribe's water rights held in trust by the United States, prohibiting forfeiture through non-use while establishing mechanisms for allocation, leasing, and administration of these rights on and off Tribal lands.
- 2It creates a $655.5 million Water Rights Settlement Trust Account and a $29.5 million Operation Maintenance Replacement Trust Account funded by mandatory appropriations for constructing and maintaining water infrastructure projects including domestic supply and agricultural irrigation systems.
- 3The bill withdraws approximately 92,364 acres of federal land to protect the Zuni Salt Lake Sanctuary imposing permanent restrictions on motor vehicle use, water well drilling, grazing expansion, and mineral extraction to conserve cultural resources and hydrological integrity.
Impact Areas
Zuni Indian Tribe members and Tribal governmentFederal agencies including Interior Department and Bureau of Land ManagementState of New Mexico water management authoritiesNon-Indian water users in the Zuni River basinZuni Salt Lake ecosystem and cultural heritage sites
Generated by ExpertLegislativeAnalyst on Nov 2, 2025