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The Colorado River Indian Tribes Tribal Council has made a historic decision to protect the lifeblood of their Reservation. On November 6, 2025, the Council unanimously approved Resolution No. R-375-25, which proclaims the personhood status of the Colorado River under tribal law.
This resolution acknowledges the Colorado River as a living entity whose health and well-being are intrinsically linked to the well-being of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) members. The Tribes’ deep-rooted connection to the river spans centuries, providing cultural identity, spiritual strength, food systems, and economic stability that continue to shape their community life today.
The resolution emphasizes the central role the river has played in defining the identity of the CRIT. It highlights that CRIT’s ancestors have preserved and protected these lands since before the establishment of the Colorado River Indian Reservation in 1865.
The Council underscores the crucial role the river plays in sustaining traditional practices, wildlife, and agriculture, including the federal irrigation systems authorized as early as 1867. Today, the Colorado River Indian Irrigation Project stands as a cornerstone of the tribal economy.
The resolution underscores significant legal milestones that acknowledged CRIT’s water rights. In the landmark 1964 and 2006 Arizona v. California U.S. Supreme Court decisions, the Tribes secured 719,248 acre-feet of water annually, ensuring their access to the river for generations to come.
By granting personhood to the River, the Tribal Council reaffirmed its sovereign duty to honor and protect it. This status mandates that the River’s well-being must be a priority in governance and decision-making moving forward.
As part of the resolution, the Attorney General and their staff will develop legal safeguards and propose updates to the CRIT Water Code and other relevant regulations. These updates may include the potential designation of the river as a protected cultural landscape.
Council members recognized that protecting the river is not merely a legal obligation but a continuation of cultural beliefs passed down through generations.
Through this declaration, CRIT demonstrates its unwavering commitment to stewardship. The resolution concludes with a resolute message: the Colorado River is, and will always remain, a vital entity deserving of respect, care, and protection for all future generations.
Article Written by CRIT Media Reporter Ariana Romero
News Update November 12, 2025
Negotiations over the future of the Colorado River have reached a standstill after all seven basin states failed to meet a key federal deadline. Reports from 12News and 8NewsNow confirm that the states were unable to agree on a new water-sharing plan, leaving the situation unresolved as the river continues to decline.
High Country News explains that the biggest disagreements involve how much each state should give up in the future. The upper Basin states want fewer mandatory reductions, while the Lower Basin states, including Arizona, say they have already taken the deepest cuts and cannot continue to absorb the majority of the impacts.
With no agreement in place, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has asked the Trump administration to intervene. She stated that Arizona has made significant sacrifices and cannot carry the weight of the reductions while other states refuse to commit to measurable cuts. If the states cannot reach a plan soon, the federal government may create one for them.
For the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the outcome of these negotiations has major importance. CRIT holds valuable senior water rights and relies on a stable and fair management plan to ensure long-term security for the community and the region.
For more information, you can read the news articles with the links below.
High Country News
https://www.hcn.org/articles/why-colorado-river-negotiations-are-so-difficult/
12 News
/wednesday-is-deadline-for-7-state-including-arizona-to-negotiate-the-colorado-river
In early May , there were press reports regarding the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California, and Nevada releasing a proposal on how to manage shortages on the Colorado River system through the end of 2028. The proposal identifies how current and future shortages on the Colorado River system will be apportioned among the three states. It establishes goals for the conservation of water and proposes studies to reoperate the reservoirs on the Colorado River to allow for water deliveries at lower elevations.
The Lower Basin Proposal also established a Tribal Pool in Lake Mead setting aside water to specifically address future shortages for those Tribes that receive their water through the Central Arizona Project (CAP) and may be shorted as CAP allocations are diminished. We want to be clear with you that this Tribal Pool does not pertain to CRIT because our water comes directly from the Colorado River and NOT delivered through the CAP. Our water rights are the senior Tribal rights in the Colorado River Basin and senior to the CAP.
Tribal Council has taken no formal position on this proposal, and we were not involved in its drafting or negotiation. We do appreciate, however, that this proposal does not seek to set aside the priority system in allocating shortages, which some in the Lower Basin states have pushed for in the past. Retaining the priority system for allocation of shortages has been the biggest concern of Tribal Council throughout the Post 2026 Process and we want to acknowledge the Basin States holding firm on this position. We are concerned, however, about the significant federal investment it will take to implement this proposal and want to be assured that portions of these federal funds will be expended on all Tribal Nations in the Basin.
Tribal Council has been in contact with leadership from Arizona and will continue to monitor how this, and other proposals for the management of the Colorado River, will be viewed by Reclamation. Tribal Council is also in continuing contact with Reclamation and will hold a government-to-government consultation with Senior Reclamation leaders on June 1st. We will continue to update membership as these matters develop.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has proposed increasing Operation and Maintenance (O&M) rates for the delivery of water from $85 to $93 per acre. Over the past three years, CRIT and local farmers have experienced water delivery cost increases of more than 20%, while services have remained the same or declined due to the federal government’s cuts in staffing and the poor condition of Colorado River Indian Irrigation Project.
Madam Chairwoman Flores and the CRIT Tribal Council opposes this proposed rate increase and remains committed to strengthening Tribal sovereignty. That includes advocating for fair, transparent, and reliable O&M water delivery rates for our farmers, to preserve the economic health and wellbeing of the Tribes. We have listened to the concerns raised by the CRIT community and our farmers, and will continue working to protect our land, our water, and our future.
Get Involved: Farmers and community members who would like more information or who want to provide input on the proposed rate increase are encouraged to participate by sending a comment letter. Written comments may be submitted to: comments@bia.gov. Use the
subject line: Rate Adjustments for Indian Projects.
Contact: Leslie Underwood, Program Specialist, BIA Division of Water and Power
Office of Trust Services
Comment deadline: May 22, 2026
Learn more:
Letter from CRIT to BIA Opposing the Proposed 2027 O&M Rate Increase: CRIT Letter
Information from BIA re: the Proposed 2027 O&M Rate Increase: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/23/2026-05577/rate-adjustments-for-indian-irrigation-projects
