October 27, 2026 11:52 am
CRIT Nation, Parker, AZ
October 27, 2026 11:52 am
CRIT Nation, Parker, AZ
As Arizona prepares for reduced Colorado River deliveries, the state is beginning to shift from years of saving water for future shortages to actually using some of those reserves.
KJZZ reported that the Arizona Water Banking Authority will use a one-year policy to fully “firm” water supplies lost by participating cities and utilities because of Colorado River shortages. Firming provides backup water to eligible users when their normal Central Arizona Project supplies are reduced.
The strategy could conserve up to 56,179 acre-feet in 2027 as cities and utilities rely on previously stored water rather than additional Colorado River deliveries.
The Water Banking Authority was created to store unused Colorado River water underground for future shortages. Arizona Water News reported that the agency is now entering a different phase. With less excess CAP water available for storage and shortages becoming more likely, the focus is shifting toward recovering and distributing the long-term storage credits accumulated over previous decades.
The Water Bank also has responsibilities for Tribal firming under the Arizona Water Settlements Act, along with providing backup supplies for certain municipal and industrial CAP users.
Stored water can help Arizona manage near-term shortages, but state officials are also considering how to bring entirely new supplies into Arizona over the longer term.
The Arizona Capitol Times reported that the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona is studying five potential water importation projects. Together, the projects could eventually produce hundreds of thousands of acre-feet annually, although none have entered construction.
Among the projects being studied are desalination plants in Mexico and California, reclaimed-water projects involving Mexico, and proposals that could exchange new water supplies for portions of Colorado River allocations.
Two projects approved for further study in early October involve a proposed desalination plant near Mexico’s Gulf of California and a project that would recover and treat reclaimed water in Mexico for use as part of Arizona’s future supply.
Early estimates vary widely. The five projects could potentially produce nearly 1 million acre-feet annually under the highest estimates, while more conservative projections place the combined amount closer to 361,000 acre-feet.
Arizona’s expected Colorado River reduction is about 760,000 acre-feet per year, showing why state officials are considering several different options rather than relying on one project.
Cost remains one of the largest obstacles. Arizona lawmakers have provided WIFA about $386 million for long-term augmentation work, but individual desalination projects could cost billions of dollars.
While the state studies new supplies, some cities are also looking more closely at how much water new developments use.
KTAR reported that Scottsdale is considering a large-water-user ordinance in response to Colorado River reductions. City staff recommended requiring new large users to submit conservation plans, while council members also discussed additional review for projects expected to use more than 500,000 gallons of water per day.
The discussion reflects a broader question facing Arizona: how much water can be saved through conservation compared with how much new water needs to be developed.
ABC15 reported that agriculture accounts for nearly three-quarters of Arizona’s overall water use, significantly more than sectors such as golf courses or data centers. That makes agriculture an important part of statewide water discussions, particularly as officials look for ways to reduce demand while protecting Arizona’s economy and food production.
Conditions upstream show why those conversations continue.
KUNC reported that Blue Mesa Reservoir, historically Colorado’s largest body of water, fell below 20% full this year after a poor snowpack and prolonged drought.
Low water forced the Elk Creek Marina to close in early July, months earlier than usual, and affected recreation, fisheries, and agriculture. Farmers receiving water from the Gunnison River system also had to leave some fields dry or reduce production. (more…)
The new Colorado River water year began Oct. 1 under a different operating framework, but Arizona’s biggest reductions will not take effect until the start of 2027.
KJZZ reported that the new federal rules begin changing how much water is released from Lake Powell to Lake Mead as the 2027 water year gets underway. Arizona’s own reductions, however, are tied to the calendar year and are expected to begin Jan. 1.
Arizona, California, and Nevada are still working to finalize a Lower Basin agreement that would determine how the reductions are divided among water users. KJZZ reported that Arizona’s top water negotiator, Tom Buschatzke, remains optimistic that the three states can complete the agreement before the end of the year.
Under the current framework, Arizona is expected to reduce its Colorado River use by 760,000 acre-feet in 2027, assuming the Lower Basin states finalize their proposed sharing agreement. ABC15 reported that the reduction would equal about 27% of Arizona’s normal Colorado River allocation.
The exact impact on individual cities and water providers is still being worked out. Phoenix officials told ABC15 that the city does not yet have a final number for how much of the statewide reduction will be reflected in its Central Arizona Project supply.
Arizona Water News reported that the Arizona Water Banking Authority is entering a new phase. Created in 1996, the Water Bank stored unused portions of Arizona’s Colorado River entitlement underground and accumulated long-term storage credits that can be recovered during shortages.
Through 2024, the Water Bank had accumulated more than 4.4 million acre-feet of long-term storage credits, including approximately 3.8 million acre-feet for Arizona uses and more than 600,000 acre-feet on behalf of Nevada.
The Water Bank also has responsibilities for firming certain Central Arizona Project municipal and industrial supplies and for helping meet Arizona’s Tribal firming obligations under the Arizona Water Settlements Act.
As Colorado River shortages deepen, those stored supplies are becoming more important. Instead of focusing primarily on putting additional water underground, the Water Bank is increasingly preparing for the recovery and use of water that has already been stored.
Cronkite News reported that some rural residents around Chino Valley are already dealing with wells that have gone dry, forcing them to rely on water-hauling businesses and private storage tanks.
The Prescott Active Management Area has been considered outside of safe yield for more than two decades, meaning groundwater is being removed faster than it is being replaced. Local officials told Cronkite News that continued growth and groundwater pumping have contributed to declining water levels.
The situation is separate from the Colorado River shortage, but the two issues are connected through Arizona’s broader water supply. As Colorado River deliveries decline, groundwater and stored underground supplies are expected to play a larger role for some communities.
KUNR reported on new research showing that wildfire is burning more land in watersheds that provide water to communities across the West. Researchers analyzed more than 17,000 watersheds and found that the average amount of land burned annually nearly doubled in watersheds serving more than 100,000 people.
Wildfire can temporarily increase runoff, but it can also worsen water quality by sending sediment, nutrients, and debris into rivers, reservoirs, and water treatment systems. Those effects can continue for years after a fire. (more…)
As September came to a close, Colorado River discussions shifted from announcing future cuts to a more difficult question: how will communities protect their water supplies as those reductions move closer.
In southwestern Arizona, Yuma officials are preparing for possible legal action on two separate water issues.
Arizona’s Family reported that the Yuma City Council unanimously authorized the city to prepare for legal action involving both Colorado River operating rules and a proposed transfer of Colorado River water from agricultural land in La Paz County to Queen Creek.
The proposed transfer involves water associated with GSC Farm. Yuma is joining Mohave and La Paz counties in challenging the transfer because local leaders are concerned about the precedent of moving water away from rural agricultural communities and toward growing metropolitan areas.
Yuma officials are also considering possible legal action involving the federal government’s new Colorado River operating guidelines. Mayor Doug Nicholls said Yuma wants to participate in addressing the river’s shortage but does not want agriculture to carry the entire burden. Yuma-area farms are an important source of winter produce for the United States.
At the same time, Arizona lawmakers are looking at another way to stretch the Colorado River supply.
KAWC reported on proposed federal legislation that would authorize restoration of the Yuma Desalting Plant, which was originally constructed to treat salty agricultural drainage water from the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation and Drainage District.
The proposed Colorado River Basin Water Security and Infrastructure Act would authorize $19 billion for water projects throughout the Basin, including $1 billion to restore the Yuma plant. Supporters say treating agricultural drainage water could reduce the amount of Colorado River water needed to meet downstream delivery requirements.
Arizona cities are also investing in their own water systems.
ABC15 reported that Phoenix is constructing a new 20-million-gallon reservoir at the Union Hills Water Treatment Plant. Historically, about 40% of Phoenix’s delivered water has come from the Colorado River, and city officials said the additional storage will give the system more flexibility as supplies become less certain.
Scottsdale, meanwhile, is considering additional review for new developments expected to use large quantities of water. Under the proposal, developments projected to use more than 100,000 gallons per day could face additional city approval requirements. The proposal had not yet been adopted when the story was published.
Private companies are also becoming more involved in Colorado River conservation.
KJZZ reported that Amazon pledged $20 million toward water-saving projects in Arizona and California. One proposed project would improve irrigation efficiency with an unnamed Tribal Nation in northern Arizona.
The investment is part of a larger effort to bring private funding into Colorado River conservation. KJZZ noted, however, that the scale of the river’s shortage is much larger than any single corporate investment. Major conservation programs involving farms, cities and infrastructure can require billions of dollars.
While states, cities and private companies look for ways to conserve or develop additional supplies, Lake Powell continues to show why those efforts are becoming urgent.
A Sept. 29 report said Lake Powell stood at about 3,518 feet in elevation, roughly 28 feet above minimum power pool, the level where Glen Canyon Dam can no longer effectively generate hydropower.
The reservoir had already reached a modern record low earlier in September. If Lake Powell falls below minimum power pool, water could still move through Glen Canyon Dam, but hydropower production would stop and dam operations would become more difficult.
The report also noted that federal efforts to protect Lake Powell can create consequences downstream. Reducing releases from Powell helps preserve its elevation but sends less water toward Lake Mead, demonstrating the difficult tradeoffs involved in managing the two reservoirs together.
Late September also marked the end of an era in Colorado River management. KGNU reported that the 2007 Interim Guidelines, which have governed operations during much of the river’s prolonged drought, were scheduled to expire Oct. 1. Years of negotiations among the seven Basin states had failed to produce a replacement agreement, leaving the federal government’s new management framework to guide the next phase of river operations. (more…)
Colorado is moving forward with a new voluntary conservation program as pressure grows for both the Upper and Lower basins to reduce demands on the Colorado River.
Colorado Newsline reported that the Colorado Water Conservation Board conditionally approved a “near-term contribution program” aimed at conserving 50,000 acre-feet of water during the 2027 water year. The program would use federal funding to compensate participants for conservation measures including temporary fallowing, deficit irrigation, and switching crops.
The program is voluntary and temporary, but farmers and Western Slope water managers have raised concerns about how it could affect agricultural communities. Some questioned whether conserved water can be tracked all the way downstream to Lake Powell and whether Colorado will receive credit for those reductions.
Colorado officials said they want participation from several water-use sectors rather than placing the responsibility primarily on agriculture. Water managers also emphasized that large-scale fallowing is not the only conservation option being considered.
The size of Colorado’s proposed conservation is relatively small compared with reductions facing the Lower Basin. Colorado Newsline reported that the program targets 50,000 acre-feet, while Arizona, California, and Nevada are expected to reduce their combined use by 1.25 million acre-feet in 2027.
At the same time, business groups from across all seven Colorado River Basin states are asking Congress for at least $2 billion in new federal funding for water projects.
KUNC reported that chambers of commerce and other business groups sent a letter to Congress seeking money for projects that could include repairing leaking municipal pipes, protecting watersheds from wildfire, and supporting programs that leave water in major reservoirs. (more…)
As Colorado River supplies remain under pressure, water agencies are investing in infrastructure to secure future deliveries while federal officials consider how declining reservoir levels affect hydropower and the river’s ecosystem.
One of the latest developments involves the Navajo Nation. Smart Water Magazine reported that the Bureau of Reclamation awarded an $81 million contract to Carstensen Contracting for construction of the final major segment of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in New Mexico.
The project is intended to bring reliable drinking water to nearly 250,000 people on the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities, fulfilling a longstanding water rights settlement. The newly awarded contract covers a pipeline connecting the Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir, east of Shiprock, to the San Juan Lateral Water Treatment Plant.
The San Juan Lateral is now more than 75% complete, with initial deliveries targeted for late 2028 and full completion expected by the end of 2029. Once finished, the broader Navajo-Gallup project will include approximately 300 miles of pipeline, two water treatment plants, and 19 pumping plants, addressing a longstanding infrastructure challenge in communities where many households still rely on hauling water.
In Arizona, cities are also developing additional water supplies ahead of federal Colorado River reductions.
12News reported that Peoria is spending $104 million on a water farm west of Tonopah to strengthen its long-term water supply. The investment is part of the city’s preparation for reduced Colorado River deliveries and reflects how communities are looking beyond their existing allocations to secure water for future needs.
Meanwhile, conditions at the Basin’s two largest reservoirs continue to influence federal water management decisions.
KLAS reported that two-year projections show Lake Mead potentially declining by approximately 40 feet while Lake Powell rises by a similar amount. The projected changes highlight how operations at one reservoir are connected to conditions throughout the Colorado River system.
Circle of Blue also examined how low water levels at Lake Powell are affecting decisions at Glen Canyon Dam. According to the report, the Bureau of Reclamation decided against certain environmental water releases this year because of concerns about hydropower generation.
Those releases would have helped rebuild eroded sandbars in the Grand Canyon and provided colder water to limit the reproduction of invasive smallmouth bass, which threaten native fish such as the humpback chub.
The proposed environmental releases would change the timing or temperature of water passing through Glen Canyon Dam rather than the total amount released over the year. However, using the dam’s bypass tubes would reduce electricity generation.
Reclamation said it is considering other measures to protect native fish, including removing invasive species and studying infrastructure that could regulate downstream water temperatures.
Water quality is also receiving attention elsewhere in Arizona.
KTAR reported that the Upper Verde River is nearing designation as an Outstanding Arizona Water, the state’s highest level of surface water quality protection. The designation would help protect the river from new discharges that permanently degrade its water quality.
The Upper Verde supports drinking water supplies, recreation, and habitat for several threatened and endangered species.
Together, these developments show how water management across the Basin involves more than dividing available supplies. Tribal communities are working toward reliable water deliveries, Arizona cities are developing additional resources, federal officials are balancing hydropower and ecosystem needs, and state agencies are considering stronger protections for rivers.
What does this mean for CRIT?
The Navajo-Gallup pipeline development is especially relevant because it illustrates the difference between holding water rights and having the infrastructure necessary to use them.
The project is fulfilling a longstanding Tribal water rights settlement by creating the physical system needed to deliver water to Navajo communities. It provides another example of how Tribal water management involves legal rights, infrastructure, federal commitments, and long-term planning. (more…)
Two Tribal Nations in Arizona have taken new steps to protect their water resources and culturally significant landscapes as the Colorado River Basin continues to face declining supplies and growing development demands.
KJZZ reported that the Hualapai Tribal Council recently approved a moratorium opposing the development of hyperscale data centers on its nearly one-million-acre reservation. The Tribe shares a 108-mile boundary with the Colorado River and raised concerns about the potential effects of large-scale data centers on water supplies, land, and the environment.
Hyperscale data centers are large facilities that support cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Depending on their design, these facilities can require substantial water for cooling and electricity generation.
Hualapai Chairman Duane Clarke told KJZZ that protecting the Tribe’s air, land, and water remains a priority. The resolution also states that outside entities and private developers cannot use or compromise Tribal resources without the Tribe’s free, prior, and informed consent.
The decision comes as other Colorado River communities consider similar developments. KJZZ reported that residents in Bullhead City have raised concerns about potential data center projects, while a proposed facility near Page has drawn opposition from the Navajo Nation’s LeChee Chapter.
Another development involving the Navajo Nation highlights the cultural significance of the Colorado River.
Grand Canyon Trust reported that the Navajo Nation has formally designated the confluence of the Little Colorado River and Colorado River as a sacred site under Tribal law.
Known as Tooh Ahidiilíní, the confluence is located within the Grand Canyon and holds cultural and spiritual significance for the Navajo people and other Indigenous communities.
The designation follows more than a decade of efforts by Navajo families and the Save the Confluence coalition. Those efforts included opposition to the proposed Grand Canyon Escalade development, which would have constructed a tramway, hotels, and other commercial facilities near the confluence.
The new legislation recognizes the confluence, Little Colorado River Gorge, and surrounding cultural landscape as a sacred site protected under the Navajo Nation Cultural Resources Protection Act.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over how the federal government will manage the Colorado River.
ABC15 reported that Nevada’s lawsuit challenging the new federal operating guidelines could potentially delay their implementation. Nevada argues that the plan places too much of the shortage burden on the Lower Basin states without adequately considering economic and public health consequences.
The state is seeking to block the plan before Oct. 1. If a court grants that request, existing operating rules and reductions could remain in place while the lawsuit proceeds.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas professor Tom Romero told ABC15 that litigation could encourage the Basin states to resume negotiations, but a court decision would not resolve the river’s declining water supply.
A Reuters analysis published Sept. 14 helps explain that underlying challenge. The report found that the Colorado River’s average annual natural flow declined from approximately 14.9 million acre-feet during the 20th century to 12.3 million acre-feet between 2000 and 2025.
Reuters also reported that water consumption exceeded the river’s natural supply in 16 of the last 24 years analyzed, with reservoirs making up the difference.
Together, these developments show how Colorado River management involves more than dividing water between states. Tribal governments are exercising their authority to protect resources and culturally significant places, while federal officials and water users continue working through legal disputes and a river system that is producing less water than in previous decades.
What does this mean for CRIT?
The Hualapai and Navajo Nation developments connect directly to CRIT’s ongoing work involving water sovereignty, resource protection, and the cultural significance of the Colorado River.
The Hualapai decision demonstrates how a Tribal government can use its authority to address proposed development and potential impacts on its natural resources. The Navajo Nation’s designation of the Confluence also provides an example of Tribal law being used to formally recognize and protect a culturally significant river landscape. (more…)
Parker, Ariz.) The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) welcomes the news that The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected the Arizona Legislature’s challenge to Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni-Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. The monument, established by a 2023 presidential proclamation, protects approximately 917,000 acres of federal land surrounding the Grand Canyon.
CRIT is part of the Grand Canyon Tribal Leaders’ Coalition and the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Tribal Commission.
CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores said, “The Colorado River is indistinguishably connected to the lands of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. This monument protects the health of the Colorado River, the surrounding lands, and the irreplaceable cultural resources. This ruling designation honors the tribal connections to the surrounding lands and the value of tribal stewardship in protecting the waters that flow through the Grand Canyon down to our reservation.”
Leadership from the Colorado River Indian Tribal Council served a major role in the official designation of the Monument an attended its dedication ceremony in August 2023.
On April 1st, 2026, Senator Ruben Gallego visited the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Upon the visit, he came to the Tribal Council Chambers and met with Chairwoman Amelia Flores, Vice Chairman Dwight Lomayesva, Council Secretary Josephine Tahbo, Councilwoman Vanessa Welch, Councilman Billy Beeson, Councilman Tommy Drennan, Councilwoman Raeanne Patch, and Councilwoman Tracey Quillen. Chairwoman Amelia Flores and Councilman Drennan thanked him for coming to CRIT, and spoke on the pro-rata decisions that are being considered for the Colorado River in its recent publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). They expressed a deep concern for the decisions stating that pro-rata is in many ways unlawful, and goes directly against their seniority water rights.
Furthermore, Senator Gallego took a small tour with Chairwoman Flores, members of Council, and lead water attorney John Bezdek with Joshua Moore as their tour guide on the reservation. The last stop was at the Colorado River Sewage System Joint Venture where they met with Town of Parker Mayor Randy Hartless, Vice Mayor Zafer Genc, Town Manager Nora Yackley, Council member Joshua Grenwalt, and Operations Manager Ashley Longanecker. The tour of the facility was led by Longanecker who emphasized the importance of fixing the sewage system for Parker and the Reservation, which was clearly displayed in its decaying state in need of desperate repairs. (more…)
A new federal policy proposal is threatening to Colorado River tribal water rights, and tribal leaders are fighting back. The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) issued a forceful set of comments in response to the Bureau of Reclamation’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) outlining proposed alternatives for post-2026 operations for Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
In its current form, the DEIS includes an analysis of several alternatives for Colorado River operations that would distribute water shortages by cutting water to all users on a pro-rata basis. By doing this, it aims to treat all users the same, regardless of priority date. For CRIT, which holds senior rights in the Lower Colorado River, rights that date back to 1865, and are protected under the Supreme Court decree in Arizona v. California. Such an approach would undermine the very legal foundation that secures the Tribe’s access to water. Making matters worse, the draft also relies on assumptions tied to current consumptive use. This framework risks penalizing CRIT for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) failure to efficiently operate and properly maintain the Colorado River Indian Irrigation Project, which is the primary means for CRIT to use its water.
If this draft is finalized without any changes, and these policies are put into action, some of the alternatives proposed in the report would represent significant policy shift for Colorado River management. Current operating agreements that govern the river expire at the end of 2026, which is the reason for federal officials to develop new guidelines intended to manage rising demand. Currently, there is extreme pressure to find solutions due to worsening drought conditions, declining reservoir levels, and increasing uncertainty across the basin.
In its response, CRIT asserts that several proposed federal approaches conflict with long-established water law and threaten to undermine the Tribe’s senior water rights. CRIT’s comment letter warns that without significant revision, the draft could place federal actions in violation of existing U.S. Supreme Court decrees. In its letter, Tribal Council made very clear to the Secretary of the Interior and Reclamation officials that it will take any actions it deems necessary to protect CRIT’s rights, including litigation before the Supreme Court.
Why Pro-rata should never be considered:
Pro-rata was put into consideration under the previous presidential administration, and continues on in the current government. This was one of several potential alternatives to address the significant shortages in Arizona, which stands to lose at least 27% of its entire water allocation. Under the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) pro-rata concept, they would address water shortages by cutting deliveries evenly among users based on the percentage of water they currently use (or consume), rather than on each user’s legal priority.
Priority Matters: First in Time – First in Right
A water-user’s ‘priority’ is like a place in line, users at the front of the line are usually those who established their right to use water first. They get their water first, and in full, while lower-priority users, who established their water rights later in time, get their full share of water if there is still enough to go around. Only in times of extraordinary shortage, and after all lower-priority users are cut to zero, would ‘first-priority’ users have to take less than they are legally entitled to use. This is a long-established truth about Western U.S. water law: though it can lead to harsh outcomes, first in time = first in right… and all western water-users know this is how water law works.
But under a pro-rata approach, the Priority system would conveniently disappear, and all water users, regardless of when their rights were established, would share reductions during times of shortage. For CRIT, whose water rights are among the most senior in the Lower Basin, a pro-rata system represents a fundamental shift away from long-standing legal principles that have historically governed how Colorado River water is distributed.
Pro-rata has been vehemently opposed by CRIT leaders as a violation of the law and an attack on CRIT tribal sovereignty. On two separate occasions in the past 6 months, leaders from DOI and Reclamation have met with Council. On both of those occasions, Tribal Council has been forceful that pro-rata shortages are illegal.
Due to a hotter and drier climate, reservoirs at Lake Mead and Lake Powell have dropped to historically low elevations, and federal officials warn that existing management strategies have not been sufficient to stabilize the system. The DEIS proposes a range of operational alternatives designed to balance two competing priorities; 1) maintaining water deliveries to users across seven states, and 2) protecting reservoir storage in order to maintain infrastructure integrity.
Federal officials state that new guidelines are needed to provide predictability to water users while adapting to increasingly dry conditions expected in the future. The proposed framework would guide operations for up to 20 years, beginning in October 2026. CRIT argues that portions of the draft plan conflict with established federal law and the Supreme Court Decree governing the Colorado River.
Water Rights and Infrastructure Challenges
CRIT’s response also highlights longstanding infrastructure challenges affecting the Colorado River Indian Irrigation Project (CRIIP). Since its original construction, the irrigation system serving the Reservation has seen little modernization or meaningful improvement to meet 21st-century operational standards. As a result, aging canals leak significant amounts of water into the ground before it ever reaches a field or crops, and the canals operate so inefficiently that enormous amounts of water is allowed to spill off the end of the system, straight back into the Colorado River, without ever being turned out onto a field.
Addressing this problem is no simple undertaking. The irrigation system is federally owned and managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), an agency that has faced decades of declining funding and limited operational capacity. According to CRIT’s response, these systemic challenges have prevented the Tribe from fully utilizing water.
The passage of the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022 further strengthens this effort by granting CRIT the authority to store, conserve, and lease its water. Historically, the water has been lost through deteriorating canals can instead be preserved for tribal agriculture, community development, and, if the Tribe chooses, leased to generate revenue that directly benefits CRIT and its members. The Tribe’s adoption of its Water Code and recognition of the Colorado River’s Personhood Status under tribal law further reinforces this framework of sovereignty and stewardship. One of the main goals for CRIT in pursuing these efforts is to expand agricultural operations across the reservation. These efforts will create greater opportunities for Tribal members and ensure long-term prosperity for the community and more importantly, for future generations.
CRIT also forcefully argues that Reclamation must acknowledge the Personhood Status of the Colorado River under tribal law. The Tribe claims that the DEIS must analyze the impacts on the Colorado River from diverting water for use in central Arizona. The water is best left in-stream to benefit and protect its status as a living entity, which provides spiritual, cultural, and religious benefits to tribal members.
Taken together, these developments underscore why CRIT views the current federal proposal as a defining moment. This is why pro-rata should never be considered, because it undermines all the progress CRIT has made to ensure it can use its water rights entirely, and within the long-established, existing legal framework. The Tribe’s response makes clear that decisions affecting the Colorado River cannot move forward without full recognition of tribal rights and authority. CRIT has signaled that it is prepared to defend those rights, and if necessary, take this matter to the United States Supreme Court.
Read the document in its entirety – Comments from the Colorado River Indian Tribes on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Post-2026 Operational Guidelines for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Follow the link below.
BOR_Comments CRIT Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Post 2026 Operational Guidelines and Strategies for La
Chief Irataba stands among the most notable figures in Native American history. Some leaders are remembered for their war strategy and resistance, while others are known for diplomacy and negotiation. Rarely do those qualities come together in one leader. Chief Irataba was one of those rare individuals. Known by the Mohave people as fearless, and described by American settlers as peaceful and fair, Irataba helped shape the future of the Mohave people and the land that would later become the Colorado River Indian Reservation.
Irataba, whose Mohave name was Eecheyara Tav, meaning “bright bird,” was born around 1814 along the Colorado River. Historical accounts describe him as a striking and commanding figure. Standing approximately six feet four inches tall, with a heavy jaw and broad shoulders, he was widely recognized for his intelligence, bravery, and leadership. Despite his powerful physical presence, those who encountered him often described his demeanor as calm and gentle. Historian Arthur Woodward referenced early descriptions of the Mohave leader, writing that Irataba was “a man six feet four inches tall, of very powerful frame, but very gentle and kind in demeanor.”
During the early nineteenth century, Mohave communities thrived along the Colorado River. The river provided fertile floodplains for farming and served as an important route for travel and trade among tribes throughout the region. Irataba rose to prominence during this time and became a war leader of the Kwanami, a group whose name has been interpreted as meaning “fearless.” His leadership earned him a reputation as both a warrior and a respected decision-maker within the community.
Accounts from the period suggest that Irataba’s influence extended beyond his own village. One early description noted that he “seemed to have great influence over neighboring tribes and acted in disputed questions as a kind of supreme judge.” His ability to mediate disputes and maintain relationships among tribes helped establish him as one of the most respected leaders in the Colorado River region.
By the 1850s, the Colorado River began attracting increased attention from American explorers and the United States government as they searched for routes across the Southwest. One of the most notable expeditions during this time was led by Joseph Christmas Ives, who traveled along the river studying its geography and potential as a transportation route.
Historical accounts indicate that Irataba played an important role during these early encounters. Acting as a guide and intermediary, he helped facilitate communication between Mohave communities and American explorers traveling through the region. Newspaper reports from the time also recognized his authority. An article published in the Los Angeles Star in 1861 described Irataba as not only the chief of the Mohave people but someone who possessed more influence in the Colorado River country than any other chief in the district.
In 1864, Chief Irataba traveled to Washington, D.C., where he met with Abraham Lincoln and other federal officials. His visit brought national attention to the Mohave people and the challenges facing tribes along the Colorado River as settlers, miners, and military expeditions entered the region. On March 3, 1865, the Colorado River Indian Reservation was formally established by executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln along the lower Colorado River. The reservation would eventually become home to the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo peoples and remains the homeland of the Colorado River Indian Tribes today.
Chief Irataba continued to be a respected leader among the Mohave people throughout the later years of his life. He died in May of 1874 at his home along the Colorado River. Some historical accounts referred to him as “the Uncas of his tribe,” a comparison meant to recognize him as one of the last great leaders of the Mohave people during that era.
Today, many Mohave families continue to live in and around Parker, Arizona, within the Colorado River Indian Tribes community. The history of Chief Irataba is not only preserved in historical records but also through the families and descendants who remain connected to the land along the Colorado River. Generations of Mohave people have continued to live, work, and raise their families in the same region their ancestors once called home.
More than a historical figure, Chief Irataba’s legacy lives on through the people of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. His leadership during a time of great change helped shape the future of the Mohave people, and his story continues to be remembered as a symbol of strength, diplomacy, and resilience for generations to come.
Article written by CRIT Media Reporter Ariana Romero
