WSP11593

• File Number: 8064
• Description: Section "D" General Federal Issues/Policies - Indian Water Rights
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Title: Potential Indian Water Right Claims ‎(Western States Water Council Research Proposal)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Project Overview

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Indian ha:=r c4ti~s hill also be

liscecl which are ~ased u?on some other ~e:~oci of quantification,

but only where these cl~i=s have already been advanced by a tribe

or tribes. Liscing of chese claims and es:i~ates will not con-

stitute an opinion of the \Jestern Staces ;';a.ter Council as to the

legitimacy or reasonableness of claims fcr any tribe. All Indian

reservations in the region will be exa=.in:d although it is antici-

pated that no informacion will be available for some reservations.

Available case law'affecting methods of quantification will

be discussed. The final written product will include a compilation

of claims in the region as a whole, on a ~ajor river basis basis,

and on a state-by-state basis. It should be noted that the report

will be based on the best information that can be obtained within

the funding li~itations set forth in this ?roposal. It may be

impossible to incorporate some data which exists, but is located

at regional or district BIA offices, or on Indian reservations, and

is not susceptible to duplication or transportation.

B. General Approach

The general approach will be to compile available information

relating to asserted Indian water right claims and irrigable lands

on Indian reservations. Difficulties are anticipated because of

the incomplete nature and practical inaccessability of much of the

data which is available. Furthermore, Indian tribes, as well as

federal entities which oversee them, are :reluctant to share avail-
able informatiJn. Where no information is obtained for a reserva-

tion that face will be noted in the renor:.

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