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<br />Indian Warer- 1997: Trends and Directions In Federal Water Policy <br /> <br />rights settlement, the endangered cui-ui in Pyramid Lake and the needs of <br />the Lahontan Valley wetlands for water threatened to impact urban water <br />users in Reno/Sparks as well as irrigators. This situation served, in large <br />part, to bring the urban interests int~ discussions with the tribes. I think it's <br />far to say that in that case, the tribes' position was strengthened by the <br />Endangered Species Act, by demands for greater water use efficiency, and by <br />an alliance that was created between conservationists, tribes and other <br />people in the region. <br /> <br />So what is ahead? We have entered a new era of western water policy. It is <br />about tribal water rights. It is about environmental water needs, and <br />unfortunately it's about the budget. The fight over the Animas-La Plata <br />project in Colorado is one painful example of the kinds of issues facing tribes <br />and conservationists in budget-tight times. <br /> <br />In Colorado, the State Governor and Secretary Babbitt have recently <br />convened all of the parties to the Animas-La Plata conflict to see ifthey can <br />reach a consensus on alternatives to the project that would still provide <br />water to the tribes and to other parties in the conflict in a less <br />environmentally damaging way. <br /> <br />The opponents to that project interestingly include conservationists, <br />taxpayer groups and citizen groups. Taxpayer groups are new in this <br />western water battle. I think it's correct to say that the opponents to the <br />project are unified in their commitment to finding a way to satisfy tribal <br />water rights, but they feel very little obligation to spend taxpayer dollars to <br />deliver water to non-Indian irrigators. <br /> <br />The proponents to the project have options to consider-including litigation. <br />But there is also an option for tribes, conservationists and taxpayer groups to <br />try to work together to find ways to satisfy the water and equity demands of. <br />the tribes. It doesn't mean that the tribes and the conservationists will agree <br />on everything, but cooperation between them might strengthen their <br />respective positions. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />In other words, meeting water needs for endangered species and ecosystems <br />should not preclude the satisfaction of tribal demands, and hopefully vice <br />versa. However, the timing of both of these demands within the evolution of <br />western water policy indicates that they will probably have to be solved <br />together-at least in many cases-and maybe they can be. <br /> <br />There are some interesting precedents evolving. The jury is still out as to <br />whether they will work. But in the Colorado River Basin, for example, the <br />Recovery Action Program for endangered fish in the upper basin is <br />predicated on finding ways to recover the species and to accommodate future <br />water development. <br /> <br />30 <br />