WSPC05818

• File Number: 8064
• Description: Federal Water Rights - Colorado Indian Negotiations
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 12/31/1992
• Author: Various
• Title: Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement - Animas-La Plata
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: News Article/Press Release

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applicable law.

Again, as in the case of the Colorado ute

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Settlement, the Jicarilla's were provided with a development fund
in recognition of historic claims against .the United States and
others and for use to strengthen their Reservation ,economy,

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Finally, in HR 429, the Omnibus Water Bill of 1992, the

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Northern ute Tribe resolved long-standing water rights claims
against the United States. The' centerpiece of the Northern Ute

Tribe's water development striltegy with the United states in the

19505 and 19605 was the development of the Central Utah Project
under the authority of the Colorado River storage A,ct of 1956. A
principal component of the Central Utah Project was the Bonneville
Unit which contemplated inter alia the transfer of water from the

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Colorado River Basin to the ,Wasatch Front where Salt Lake is

located. In order to have a sufficient amount of water to justify

the diversion facilities, the Northern Ute Tribe contributed in

1965 a po:rtion of its water :rights.

In exchange, the Uni ted

states, consistent with the commitments ,and expectations of the
1922 Compact and the intervening legislation, committed itself to

the development of a number of water storage. facilities to allow

full development of the Tribe's water resources in the Uinta Basin.

Those facilities, as many other facilities in the Upper Basin, were

not constructed.

As a result, the 1992 ute Indian Settlement

quantified the Tribes'water rights in light of the failure of the

storage facilities and provided substantial economic benefits to

the Tribe so as to put the Tribe on the same footing that it would

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