This bill approves and puts into effect a legal settlement resolving longstanding water rights disputes between Ohkay Owingeh, a federally recognized Pueblo in New Mexico, and other users of the Rio Chama Stream System, including the State of New Mexico, the City of Española, and local acequia associations. It formally recognizes the Pueblo's water rights, protects them from being lost through non-use, and allows the tribe to lease water for use on or off its land for up to 99 years. The federal government would transfer $745 million into a new trust fund for Ohkay Owingeh to pay for water infrastructure, land and water rights acquisition, restoration of the Rio Chama bosque forest, and tribal water management programs, while the State of New Mexico contributes roughly $131 million toward acequia improvements, Española's water system, and groundwater protections. In exchange, Ohkay Owingeh and the U.S. government (acting on its behalf) agree to waive most further legal claims related to water rights and past water-related damages in the region, though certain rights, such as future water quality claims, are preserved. The settlement becomes legally enforceable once a federal court approves it, all funding is in place, and other conditions are met, with a deadline of July 1, 2038 for this to happen or the agreement expires.
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