# Summary
This bill settles long-standing water rights disputes with the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona by recognizing their water claims and authorizing two major water infrastructure projects. The settlement gives the tribe water rights from the Verde River and the Central Arizona Project, plus access to water stored at C.C. Cragin Dam and Reservoir.
The legislation directs the federal government to fund and construct the Tú ńlį́į́níchoh Water Infrastructure Project, which includes a pipeline to deliver water from C.C. Cragin Dam to tribal lands and a drinking water treatment facility to serve the Yavapai-Apache Nation. Congress appropriates approximately $883.5 million for construction and an additional $155.3 million for a trust fund to help the tribe manage water resources, operate infrastructure, and fund wastewater and watershed projects. The bill also establishes a land exchange where the tribe transfers about 4,782 acres of private land to the U.S. Forest Service, and the federal government transfers about 3,088 acres of Forest Service land to the tribe and takes another 119 acres into trust.
The settlement becomes binding once the Interior Department publishes a finding that certain conditions are met—including deposit of all appropriated funds, Arizona's approval of water transfers, court approval of the tribal water rights judgment, and completion of environmental reviews. The deadline for these conditions is June 30, 2035.
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