MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah (AP) — The portion of the Navajo Nation that lies in Utah is getting $210 million to go toward clean drinking water infrastructure.
Navajo leaders signed an agreement Friday with Utah and federal officials that provides the funding and also settles the tribe’s claim to Colorado River water rights.
The Colorado River was recently in the spotlight after American Rivers named the water source to its list of the most endangered rivers in the United States.
The signing formalized the Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement, which became law last year as part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill.
It’s one of 16 tribal water rights settlements the administration is devoting $1.7 billion to fund.
The settlement also resolves long-standing concerns about legal battles over the Colorado River and the tribe’s claims to senior water rights.