Photo Credit: Luke Runyon/KUNC: Water from the Central Arizona Project spills over the Pinal County countryside.
Contribution article
WASHINGTON – A total of $120,725,000 has been invested in the Arizona Tribal Water Rights Settlement from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, led by Sen. Kirsten Cinema and shaped by Sen. Mark Kelly. be done.
The Senator’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act provides $2.5 billion in funding to complete all currently approved Indian water settlements. The Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for the operation, maintenance and replacement of Ak-Chin’s Indian Water Concession Settlements, the rehabilitation of the San Carlos Irrigation Project, the Pima Maricopa Irrigation Project for the Gila River Indian Community, and the San Carlos Apache distribution system.
“Thanks to our leadership on infrastructure legislation, this historic investment will strengthen the tribal economy and water security by fully funding Indian water settlements in Arizona and across the country, and will significantly infrastructure and create jobs,” said Cinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan Infrastructure investment and employment law.
“The funds we set aside to implement existing tribal water settlements fulfill our obligations to the tribal governments of Arizona.In doing so, they promote water conservation and create jobs. It allows us to create and strengthen the economies of tribal communities while also obtaining the resources we need to use our water rights,” Kelly said.
The winners and prize amounts are as follows:
| settlement | total |
| Ak-Chin Indian Water Rights Settlement Operations, Maintenance and Replacement | $22,000,000 |
| Arizona Water Settlement Act Implementation – San Carlos Irrigation Project Rehabilitation | $18,225,000 |
| Gila River Indian Community – Pima Maricopa Irrigation Project | $79,000,000 |
| San Carlos Apache Tribe (delivery system) | $1,500,000 |
Cinema led bipartisan Senate talks with Republican Ohio Senator Rob Portman, which included Senators from both parties, as well as Senator Kerry.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act is governed by the American Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, Association of American Manufacturers, AFL-CIO, Federation of American Retailers, Bipartisan Policy Center, Building Workers Union of North America, Outdoor Industry Association, American Hotel Lodging Association, National Education Association, hundreds of mayors in all 50 states.
