Maricopa County — One of the longest-running lawsuits in Arizona’s history, the ongoing water rights case.
This lawsuit will determine who has the right to get water from the Little Colorado River Basin. Thousands of claimants are on trial, potentially exceeding available water.
Several Navajo leaders attended the first phase of the Navajo Trial in the Little Colorado River system judgment.
The Little Colorado River flows through Arizona’s northeastern corner seven days a week. The basin includes most of Apache County and Navajo and Coconino counties north of the Mogollon Rim and east of Flagstaff.
The Navajo and Hopi people own more than half of the land in this area, and without knowledge of water supplies, communities cannot properly plan for the future. Moreover, conflicts are numerous and frequent.
The lawsuit determines the rights and priorities of all water users, including cities, farmers, ranchers with reservoirs, and homeowners with domestic wells.
In 1985, the Navajo, the Hopi, and the United States (representing the two tribes) ruled that the United States Supreme Court ruled that water rights entrusted to the United States were under the jurisdiction of state courts, and that the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that It held that the Arizona Constitution does not prohibit such claims.
In 1995, the Arizona legislature announced a policy to resolve federally reserved rights, including those of Indian tribes, before awarding other water rights in the state.
In 2001, Judge Edward P. Ballinger ruled that the Hopi claim would proceed first in the Little Colorado River judgment. The trial is being conducted in Maricopa County Superior Court by Special Water Master Susan Ward Harris.
In April 2016, the Hopi and Navajo tribes made additional attempts to settle shared resources along the Little Colorado River, but those discussions stalled.
In 2019, the Hopi discussed their future needs. Many tribe members do not have running water in their homes. They practice dry farming, relying on rain to sustain crops in areas where rainwater naturally drains.
Navajo Nation President Vuu Nygren, Chairman Christalyn Curley, several members of the 25th Navajo Nation Council, and the Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch attended to discuss the Navajo Nation’s water supply to the Little Colorado River. supported the claim.
Nygren opened the meeting, answered questions, explained how important access to water was for families, and considered life on the reservation to be “normal” rather than extraordinary. added.
“My mom saved some money and we lived in a little travel trailer, maybe 8 feet by 12 feet. It was pretty old and had no running water or electricity.” in the tank. “I just thought the water was coming from an outside jug.”
The Phase I trial is expected to last several months with numerous witnesses and cross-examinations by Navajos and dissenters.
Council representatives include Resource Development Committee Chair Brenda Jesus, Vice Chair Casey Allen Johnson, and Commissioners Ricky Nez and Shauna Ann Crow. Council representatives Vince James, Seth Damon, Sherilyn Yazee, and Shandin Parrish were also present.
The hearing will be supervised by a Special Watermaster and can be viewed on the Maricopa County Superior Court website: www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/calendar/
