Native water rights by the numbers

By Staci Matlock | The New Mexican

11/28/2007

New Mexico has 22 tribes and pueblos. Following are the tribes, rivers and settlement funding involved in each agreement:


Navajo settlement

Settles Navajo portion of the San Juan River in New Mexico. There are separate negotiations for water in Arizona and Utah.

• Agreement signed with state: 2005
• Total cost: more than $900 million
• Gallup and Jicarilla Apache portion: at least $30 million
• State projected share: $25 million
• Federal projected share: $820 million plus

Aamodt settlement

Settles claims of Pojoaque Pueblo, San Ildefonso, Nambé and Tesuque on the Nambé-Pojoaque and Tesuque streams.

• Agreement signed with state, Santa Fe County and city of Santa Fe: 2006
• Total cost: $309 million
• Santa Fe County share: $61.9 million
• State share: $50 million
• Federal projected share: the balance

Taos Pueblo settlement

Settles claims of Taos Pueblo to the Rio Pueblo de Taos and the Rio Hondo.

• Agreement signed with the state, Taos irrigators, Town of Taos and others: 2006
• Total cost: $134 million
• State share: at least $14 million

Source: State Engineer's Office