Native Americans and the Environment: A survey of twentieth century issues with particular reference to peoples of the Colorado Plateau and Southwest (page 5 of 10)

Author: David Rich Lewis. Adapted from: Lewis, David R. 1995. "Native Americans and the Environment: A survey of twentieth century issues." American Indian Quarterly, 19: 423-450, by permission of the University of Nebraska Press. Visit the University of Nebraska Press website at nebraskapress.unl.edu/.

Water

Given that most reservations are in the arid West, it is understandable that water has been a central concern. By 1900, whites competed with Indians for this scarce resource, despite federal assurances of Indian water rights in cases like Winters v. U.S. (1908). Today dams raise important environmental issues of water flow through places like the Hualapai Reservation in the Grand Canyon, of aquatic species preservation and Indian fishing rights, of control of power generating and recreation facilities, and of the ownership and sale of water.

While the Winters Doctrine assured Indians water, it did not quantify those rights. The issue of how much water tribes have the right to use or sell has become crucial in the arid West, especially for tribes in states drained by the Columbia, and Colorado river systems. There, potential Indian claims may exceed 45 million acre feet of water annually with a market value of $20 to $50 billion. In states party to the Colorado River Compact, the pending completion of the Central Utah and Central Arizona projects promises a massive redistribution of water and money and a test of Indian water rights. Some water is already flowing to tribes such as the Salt River Pima and Maricopa who lost water to earlier reclamation projects. Other tribes, like the Northern Utes, are receiving money in lieu of water diverted from their watersheds. Future development, control, and water marketing by Shoshones, Utes, Paiutes, Navajos, Pimas, Tohono O'odhams, Ak Chins, and other groups raise critical economic and environmental issues.

Follow these links to:
Natural Resource Mining and Pollution
Waste Storage and the Atomic Threat
Tourism
Stereotypes and Interests in Conflict
Conclusion
Selected References