Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act

A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to develop water infrastructure in the Rio Grande Basin, and to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, Tesuque, and Taos.

7/31/2008--Introduced.
Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act - Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Settlement Agreement dated January 19, 2006, among New Mexico, the Pueblos of Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, and Tesuque, the United States, the city of Santa Fe, and Santa Fe County and related agreements.
Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to plan, design, and construct a Regional Water System to divert and distribute water to the Pueblos in accordance with the Agreement. Directs the Secretary, for the purpose of providing a reliable supply of water from the System for the Pueblos in accordance with the Agreement, to:
(1) acquire rights to specified Nambe reserved water and water acquired by the County;
(2) make a specified amount of water available to the Pueblos in accordance with the San Juan-Chama Project Act; and
(3) obtain approval to divert such water for the System at points consistent with the Agreement. Establishes in the Treasury the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos Fund. Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act - Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the Settlement Agreement of March 31, 2006, between the United States, the Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, the Taos Valley Acequia Association and its 55 member ditches, Taos, the El Prado Water and Sanitation District (EPWSD), and the 12 Taos area Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Associations. Requires water rights to which the Taos Pueblo is entitled under the Partial Final Decree entered in New Mexico v. Abeyta and New Mexico v. Arellano to be held in trust by the United States. Directs the Secretary to provide financial assistance to:
(1) the Pueblo to construct, replace, or rehabilitate water infrastructure, to protect the environment associated with the Buffalo Pasture area, and to enhance watershed conditions; and
(2) eligible non-Pueblo entites for mutual benefits projects in accordance with the Agreement.
Establishes in the Treasury a Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund.
Authorizes the Pueblo to market its water rights under the Agreement.
Directs the Secretary to enter into three repayment contracts by December 31, 2009, for the delivery of specified amounts of San Juan-Chama Project water to the Pueblo, the town of Taos, and EPWSD.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Pete Domenici [R, NM]
• and 1 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D, NM]
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Committees

• Senate Indian Affairs

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to S.3381

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by Senate		Voted on by House		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
July 31, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Added to calendar on Sep 23, 2008: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably..
• Sep 23, 2008: Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
• Sep 11, 2008: Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held.
• Jul 31, 2008: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
• Jul 31, 2008: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7916-7917)
• Introduced on Jul 31, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.6768

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Blog Coverage

September 27, 2008 > Archives > News > Senate nearly final vote on New Mexico water ...

The Aamodt and Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act of 2008 (S. 3381) was approved by the committee by voice vote. The federal legislation would resolve water rights claims by Native American tribes in Northern New Mexico ...

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Source: News from www.taosnews.com

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September 24, 2008 Bush threatens veto of Pueblo water rights bill

President Bush is threatening to veto a bill to settle two long-running Pueblo water rights disputes in New Mexico. S. 3381 contains two components. One would settle the water rights of Tesuque, Nambe, San Ildefonso and Pojoaque pueblos ...

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Source: Indianz.Com News

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September 08, 2008 Congresspedia Preview: This Week in Congress (September 5-12, 2008 ...

... S.3355, to authorize the Crow Tribe of Indians water rights settlement, and S.3381, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Commissioner of Reclamation, to develop water infrastructure in the Rio Grande Basin, ...

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Source: Conor Kenny's blog

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