PARKER – The Colorado River Indian Tribes have taken a history making step to implement the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022. At a ceremony on the CRIT Reservation April 26th, leadership from the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the State of Arizona, and the United Staes Department of the Interior signed agreements required under the act.
CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores and tribal leaders were joined by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, and officials from the Department of the Interior and the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
The agreements will move CRIT one step closer towards strengthening its sovereignty over its water resources to improve the lives of future generations of CRIT members while protecting the life of the river.
CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores said, “These agreements we are signing confirm and support what we have always done, make decisions based on what is best for the life of the river and for our people.” Flores added, “This is a significant event in the history of CRIT. These agreements clear the path for CRIT to be finally recognized as a central party in all future decisions regarding the Colorado River.”
Interior Secretary Haaland said, “I am thrilled to be here to celebrate this historic agreement between the US Department of the Interior, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the State of Arizona that will for the first time give the Colorado River Indian Tribes the ability to lease, exchange, or store a portion of its Colorado River entitlement. The agreement will enable CRIT to continue leading with collaborative strategies in support of the resilience of the Colorado River.”
