# Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2025

This bill settles long-standing water rights disputes for four Native American pueblos in New Mexico—the Pueblos of Acoma, Laguna, Jemez, and Zia. Think of it as finally resolving decades-old arguments about who gets to use water from two river systems.

For decades, these pueblos have been fighting in court over water rights in the Rio San José and Rio Jemez river systems. These disputes have been tied up in litigation since the 1980s, preventing the pueblos from fully developing their water resources for drinking water, farming, and economic development. This bill officially approves settlement agreements that all the major parties—the pueblos, the State of New Mexico, local water users, and the federal government—have already negotiated. By approving these agreements, Congress is essentially saying "yes, this deal is fair and binding," which allows the pueblos to finally move forward with their water plans.

The bill creates trust funds—basically savings accounts—for each pueblo to help them build water infrastructure like reservoirs and irrigation systems. The federal government will provide funding to support these projects. The pueblos also get official recognition of their water rights in these river systems, which means they can use the water for their communities' needs without ongoing legal challenges. In exchange, the pueblos agree to drop their lawsuits and accept the water amounts specified in the settlement agreements. This gives everyone involved—the pueblos, farmers, cities, and other water users—certainty about their water supplies going forward instead of continuing to fight in court.

Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2025

Leger Fernandez, Teresa

Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act of 2025This bill recognizes and settles certain water rights claims in New Mexico of (1) the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna, and (2) the Pueblos of Jemez and Zia. It also establishes and provides funding for settlement trust funds.Specifically, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Pueblo of Acoma, the Pueblo of Laguna, the United States, New Mexico, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in the Rio San José Stream System in New Mexico.With respect to the water settlement for the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna, the bill establishes and provides funding for the Pueblo of Acoma Settlement Trust Fund, the Pueblo of Laguna Settlement Trust Fund, and the Acomita Reservoir Works Trust Fund.Additionally, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by the Pueblo of Jemez, the Pueblo of Zia, the United States, New Mexico, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in the Jemez River Stream System in New Mexico.With respect to the water settlement for the Pueblos of Jemez and Zia, the bill establishes and provides funding for the Pueblo of Jemez Settlement Trust Fund and the Pueblo of Zia Settlement Trust Fund.For both of these agreements, the bill (1) specifies the water rights of the pueblos; and (2) outlines waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the pueblos and the United States.