# Plain Language Summary: Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

This bill settles a long-standing water rights dispute involving the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, a Native American nation in New Mexico. For decades, the pueblo has been fighting in court over its rights to water from the Rio Chama river system. This legislation ends that legal battle by officially recognizing and protecting the pueblo's water rights and providing money to help them use and manage that water.

Here's what actually happens: The federal government is approving a settlement agreement that was negotiated between Ohkay Owingeh, the State of New Mexico, and various other parties who use water from the Rio Chama. By passing this bill, Congress is saying this agreement is official and legally binding. The Secretary of the Interior will sign the agreement on behalf of the federal government, and a federal court will issue a final judgment confirming the pueblo's water rights. This means the pueblo can finally stop fighting in court and start using the water it's entitled to.

The bill also creates a trust fund—essentially a bank account—to help Ohkay Owingeh actually use and benefit from these water rights. The pueblo can use this money for projects like restoring the bosque (the forest area along the riverbank), improving water infrastructure, and managing their water resources. Importantly, the pueblo's water rights are protected from being lost through non-use or abandonment, which is a special protection that applies to Native American water rights. The pueblo can also lease or distribute its water to other users, though any leases off pueblo land need approval from the federal government.

The bill also requires environmental reviews to make sure these water projects don't harm endangered species or violate environmental laws. Overall, this settlement gives Ohkay Owingeh official control over a specific amount of water from the Rio Chama and the resources to develop and manage that water for the pueblo's benefit.

Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Leger Fernandez, Teresa

Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025This bill recognizes and settles certain water rights claims in New Mexico of the pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh. It also establishes and provides funding for a settlement trust fund.Specifically, the bill authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified water rights settlement agreement entered into by Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, and others, thus satisfying claims to water rights in the Rio Chama Stream System in New Mexico.The bill establishes and provides funding for the Ohkay Owingeh Water Rights Settlement Trust Fund. This trust fund may only be used for five specified purposes, including for activities related to water production, treatment, or delivery infrastructure.The bill also (1) specifies the water rights of the pueblo; and (2) outlines waivers, releases, and retentions of claims by the pueblo and the United States.