Rep. Vasquez Introduces Bill to Settle Zuni Tribe Water Claims and Protect Sacred Salt Lake
This bill is sitting in the House Committee on Natural Resources where it has been since February 2025. No action has taken place on this proposal for 16 months. The House committee must review the bill before it can move forward, but it is currently stalled.
While the bill has strong support from the New Mexico delegation and local parties, it requires a large amount of federal spending which can be a hurdle in a divided Congress.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 8951 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 8951 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Ranchers and farmers near the Zuni River system in New Mexico face a mixed outcome. The settlement clarifies and finalizes how water is allocated, which provides legal certainty. However, the withdrawal of 92,364 acres from various uses and the ban on increased grazing permits on federal land could limit expansion opportunities for nearby ranchers. The State's $500,000 mitigation fund for non-Indian domestic and livestock groundwater rights acknowledges potential impacts on neighboring water users.
“$500,000, to be deposited in an interest-bearing account, to mitigate impairment to non-Indian domestic and livestock groundwater rights as a result of new Tribal water use.”
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs held hearings on several tribal water bills, including S. 564, the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025. Despite bipartisan committee approval in 2025, the bills have faced delays in the full Senate due to concerns over federal costs.
Congress is debating a $685 million bill to protect the heritage of Zuni Salt Lake and ensure water security for the Zuni Tribe. The act would withdraw over 92,000 acres of federal land from mining and drilling to preserve the sacred site and its surrounding water resources.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
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