Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill settles decades-old water rights disputes for the Zuni Tribe in New Mexico by ratifying a 2023 agreement between the Tribe, the State, and the United States. It legally recognizes the Tribe's rights to water in the Zuni River system and protects those rights from being lost through non-use or abandonment.
• The federal government would provide $685 million total, split into $655.5 million for water infrastructure and $29.5 million for ongoing operations and maintenance. This money funds drinking water systems, irrigation, wastewater infrastructure, and watershed protection on Zuni lands.
• The bill protects the Zuni Salt Lake, a site of deep cultural and historical significance, by withdrawing roughly 92,364 acres of federal land from mining, mineral leasing, and new commercial water use. It also blocks new water wells, increased grazing, and timber sales on those lands.
• Federal lands designated as a "Tribal Acquisition Area" will be transferred into trust for the Zuni Tribe on the Enforceability Date, giving them greater control over traditional territory. The Tribe can also acquire additional lands depicted as "Potential Future Acquisition Areas."
• In exchange for the funding and protections, the Zuni Tribe agrees to waive past legal claims against the United States related to water rights in the Zuni River system. If the Secretary does not finalize the settlement by July 1, 2030, the entire deal expires and all funds revert to the federal government.
• Of the trust fund total, $50 million is available immediately upon deposit for urgent needs like installing groundwater wells, repairing irrigation infrastructure, and developing water resource plans, even before the full settlement takes legal effect.