Rep. Crane Introduces $1 Billion Bill to Settle Yavapai-Apache Water Rights and Build New Pipelines
A house committee must act next: committee consideration.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 8949 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 8949 (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
Homeowners in the Verde Valley area of Arizona could benefit from reduced legal uncertainty over water rights once the settlement is finalized. The Cragin-Verde Pipeline is also authorized to deliver up to 1,912 acre-feet per year for other water users in Yavapai County, and up to 1,639 acre-feet per year from C.C. Cragin Reservoir may be made available for municipal and domestic uses in the county. This could improve long-term water supply reliability in a water-stressed region.
“up to an additional 1,912.18 AFY for Use by water users in Yavapai County as provided by the amendments made by section 17(a)”
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.
Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego reintroduced legislation to ratify a settlement providing the Yavapai-Apache Nation with 4,610 acre-feet of water annually and $1.039 billion for infrastructure, including the Cragin-Verde Pipeline and a surface water drinking plant.
On Dec. 26, 2025, Rep. Eli Crane introduced H.R. 6931, the Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act. The bill seeks congressional approval for a negotiated settlement and authorizes construction of a water project to resolve long-standing tribal water rights claims in Arizona.
The Cottonwood City Council unanimously approved water settlement agreements with the Yavapai-Apache Nation, aligning with federal legislation introduced by Rep. Eli Crane and Senators Kelly and Gallego to codify the tribe's water rights and fund the Cragin-Verde Pipeline.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025
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