The Ute Tribe is making sure their voice is heard concerning water rights as the Utah Legislature considers House Bill 297, ‘Colorado River Amendments’. The bill’s description states that it “addresses Utah’s management of Utah’s Colorado River system interests.” The Ute Indian Tribe issued a press release on Friday explaining that they are seeking an amendment to the bill to clarify that the creation of a Colorado River Authority “cannot impact or diminish the Tribe’s senior Indian reserved water rights in the Colorado River Basin or elsewhere in the State.” The Tribe is asking that limits be clearly stated in the bill and the Tribe’s amendment would help prevent any Authority from taking actions that could create conflicts and unwanted litigation over water resources. The Ute Indian Tribal Business Committee shared the following statement on their position: “We were a tribe long before Utah was a state and controlling law prevents Utah or its Colorado River Authority from taking any action that would impact our water rights. After more than a century of broken agreements and attacks on our waters, state laws like HB 297 must be clear that the State cannot diminish or impact our Indian reserved water rights. Respecting the Tribe’s rights to its lands, resources and waters was part of the deal Utah made when it joined the United States. It is time for Utah to live up to its word.” At the time of this news article’s preparation, Governor Spencer Cox had not publicly issued a reply to the Ute Tribe’s letter or the March 5th Ute Tribe press release.
