White Mountain Apache Water Rights Signing Ceremony

Today, July 30, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell signed an historic agreement at the Department of the Interior that will guarantee water rights for the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona and provide water security for the City of Phoenix and other downstream water users.

Secretary Jewell was joined by White Mountain Apache Chairman Ronnie Lupe, Former U.S. Senator John Kyl, U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick and other federal, tribal and state dignitaries.

The White Mountain Apache Reservation includes more than 1.6 million acres in the headwaters of the Salt River basin in Arizona. The agreement will provide funding for design and construction of a rural water delivery system on the Reservation and secure water flow for the city of Phoenix which depends on the same river basin for basic water needs. The agreement is one of four Indian water agreements authorized in the Claims Resolution Act signed by President Obama on December 8, 2010.

  • /news/photos/images/8969.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/8969.jpg

  • /news/photos/images/4027.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/4027.jpg

  • /news/photos/images/9004.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/9004.jpg

  • /news/photos/images/9028.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/9028.jpg

  • /news/photos/images/3993_2.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/3993_2.jpg

  • /news/photos/images/4038.jpg

    - Photo: Tami A. Heilemann - Office of Communications

    /news/photos/images/4038.jpg