The tribe here has filed suit in federal court, with the backing of the federal government, that their reservation has TOTAL and ABSOLUTE right over ALL the water carried in the river that ends on the rez. That includes all water fed into the river. Upstream snow melt, tributary streams and creeks (which are snow fed) and all aquifers that contribute to the river via seepage.
Thus, any and everyone who uses water in the river upstream of the rez for any purpose must bpay the tribe and anyone with a well tapping into an upstream aquifer must cease and desist usage , dynamite the well and forced to hook up to a municipal system operated by the city/county who will charge the residents for said water and pay a handsome percentage to the tribe.
The Indians claim that the language in their treaty specifies their absolute right to all the water on and off the rez. The feds sent in fleets of people to serve us all notice on this and the city , licking it's lips about getting us all on city water, built a big infrastructure system that they anticipate we will all be forced to hook up to for our water needs. If I had to dynamite my well and pay for city metered water it would break me. I use my well for irrigation, domestic and livestock. My bill would be huge. As would a lot of other peoples.
So we all got together and said ...screw the tribe!! This ain't happening. Same for the city and their metered water. People are ready to put on blue uniforms and ride through the rez with torches and grey ones to deal with the feds. The Indians don't even utilize their agricultural land and the water just flows into a resevoir and sits there minus a pittance flow they are supposed to maintain to feed a lake downstream. Which is a salt water lake, and is now totally dead.
But they want that water, at least total right to it,and the cash that would come with that. All because of an interpretation of a 180 year old treaty. People are fighting mad. We are wholly dependent on this upstream water for our livelyhoods and lives. And the tribe now thinks they can cash in on that. In a massive and destructive way at that.
A continuation of the Indian Wars is at the front of the minds of folks herebouts.
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