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HR6931FEDERALIN_COMMITTEE
High Impact

Yavapai-Apache Nation Water Rights Settlement Act of 2025

Original title: HR 6931: Bill to Approve Yavapai-Apache Water Settlement and Project Authorization

December 26, 2025

Water RightsYavapai-Apache NationInfrastructureArizonaFederal FundingTribal Sovereignty

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Where This Stands

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Signed

Currently IN_COMMITTEE. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Version history

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The Frame

What this does

The bill authorizes over $1 billion in federal appropriations for water infrastructure and tribal trust funds, which will permanently resolve water rights claims for the Yavapai-Apache Nation and impact water availability and management for other users in the Verde River Watershed.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Yavapai-Apache Nation

The Nation receives quantified water rights, infrastructure funding, and trust land in exchange for waiving legal claims.

Salt River Project (SRP)

SRP is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Cragin-Verde Pipeline Project after its completion.

Water users in Yavapai County

Certain water users may contract for up to 1,639.74 acre-feet of water per year from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir.

What changed

Current stage: IN_COMMITTEE.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Background

  • The Yavapai-Apache Nation is a federally recognized tribe located in the Verde Valley of Arizona. context
  • Water rights settlements are common mechanisms used to resolve complex, long-standing disputes over water usage between tribal nations, states, and federal agencies. context

Summary

This bill ratifies a water rights settlement for the Yavapai-Apache Nation in Arizona, authorizing the construction of new water infrastructure and providing federal funding for water projects. It settles long-standing water claims, establishes trust funds for the Nation, and sets conditions for the use and management of water resources in the Verde River Watershed.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Why It Matters

The bill authorizes over $1 billion in federal appropriations for water infrastructure and tribal trust funds, which will permanently resolve water rights claims for the Yavapai-Apache Nation and impact water availability and management for other users in the Verde River Watershed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if the settlement conditions are not met by 2035?
If the Secretary of the Interior does not publish the required findings by June 30, 2035, the Act is repealed, and most funds revert to the U.S. Treasury.
Can the Yavapai-Apache Nation sell their water rights permanently?
No, the bill explicitly prohibits the permanent alienation of YAN water.
Who pays for the operation and maintenance of the new water infrastructure?
Costs are generally borne by the project beneficiaries, including the Yavapai-Apache Nation, on a pro-rata basis after the project is completed.

News Coverage

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Sponsors

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Water Infrastructure Funding Model

The bill utilizes a complex, multi-account trust fund structure to manage both construction costs and long-term operation and maintenance, reflecting a shift toward self-sustaining tribal water management.

Yavapai-Apache NationSecretary of the Interior

Connected Entities

locationState of Arizona“The state in which the settlement and project occur.”Map →
organizationUnited States“The United States government is the sponsor of the bill.”Map →
locationArizona“The state where the water rights and project are located.”Map →
organizationYavapai-Apache Nation“The Nation is the beneficiary of the water rights settlement.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance90
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz30
    Current news / social attention level

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