Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLAKE. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator McCain and myself I am pleased to introduced S. 2503, the Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014.

This measure would confirm important water rights claims of the Hualapai Tribe to water in the Bill Williams River watershed; provide protections for the Tribe's culturally significant springs in that area; secure a non-federal contribution toward a future settlement of the Tribe's claims in other river basins; provide certainty for continued water use by the Freeport Minerals Corporation, Freeport, at the Bagdad Mine complex and townsite; and facilitate the transfer of a portion of land known as Planet Ranch for use in the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program or MSCP. It would do all of this without any new spending authorizations.

Water users in Arizona have a long history of pro-actively addressing complex water challenges. Among the State's many accomplishments is the resolution, in whole or in part, of water rights claims asserted by 13 of the State's 22 federally recognized Indian tribes. This measure would carry forward that strong tradition by recognizing reserved water rights to a total of 694 acre-feet per year, afy, on three different parcels along the Big Sandy River as well as the Tribe's claims to the Cofer Hot Springs.

For non-Indian communities, this legislation would confirm Freeport's right to withdraw 10,055 afy at the Wikieup Wellfield, which serves the Bagdad Mine and townsite. Achieving this level of certainty with regard to water supply would help to ensure continued economic benefits throughout the State.

By enabling the transfer of a portion of Planet Ranch to the Lower Colorado River MSCP, the settlement would help Arizona, California, and Nevada meet their obligations to both water management and Endangered Species Act compliance. However, in order to properly effectuate the transfer, Congress must act before five-year window for abandonment and forfeiture of Planet Ranch's water rights expires.

Finally, this bill would help to set the table for future negotiations regarding the Tribe's claims to water in the lower Colorado River and the Verde River by securing a non-federal contribution toward those settlement efforts. As those negotiations continue, I look forward to fully and fairly evaluating any subsequent settlement on its own merits.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with the parties that have negotiated this settlement, and I am committed to bringing it to fruition through congressional enactment. The settlement resolves significant legal claims, provides certainty for water users, and enhances the MSCP without including any new spending. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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