1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated July 9, 2020Proposed Extension of the Reclamation Water Settlements FundSince 1978, the federal government has entered into 36 water rights settlements with individual Indian tribes. These Indian water rights settlements are a means of resolving ongoing disput
2、es related to Indian water rights among tribes, federal and state governments, and other parties (e.g., water rights holders). Some settlements have been approved by Congress in authorizing legislation that also provides funding for projects that allow tribes to access and develop their water resour
3、ces. (For more information on these settlements in general, see CRS Report R44148, Indian Water Rights Settlements.) Historically, federal funding for Indian water rights settlements has been provided through discretionary appropriations. In recent years, however, Congress also has approved mandator
4、y funding for some settlements. Congress created the Reclamation Water Settlements Fund (RWSF) in 2009 as a dedicated source of additional funding for existing and future Indian water rights settlements. The fund is administered by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation, a water resources management