2018 Land & Water News Stories
Bipartisan bill to control sea lions, save salmon on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers signed into law (U.S. Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler) 12/19/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.2083)
Nez Perce Tribe agrees to 2019-2021 spill operations agreement (Indian Country Today) 12/19/18
Inside a Kalamazoo courtroom, a massive legal case moves slowly ahead (Michigan Radio) 12/17/18
Sitka Tribe of Alaska sues state, claiming mismanagement of herring fishery (Alaska Public Media) 12/18/18
On fear, parades of horribles, and emotionally potent oversimplifications in tribal rights litigation (Turtle Talk) 12/18/18 (See Carpenter v. Murphy)
Reclamation releases Colorado River Basin Ten Tribes Partnership Tribal Water Study (Reclamation: Managing Water in the West) 12/13/18
Main tribe pushses in court to retain strict water quality standards (Press Herald) 12/7/18
Judge lets EPA rework standards for rivers fished by tribes (U.S. News) 12/6/18
Arizona water officials reach agreement on drought plan (Nevada Public Radio) 12/6/18
Supreme Court seeks more answers in reservation case (NewsOK) 12/6/18
Government asks for extension in Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe lawsuit (The Herald News) 11/28/18
Tribes play key role in water wars (Payson Roundup) 11/27/18
A legal battle in the Coachella Valley could transform how California - and the nation - uses water (Pacific Standard) 11/26/18
Hopis conclude first phase of testimony in Little Colorado River adjudication (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 11/20/18
Samish Nation celebrates approval of land-into-trust application (Indianz) 11/20/18
Tribal leaders hopeful for appeal in Badger-Two Medicine (Flathead Beacon) 11/19/18
Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan leaders expected to march in support of Mass. tribe (The Day) 11/12/18
Pinal County water battle jeopardizing Colorado River drought plan (Tucson.com) 11/5/18
U.S. Supreme Court hears Yakama Nation tax case, as Justices interpret 1855 treaty (NW News Network) 10/30/18 (Washington State Departmetn of Licensing v. Cougar Den)
Tulalip Tribes worry about traffic, salmon in land sale case (Herald Net) 10/29/18 (Mitchell v. Tulalip Tribes)
Ute Indian Tribe statement on Uncompahgre lawsuit (Penchang.Net)
Trial under way in long-running northern Arizona water case (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 10/16/18
Bill that would compenstate Spokane Tribe for Grand Coulee Dam losses passes Senate (KXLY) 10/5/18 (See 115th Congress S.995)
Professors take fossils from Wind River Resevation without permission (Wyoming Public Media) 9/20/18
Pine Ridge Reservation sees $93 million in Cobell buy-back offers (Indianz) 9/12/18
Tribes want feds to explain controversial land decision (KRISTV) 9/11/18
Hopi Tribe trial to adjudicate water rights begins (Cronkite News) 9/11/18
Tohono O'Odham Nation wins approval to restore more homelands (Indianz) 9/11/18
Interior Department: Mashpee tribe doesn't qualify for land in trust (Cape Cod Times) 9/7/18
Japanese Americans are fighting to prserve the site of the Tule Lake wartime internment (Pacific Standard) 9/6/18
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians prevails in homelands litigation (Indianz) 9/5/18
After missing out on Tahoe land, Washoe tribe eyeing south Reno (Reno Gazette Journal) 9/4/18
Three tribes sign cooperative agreements for Cobell land program (Indianz) 9/4/18
Pine Ridge rancher's BIA lawsuit granted more time (Rapid City Journal) 8/31/18
Decision on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's land expected next month (Cape Cod Times) 8/28/18
The worldwide struggle to recognize Indigenous people's rights to land (UNPO) 8/7/18
FREE THE SNAKE!: Tribe members and advocates rally on the Snake River (Inlander) 8/23/18
Metropolitan to supply water to Sycuan Tribe's unannexed area of San Diego Reservation (California Water News Daily) 8/23/18
Fisherman, tribal members and conservationists push for increased flows on San Joaquin River (Indybay) 8/22/18
Native American center ready for legal battle over land annexation (The Daily Gazette) 8/22/18
Legislative commitee urges federal approval of water compact (Bozeman Daily Chronicle) 8/22/18
Keystone XL moves to condemn private land in Harding County for pipeline (Rapid City Journal) 8/19/18
Native tribes in Ketchikan tell Interior Department to keep land-trust program (KTOO Public Media) 8/11/18
Supreme Court allows Alaska citizens to vote on salmon issue in November (Native News Online) 8/9/18
Lytton Band agrees to permanent ban on gaming as homelands bill awaits action (Indianz) 8/8/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.597)
Judge dismisses lawsuit over water quality at Round Battle Dam (OPB) 8/7/18
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to overturn ruling in Indian land murder case (Tulsa World) 8/5/18
Study reveals the changing scope of Native American groundwater rights (Phys.org) 8/3/18
Bipartisan Salmon Predation Prevention Act passed by US Senate Committee (NW Sports Magazine) 8/1/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.2083)
Judge transfers Tribes lawsuit to Oregon court, denies injunction (Herald and News) 7/26/18
Bipartisan bill aims to address backlog at national parks (Indianz) 7/26/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.6510)
Mashpee tribe, Interior official and opponenets weigh in on reservation land bill (Cape Cod times) 7/25/18
Pueblo tribes welcome action on bill to boost economic development (Indianz) 7/25/18 (See 115th Congress S.2850)
Indigenous geographies overlap in this colorful online map (Atlas Obscura) 7/24/18
'Long overdue': Congress finalizes bill for Apache water project (Indianz) 7/24/18 (See 115th Congress S.2850)
Inside Alaska's battles over land, sea and life (CNN) 7/23/18
Judge hears oral arguments in Klamath Tribes lawsuit (Capital Press) 7/20/18
Trump administration won't commit to permanent funding for tribal water rights (Indianz) 7/19/18 (See 115th Congress S.3168, S.2154)
Apache Tribe the first conservator of NM native trout (Fly Life Magazine) 7/18/18
Lands returned to the Mountain Maidu tribe (High Country News) 7/17/18
Feds say no more Alaska Native land into trust - an attack on Indian Country? (KTUU) 7/16/18
Tribe, township butt heads over taxes for 130 acres of farm land (MLive) 7/12/18
North Dakota sues developer of Dakota Access pipeline over farmland ownership (Independent Record) 7/10/18
Town to hire lobbyist to help Mashpee Tribe (The Mashpee Enterprise) 7/10/18
Nonprofit files plan to remove four Klamath dams (Capital Press) 7/10/18
Lytton Band moves closer to success with tribal homelands legislation (Indianz) 7/9/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.597)
Maine, EPA, tribes spar over water quality rules (Press Herald) 7/8/18
Fresh doubt for Alaska tribes seeking land-in-trust (Alaska Public Media) 7/6/18
Three Shinnecock men file $102 million federal lawsuit against State over fishing dispute (27 East) 7/3/18
Land-trust case raises red flags across Indian Country (WRAL) 7/4/18
Navajo Nation looks to continue success of federal Land Buy-Back Program (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 7/3/18
Arizona commits to drought plan for Colorado River (Albuqerque Journal) 6/28/18
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Wind River Reservation boundary case (Casper Star Tribune) 6/25/18 (See Northern Arapaho Tribe, et al. v. Wyoming and Eastern Shoshone Tribe v. Wyoming, et al.)
Fort Peck tribes raise concerns about Keystone XL pipeline threatening reservation's water (Atlantic Broadband) 6/21/18
Support grows for legislation for Mashpee tribe (Cape Cod Times) 6/21/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.5244)
State appealing Navajo water rights ruling- although it favors the result (Albuquerque Journal) 6/18/18
Tribe's sovereign immunity triumphs in land case (Albuquerque Journal) 6/18/18
Cole applauds passage of Stigler Act amendment through committee (The Ada News) 6/16/18 (See 115th Congress H.R. 2606)
GOP lawmakers ask high court to void Navajo water deal (Albuquerque Journal) 6/15/18
Santa Ynew Band of Chumash Indians welcomes action on homelands bill (Indianz) 6/14/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.1491)
Secretary Zinke and Blackfeet Nation Chairman Barnes sign documents implementing the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement and Compact (U.S. Department of the Interior) 6/12/18
Klamath water users argue tribes' lawsuit filed in wrong court (Capital Press) 6/11/18
"This ruling gives us hope" : Supreme Court sides with tribe in salmon case (The New York Times) 6/11/18
How the Yuroke Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River (High Country News) 6/11/18
Tribal nations hold some of the best water rights in the West (The Durango Herald) 6/3/18
East Coast tribe's fight to keep its reservation comes to Rapid City (Rapid City Journal) 6/1/18
South Dakota candidate calls for ending tribal reservations (The Washington Post) 5/31/18
Talks to revise the Columbia River Treaty to begin Tuesday (Myrtle Beach Online) 5/28/18
Ute Indian tribe and town enter historic agreement for the joint marketing of water (Native News Online) 5/26/18
Souther Oregon Tribe sues to protect two endangered fish (OPB) 5/24/18
Tribal nations hold some of the best water rights in the West (High Country News) 5/23/18 (See 115th Congress S.1770, S.664, S.2154)
Ninth Circuit berates Federal Judge, reassigns his case (Courthouse News Service) 5/22/18
Muscogee Nation clashes with State in reservation boundary dispute (Indianz) 5/21/18 (See Murphy v. Royal)
Hopi Tribe asks Flagstaff, Coconino County for land transfer support (KPVI) 5/17/18
Congress passes legislation that will return land control to Crow Creek Tribe (The Newss-Review) 5/17/18 (See 115th Congress S.1285)
'A blatant slap in the face': Tribes oppose land transfer bill in Nevada (Indianz) 5/16/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.5347)
U.S. argues in tribal land dispute in 10th Circuit (Courthouse News Service) 5/16/18
Ceremony celebrates 50 years of work to create Lake Nighthors (Farmington Daily Times) 5/15/18
Congress set to clear economic development bill for tribes in Oregon (Indianz) 5/15/18 (See 115th Congress S.1285)
Colorado River Tribes' plan to lease water to Tucson area is on hold after recall (Tucson.com) 5/12/18
Tribal members to net, spear on Laek Bemidji in latest treaty protest (MPR News) 5/10/18
Gov. Mark Dayton vetoes bill that would kill standards designed to protect wild rice (StarTribune) 5/9/18
Tribe declares moratorium on Nestle bottled water products (The Sault News) 5/8/18
Mashpee Wampanoag deserve a pathway to reservation (Boston Globe) 5/8/18
Winnemem Wintu, WATER sue to stop waste discharge at Mt. Shasta water bottling facility (Indy Bay) 5/1/18
Federal judge sides with Klamath Basin fish over farmers (Times Standard) 5/1/18
Native American tribes partner Kaibab Forest to protect cultural resources on Bill Williams (Navajo-Hopi Observer) 5/1/18
Federal agency commits $22 million to help erosion-threatened village move (Anchorage Daily News) 4/30/18
Water leases at heart of recall vote within Arizona tribe (The State) 4/25/18
As talks begin on new U.S.-Canada river treaty, salmon and Native issues loom (Missoulian) 4/24/18
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe faces local questions about homelands bill (Indianz) 4/24/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.5244)
Wyoming county opposes high court review of border case (The Seattle Times) 4/23/18
Tribes join fight against controversial Lake Michigan dune development (MLive) 4/19/18
Irrigators go to court in battle over Klamath water releases to protect fish (Del Norte Triplicate) 4/17/18
Yet another tribal homelands measure slated for action on Capital Hill (Indianz) 4/16/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.146)
Southern Ute Indian Tribe to create sovereign water quality standards (The Durango Herald) 4/13/18
Seneca Nation files new suit against New York state over Thruway (Buffalo Business First) 4/12/18
Hoopa Valley tribe urges protection of threatened Coho Salmon (Native News Online) 4/12/18
Timbisha Shoshone Tribe faces hurdles in Washington for casino bid (Indianz) 4/11/18
Native Sun News Today: 13-year-old Native water protector addresses United Nations (Indianz) 4/11/18
Attorneys warn Snowbowl they could open the door to a flood of litigation (Payson Roundup) 4/9/18 (See Hopi Tribe v. Arizona Snowbowl Resort Limited Partnership)
Salmon-killing roads fight is now a Supreme Court case about Native rights (Nisqually Valley News) 4/5/18 (See Washington v. U.S.)
Navajo water ruling will be appealed to NM Supreme Court (Albuquerque Journal) 4/4/18
Trump administration sides with industry in reservation boundary case (Indianz) 4/3/18 (See Royal v. Murphy)
Yurok tribe appeals dismissal of fishing rights lawsuit (Times-Standard) 4/2/18
Indian law professors, Indian Congress join Wind River boundary case (Gillette News Record) 3/29/18
Shoshone-Bannock Tribes want fish passage above Snake River dams (Idaho State Journal) 3/28/18
Legal fight over judge in Navajo water case escalates (Albuquerque Journal) 3/27/18
Mashpee tribe, town split on shellfishing regs (Cape Cod Times) 3/25/18
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe hails bill to reaffirm status of homelands (Indianz) 3/21/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.5244)
Ute Indian Tribe files two lawsuits against feds (Sun Advocate) 3/20/18
Gun Lake tribe seeks more trust land after victory at Supreme Court (Indianz) 3/19/18 (See Patchak v. Zinke)
Wash. tribes, First Nations unite to end Atlantic salmon net-pen fish farms across West Coast (The Seattle Times) 3/19/18
Can the Shinnecock Nation save its fishing rights? (Civil Eats) 3/15/18
Proposed federal budget includes funds to raise Shasta Dam (Record Searchlight) 3/14/18
Klamath River fish-kill preventive dam releases challenged by farmers, water districts (Times Standard News) 3/14/18
Tribal leaders question Maine AG on water rights (U.S. News) 3/14/18
Turning back the clock on protecting Alaska's wild lands (The New York Times) 3/13/18
Ute Tribe takes U.S. government to court over 'theft' of land and water in historic Uncompahgre (The Salt Lake Tribune) 3/13/18
Secretary Zinke authorizes first funds transfer for Blackfeet Water Settlement (U.S. Department of the Interior) 3/9/18
U.S. Supreme Court case could impact Cayuga Nation and Cayuga County municipalities (Auburn Pub) 3/3/18 (See Upper Skagit Indian Tribe v. Lundgren)
Enbridge negotiations with Red Lake Band show shift on tribal land issues (Star Tribune) 3/3/18
Daines, Tester present plan to spend $80M a year on Montana's rural water projects (Billings Gazette) 3/2/18
Alaskan tribes are leaping into a court fight against envrionmentalists over 'a matter of life and death' (The Daily Caller) 3/2/18
Community and Alaska Native leaders travel to Juneau, call for better salmon habitat protection (Indian Country Today) 3/1/18
Yurok Tribe regains ownership of Blue Creek sacred site, salmon stronghold (Daily Kos) 2/28/18
Motion seeks to overturn Navajo Nation water rights ruling (Albuquerque Journal) 2/27/18
Supreme Court schedules April 18 argument in tribal treaty rights case (Indianz) 2/26/18
National forest acreage could go to Arizona under land swap (The Daily Courier) 2/25/18
Tribes ready case on reservation border issue (Casper Star Tribune) 2/21/18 (See Eastern Shoshone Tribe v. Wyoming, et al.)
Land fight could grant thousands of Indigenous Americans new rights in Canada (The Guardian) 2/21/18
After signing of Blackfeet Nation Water Compact, funding still needed (News Deeply) 2/22/18
Murray, Cantwell bill to provide compensation for Spokane Tribe passes committee (U.S. Senator Patty Murray) 2/14/18
Crow Tribe sets sights on hunting Yellowstone National Park's bison (Independent Record) 2/15/18
Ojibwe fisherman in Minnesota win decision in treaty rights case (Indianz) 2/10/18
Hopi suit over ski resort's wastewater snow revived (Courthouse News) 2/8/18 (See Hopi Tribe v. Arizona Snowbowl Resort Limited Partnership)
Returning stolen land to Native tribes, one lot at a time (Civil Eats) 2/8/18
Federal decision on Mashpee tribe's land expected soon (Cape Cod Times) 2/7/1
Big step forward for bill that would preserve Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument (KRWG) 2/7/18
Wyoming tribes have month to petition Supreme Court (Billings Gazette) 2/6/18
Bad blood at tribal boundaries (Santa Fe New Mexican) 1/28/18
Bureau of Land Management and Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians agree to land swap (KMIR) 1/26/18
Tribal land issues pressed (Park Record) 1/19/18
Secretary Zinke approves the Shawnee Tribe's fee-to-trust application for gaming facility (U.S. Department of the Interior) 1/19/18
U.S. House approves Poarch Creek Land Reaffirmation Act (NortheEscambia.com) 1/17/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.1532)
House set to approve land 'reaffirmation' bill for Poarch Band of Creek Indians (Indianz) 1/15/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.1532)
Judge rejects change to Minnesota's wild rice water standard (Outdoor News) 1/15/18
Treaty tribes stunned as Supreme Court agrees to hear salmon passage case (Indianz) 1/15/18 (See Washington v. U.S.)
Forest land now under tribe control (The World) 1/9/18 (See 115th Congress H.R.1306)
Former Shinnecock leader asserts ancient fishing rights (News Day) 1/6/18
Interior secretary nixes water agreement:
Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react (Herald and News) 1/2/18 (See 2017 Regulatory Bulletin 82 FR 61582)
