Arizona lawmakers are taking another shot at a $5.1 billion water rights settlement between the state and three tribal nations after the measure failed to come up for a vote before Congress adjourned at the end of 2024. The settlement act would secure safe, reliable water for thousands of Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribal members in northeastern Arizona. It would give the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe a reservation. It would resolve water rights disputes, and potentially set up new funding streams for tribes. The bill was reintroduced Tuesday. In the first go-round, state and tribal leaders could not resolve concerns raised by officials in the Upper Colorado River Basin — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — before time ran out.

Other Colorado River news:

• Reasons To Be Cheerful: Blog: As the Colorado River shrinks, Southern California is embracing water recycling