Securing the proper legal documents to protect their water rights often takes time and money that tribes can’t afford. That’s why the Native American Rights Fund’s Tribal Water Institute created The Headwaters Report. The report breaks down the ins and outs of tribal water law, updates what’s going on in the courts and Congress, and highlights what water issues are on the horizon. Daniel Cordalis, a staff attorney with the Colorado-based group, said some tribes will pay third-party firms thousands of dollars a month to provide them with that information. “And it’s information every tribe should have,” he continued. “And the cost is a barrier to getting this kind of information for a lot of tribal nations, and it shouldn’t be one. I think it lifts the whole tribal communities up if they’re able to have the same information.”

Other tribal water news:

• ABC15 (Phoenix, Ariz.): The legacy of water rights on the Ak-Chin reservation