Southwest Colorado dispute prompts new law to protect tribal land
A new law, rooted in a contentious land dispute in southwestern Colorado, says municipalities that want to annex land within a reservation must get tribal approval first. While the idea made good sense to Colorado’s lawmakers — it breezed through this year’s legislative session — the law might pose a problem for Durango. The city has contemplated plans to spur economic growth and tap water stored in Lake Nighthorse, a federal reservoir south of the city. … If Durango could access that water, it would increase the city’s storage capacity to over four months of water, according to a December 2023 analysis outlining three alternatives to draw water from the federal reservoir. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe also has rights to water stored in Lake Nighthorse but has not built a pipeline system to access the supply in part because of costly fees and infrastructure costs. The Ute Mountain Ute Indian Tribe, which also has reservation land in Colorado, is also working to access its water stored in the reservoir.
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