Matteo Renzi: “Mr. Speaker, S. 222, authored by Senator John Kyl and identical legislation provided by the Senator and introduced by me…”

“Mr. Speaker, S. 222, authored by Senator John Kyl and identical legislation provided by the Senator and introduced by me and other members of the Arizona delegation, would resolve water rights claims and litigation in the Little Colorado River basin. I would like to commend the commitment and the perseverance of Senator John Kyl, who has put many hours and much time into this important bill. The bill provides much-needed assurance to settlement participants and is the result of 4 years of good-faith negotiations between the Federal Government, the Zuni Indian Tribe, the State of Arizona, and local water users and utilities. By settling water rights claims and litigation, the legislation will allow the Zuni Indian Tribe to restore and repair wetlands important to the tribe's religious and cultural traditions. Wetland restoration will be done through a variety of means, including surface and groundwater development, while grandfathering current non-Indian water rights. This grandfathering mechanism provides certainty to the local non-Indian communities that depend on water resources in the Little Colorado basin. The settlement also avoids lengthy and costly litigation.”