William R. Richardson: “The Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation was created in 1876 in the Coachella Valley of California. The Salton Sea flooded…”

“The Torres-Martinez Indian Reservation was created in 1876 in the Coachella Valley of California. The Salton Sea flooded approximately 2,000 acres of reservation lands and in 1909 an additional 9,000 acres of submerged lands were included in the reservation. This was done with the belief that the Salton Sea would recede allowing the tribe access to the lands. In 1982 the United States brought a trespass suit on behalf of the tribe against the Imperial Irrigation District [IID] and the Coachella Valley Water District [CVWD]. The court found for the tribe and awarded $212,908 in damages to the tribe from CVWD and $2,795,694 in damages from IID. A second suit was filed on behalf of the tribe. At this point the United States intervened to facilitate a settlement with the tribe and the two water districts. This settlement legislation would require the CVWD to pay $337,908.41 to the tribe and its allottees and IID would pay $3,670,694.33. In addition the United States would pay $10,200,000 to the tribe.”