Abstract
This essay delves into the historical and contemporary challenges the Ute Tribes face in their pursuit of equitable water rights. Beginning with the historical exclusion of tribal water rights in the Colorado River Compact of 1922, this analysis explores the ramifications of this exclusion and the subsequent enactment of the Colorado Ute Water Rights Settlement Act of 1988. Despite this settlement, tribes face obstacles to access and use their allocated water, particularly in relation to the Animas-La Plata Project and the 2000 Settlement Amendment Ultimately, both pieces of legislation imposed restrictions on the use of tribal water. This essay concludes with a reflection on the broader significance of the struggle for water rights, emphasizing the fundamental importance of equitable water access as a universal and moral imperative.
First Page
191
Custom Citation
27 U. Denv. Water L. Rev. 191 (2024)