Gallego presses nominees on Arizona water, land, settlement

• Senator questions delayed drought-relief dollars for Colorado River Basin.
• Stresses urgency of historic tribal water-rights settlement.
• Seeks assurance Grand Canyon monument boundaries will stay intact.
• Flags interest in advanced nuclear power to meet rising energy demand.

Friday, May 2, 2025 — On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Senator Ruben Gallego urged Interior Department nominees to free up Congressionally-approved drought-relief money now stalled at the Bureau of Reclamation. “Reclamation has halted critical funding that has been approved to keep the Colorado River basin system functioning,” Gallego said, warning that holding the money until all seven basin states strike a new deal would “punish” Lower Basin communities that need help immediately.

Largest Tribal Water Settlement on the Table.

Gallego then turned to the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, calling it “the largest Indian water rights settlement in the history of the country.” The bipartisan bill would secure reliable water supplies and infrastructure funding for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe—communities where roughly one-third of Navajo households still lack running water. He asked the nominee to “commit to working with me to finish the settlement,” noting that uncertainty over tribal claims complicates allocations for every Colorado River user.

Safeguarding the Grand Canyon’s New Monument.

The hearing also touched on the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. Gallego called the Grand Canyon “sacred for many tribes” and “an enormous economic driver for Northern Arizona,” citing reports that the administration may shrink several monuments’ boundaries. The nominee replied that she was “not aware of any of those discussions,” but acknowledged the canyon’s significance.

Eye on Small-Modular Nuclear Reactors.

Earlier in the week and again during the hearing, Gallego highlighted Arizona’s potential for small-modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to meet surging energy demand. He invited the nominee to visit Arizona and explore “creative ways to have faster deployment,” including siting SMRs on military bases.

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