Navajo Nation approves proposed settlement to secure Colorado River water

The Navajo Nation Council has unanimously approved a proposed water rights settlement that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress. The tribe has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin, and Thursday's vote marks one of many approvals needed to finalize a deal that has been years in the making. Aside from ensuring water deliveries for the Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes, the settlement also provides some certainty over the Colorado River supply in a state that has been forced to cut back on water use.