Rosalind Bark, CSIRO, Ecosystem Sciences, rosalind.bark@csiro.au
Abstract
The settlement of outstanding water rights claims in the Southwest U.S. has transferred water entitlements, often in over-allocated river basins, from non-Indian water users or future water users, to tribal control. The management of these water entitlements within the spectrum of tribal water values from consumptive uses through environmental uses is investigated with respect to recent tribal water settlements in the Southwest U.S. The rapid build out in tribal water management of new entitlements, provides an opportunity to learn from a telescoped-process of adaptive water governance. Furthermore, we draw lessons about tribal water governance and the position of environmental flows in the spectrum of water values, from those cases where tribes are not participating in the water settlement process.
Keywords: Indigenous values, management