News and Articles

The oldest lawsuit in American history is one step closer to being settled.  Today, Senator Pete Domenici and Senator Jeff Bingaman introduced federal legislation (S.3381) to authorize and fund the Aamodt settlement.  The following changes to federal legislation address the major points of contention in the Aamodt case:

• Legislation would authorize over $100 million of federal appropriations for the construction of a regional water system serving the four pueblos in the Pojoaque Basin .
• Under the Aamodt settlement agreement, the State and Santa Fe County will pay an additional $60 million (State $50M; County $10M) to enlarge and expand the system so that it will be available to most of the residents of the basin (including non-Pueblo customers)
• The County and the four Pueblos will form a regional water authority that will operate and manage the regional system.
• The water system will deliver up to 4,000 acre-feet a year of surface water diverted from the Rio Grande using water rights acquired as part of the settlement.
• The water system would be complimentary to the wastewater system that Santa Fe County and Pojoaque Pueblo are planning.
• The Settlement will end the long-standing Aamodt litigation by resolving the claims of the four Pueblos , protecting existing acequia and domestic well rights and by providing a reliable water supply for the future of the basin.

“I am very pleased that our congressional delegation has recognized the importance of settling the Aamodt case“ said County Commissioner Harry Montoya “Only through substantial federal funding can this case finally come to an end.”

The Pojoaque Basin is located within the northern part of Santa Fe County .  For the last 150 years the basin has been plagued by land and water disputes, pitting neighbor against neighbor and Pueblo member versus non-Pueblo people.  Two U.S. Supreme Court cases and an Act of Congress have failed to settle the issues and the now 41-year-old Aamodt case has done no better.

The Settlement would go a long way towards ending the divisions and allowing for harmony in the basin.  Although Santa Fe County has virtually no litigation risk, the County supports the settlement and is willing to make a substantial local contribution to help implement it.  The Settlement would finally resolve the pending litigation of claims of the four Pueblos and would provide a regional water system available to residents in the basin, Pueblo and non-Pueblo.  The system would have the capacity to serve 16,000 customers.