Bree’Ana,Brooks

7B
December 12th,2023
Water Rights
The Gila River water is very important to their people. The Akimel O’otham people used the
water for important things such as farming. They used to farm a lot but their water got stolen.
This is about the history of the water and how they got it back.

Before the water from the gila river was stolen the Akimel O’otham people used to farm. The
O’otham people used to plant many things such as corn,beans,and squash. They used an
irrigation system in order to get water to all of their plants. Many settlers came and stayed in the
upper part of the Gila River. Once they came they began using the water from the river and less
and less water came downstream to the O’otham people until there was no water left.

Once they realized that there was no water left, the Tohono O'odham tribal leaders,Gov. Janet
Napolitano,and Tucson officials agreed into signing a water rights settlement. The settlement is
going to end 31 years of litigation that was filed because a group called the San Xavier
landowners, in order to limit Tucson's water pumping. This was one of the reasons that the river
dried up. The tribe started putting in CAP water into the Santa Cruz river. The settlement gives
the Tohono O'odham tribe 50,000 acre-feet of water each year. The water is mainly from CAP
water. One acre-foot of water gives Three Tucson families enough water for a whole year.

Now that the Gila River Indian Community got their water back they will receive 653,500-acre
feet of water per year. They are planning on making an irrigation infrastructure that will not be
fully built until 2029. The SRP plans on making the first underground storage project somewhere
in queen creek by the end of the year and it will cost from 6 million to 12 million dollars. They
are also planning on making 13 more of these underground water storages to help store the
water. The Gila River Indian Community will have its first riparian restoration and underground
storage project in Gila River by the Oldberg Bridge.

The history of the water of the Gila River Indian Community is so important. It is so interesting
how they have come a long way from what they had before. Now they are going to see their land
become healthy and green again. In the end they have gotten more water back then they have
before and it is a great thing for them.
 Work Cited
Source 1: From Gila River Indian Community website, Water
settlement, 2015.
Source 2: By tony Davis, For O’odham, water will return, 2006 (note the
date, as this article was written when the water settlement had just
passed.)
Source 3: By Mike Sakal, Historic Gila River Water Pact Impacts
Economy,Tribe culture, Nov 11, 2012.
Jordyn, Boni
Social Studies - 7A
December 12, 2023
Water Rights Essay
Do you ever wonder why water is so important to the Gila River Indian Community?
Well, let's talk about their water rights and how it has affected the past, present, and the future.

Farming was important to these people. So they made irrigation systems using water
from the Gila River. The river was their main water source. When the settlers came, they settled
near the upper part of the river. They were using the water from the river and that caused the
river to dry up. When the river dried up they were no longer able to farm. That is when the
community teamed up and started an irrigation project.

Now that they have lost all their water, what will they do about it? Well, they decided to
go to court. They spent 31 years in court trying to get their water back. When they signed a
water rights settlement, 31 years of litigation ended. Now that they have made an agreement,
they can get their water back. They now get 50,000 acre feet of water a year.

Now that they got their water back, what are they going to do with it? The project end
date is in 2029, so there are still a few years until then. For now, they are getting water from the
Colorado River. When the project is finished, their plan is to store the water underground. They
are going to protect their water. Their hopes for the future is that the river will run again and they
can bring back farming, plants, and animals.

It took years for the Gila River Indian Community to get their water back. It was being
taken and they fought to get it back, and they did. That is why water is such a big deal and it’s
so important to these people.
WORKS CITED
Source 1: Gila RIver Indian Community Website, Water
Settlement. 2015
Source 2: Tony Davis, For O’odham Water Will Return. 2006
Source 3: Mike Sakal, Tribune, Historic Gila River Water Pact
Impacts Economy, Tribe Culture. Nov 11, 2012
Laloni, Pablo
7-A
Dec 8
Water Rights
Water Rights day is an important day to the Akimel O’otham people. Its the day they lost and
got their water back.In 2029 they plan to put it underground.

The Gila River waters have been able to provide water for the Akimel O’otham people tribe for a
few years. The Akimel O’otham lived in villages, they grew many things such as corn, beans
and squash. The Akimel O’otham tribe is a peaceful tribe they all get along and will help each
other if needed. A few years later irrigation continued as another tribe came called the PeePosh
tribe seeking shelter for their people so they asked to stay and live in peace with the Akimel
O’otham tribe. Then in the 1800 the water was lost due to the people who stayed in the upper
Gila river and used water and later it affected the water downstream until eventually the water
was gone where the Akimel and PeePosh tribes lived. Now the Gila River Indian Community
and the Maricopa are planning an irrigation project to get their water back.

Even in San Xavier the water eventually dried up and was taken. So now they made a day we
now know as Water Rights day to celebrate their traditions from the past. But also the Tohono
O'odham members joined the Gov. and Janet Napoltino to sign a water settlement. So they
could get their water back again. And then finally after 31 long years they got their water back.
They are still planning what to do with the water.

They get their water from the Colorado River and will receive 653,500 acre feet of water
(325,65), gallons per acre foot per year. And plan to store all this water underground so it can
be easier to farm. And it can also possibly bring back native and traditional birds, plants, and
insects. But they will not be able to do all of this yet until hopefully 2029 which is pretty far in the
future. They have to wait because they do not have the tool to do this yet. BUt at least they got
their water back as it is a pig part of their culture because it's a long held dream to restore
wetlands.

So in this essay we talked about how the Akimel O’otham tribe lost and got back their water and
plan to store it underground in 2029. This is important to all the families who lost, their
water and got it back and now they have more water they could ever need. Taking away the
water from the Akimel O’otham was wrong but the people fought to have their water back and
they got it back so there's a happy ending to this story.
Kami, Allison
8th Grade
Dec 8, 2023
Water Rights
In this essay we will be talking about the Water Rights Settlement, we
will talk about the past, present, and future. How they got their water
taken away, how they got it back, and how they will use it.

In the past, the Native Americans loved to farm, but around the 1800s
people started to live in the upper area of the Gila River Valley. People
who lived in the upper part of the valley started to use the water which
started to affect it as it flowed down to the lower part of the valley. Soon
the river stopped flowing downstream and the people had no choice
but to migrate only to have that water taken as well. After the water
stopped flowing the farms began to stop growing plants and there was
no food for the people to eat or regrow. The Native Americans lost so
much farming land but they are hoping to get their water back.

In the past, it took 31 years to have a Water Rights Settlement

agreement then they finally got their water back. The water rights
settlement makes sure that the Tohono O'odham tribe will get 50,00
acre-feet of water. One acre-foot of the water given to them can be
enough for three normal families who live in Tucson for a year. This is
important because a lot of families will get water that will last them a
year, and they will soon have enough to farm.

In the future, the Gila River Indian Community will complete the
agreement in October, which will restore the Gila River. The water will
help them restore a lot of parts of their culture. The Gila River Indian
Community will get 653,500 acre-feet or 325,851 gallons a year. Before
the Native Americans lost their water they were “some of the healthiest
people in the world,” after they lost their water they became unhealthy.
But now that they have water the Native Americans want to do what
they did in the past, Farming. The Native Americans want to restore
their love for farming now that they have flowing water.

In conclusion, the Native Americans of the Gila River Indian Community

had their water taken and lost tons of farming land. The Native
Americans never gave up hope for getting their water back. Even after
31 years of litigation they finally got their water back, and it wasn’t just a
small piece of it, it was a lot of it.
Alai ‘Zia Davis
Class: Social Studies
Date 11-7-23
Water rights day
Once upon a time there were people that lived in Arizona, The O’odham
people. Agriculture was a big thing for them. But then one day the water was
taken. In this essay, it's gonna talk about how the water was stolen, they had
to fight for it back, and what their plans are when they get it back.

The O’odham people used the water for agriculture, farming. They had an
abundance of healthy foods. Each village was responsible for the
maintenance of the canal system, near their villages. It states “The Spanish
found the pima people diverting the waters of the Gila into canals, homes
were found near the fields.” The rivers were soon found out about by the
settlers from California. They soon settled in the upper valley of the Gila
river and settled by the rivers so they could use the water. As more settlers
came, they had forced the people to migrate to Salt river where the water was
soon lost. Now without the water, the crops soon died. The O’odham
people couldn’t farm anymore. The people needed the water to farm, it was
important to them because their life depended on it, that’s how they got
their food.

As the water dries up the trees die. It states that “farming on the reservation
was gone by the 1980’s.” The people then fight for the water by going to
court. The litigation went on for 31 years, fighting for water. Then they
signed a water rights settlement to get their water back. The tribal leaders
came together to sign the settlement. It also states that “The tribe hopes it
will make some of its land bloom again.” The settlement states that the
Tohono O’odham tribe will get 50,000 acre-foot of water a year. One acre-
foot would also be given to families for a year.
After the water had dried up for decades. The Gila River announced in
October that they’ll help restore water from the river. They used the Central
Arizona Project, or CAP for allocating water from the Colorado river. The
Gila River Community will be able to get 653,500 acre-feet of water. They
will be the main player in changing and replacing the need for dams. It states
that “The Indian Community’s irrigation infrastructure will not be fully
built until 2029.” They plan to include underground storage to store
thousands of gallons of water. Soon the water will be flowing their way, it
may bring agriculture and wildlife. It states that “The river has a life of its
own, it's recreated for agriculture purposes, it also can help bring back native
and traditional birds, plants, and insects.” The Gila River Indian
Community will finally, after many years, be getting their water back.

To sum up, this essay explains the history of water rights. The O’odham have
been fighting to get it back for many years and soon will get it back. This is
why it’s important that we have water rights day.

Source 1: Author: Gila River Indian Community Website, Title: Water settlement,
Date: 2015

Source 2: Author: Tony Davis, Title: For O’odham, Water will return, Date: 2006

Source 3: Author; Mike Sakal, Title: Historic Gila River water pact impacts economy,
Tribe culture Date: Nov, 11 2012