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Abeyta Settlement
15.565
The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 was signed into law on December 8, 2010, authorizing the settlement of two long-running New Mexico Indian water rights cases. Title V, the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, authorizes implementation of the Abeyta (Taos Pueblo) settlement. The Settlement Act authorizes and directs the Bureau of Reclamation to provide financial assistance in the form of grants on a non-reimbursable basis to plan, permit, design, engineer, and construct Mutual-Benefit Projects that will minimize adverse effects on the Pueblo’s water resources by moving future non-Indian ground water pumping away from the Pueblo’s Buffalo Pasture, a culturally sensitive wetland. The Federal Team is working with the Mutual-Benefit Project parties as they get ready for the on-the-ground phase of settlement implementation. Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office is in the process of completing environmental compliance and awarding grants to the entities that are moving forward with their projects. The overall cost of the settlement is $144 million, of which $124 million would be paid by the Federal government and $20 million by the State of New Mexico. The total federal contribution of $124 million includes $88.0 million directed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund, and a $36 million settlement fund ($16 million mandatory and $20 million discretionary funds) directed to Reclamation for the Mutual-Benefit Projects.
This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the
administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.
For more information on each of these data sources, please see the
About the data page.
The first grant for $4M was awarded in FY17, and at least one more grant should be awarded early in FY18. There are questions that will need to be resolved about who would own and operate certain projects before some of the Mutual-Benefit Project entities will be ready to apply for their grants, as a few have indicated that they are not interested in applying for funding or constructing their project. Additionally, the Federal Team was informed in October 2017 that some project locations may need to be reassessed due to hydrogeologic concerns. The parties will have to work together to resolve these issues. In the meantime, the Federal Team will continue to support efforts to move forward with settlement implementation, and Reclamation will continue to award grants as project entities apply for their funding.
No information available.
No information available.
Work continues on 3 agreements for various construction projects in accordance with the Taos Indian Water Rights Settlement agreement.
The AAO is in the process of completing environmental compliance and awarding grants to the Mutual-Benefit parties moving forward with project implementation in Taos Pueblo and non-pueblo areas, including pumping groundwater away from buffalo pasture and increasing groundwater production capacity.
Continued to support implementation of projects that have received their funding
Continued to support implementation of projects that have received their funding; one project entity is nearing completion of one of their projects despite several setbacks and inflated material costs
Continue to support implementation of projects that have received their funding
Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):
For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.
OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.
