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Federal "Buy American" rules could be stalling infrastructure projects

Oct 26, 2023
Rules to boost the domestic economy now apply to broadband and water equipment. Delays and higher costs can be part of the trade-off.
The Gila River Indian Community develops projects to conserve water. Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said federal rules requiring the use of American-made construction materials can be an obstacle.
SafakOguz/Getty Images

Supreme Court hears case on Navajo Nation water rights

Mar 20, 2023
Amid regional efforts to conserve the Colorado River's flow, the U.S. government argues it has no duty to enforce Navajo water rights.
At the Supreme Court on Monday, the federal government acknowledged the Navajo Nation’s water right but argued that it has no duty to enforce that right.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Nevada farmers shake up traditional water rights with a new way to fight scarcity

Sep 23, 2022
Growers agreed to a plan that requires all irrigators to reduce their water use over time, instead of using a senior water rights strategy.
Marty Plaskett, a hay farmer in Diamond Valley, Nevada, stands near one of the irrigation pivots that waters his alfalfa field.
Kaleb Roedel/Mountain West News Bureau

Interior Department will put $1.7 billion toward fulfilling tribal water rights settlements

Feb 25, 2022
Some tribes have been waiting on the funding for decades. They'll put it toward shoring up water infrastructure on their reservations.
A water pump is repaired outside of a home on the Navajo Nation on Dec. 16, 2021 in Thoreau, New Mexico.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Water enters futures market, allowing buyers to lock in prices

Sep 18, 2020
As water becomes increasingly scarce, buying futures contracts may help businesses reliant on water keep prices down.
Carrot fields are watered in Kern County, California. Selling water in the state can be tricky due to water rights.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

California drought threatens even oldest water rights

May 13, 2015
In California, some people have more right to water than others. Now, drought threatens even them.