Tribal Water Department

Purpose/Mission Statement

Tribal Water Department is established as the primary enforcement and management agency responsible for administering Tribal water rights on the Reservation as established by Resolution 19-288-FWF entitled "Adopting Tribal Water Use and Administration Code"

The purposes of the MHA Nation Water Use and Administration Code shall be:

1. To provide an orderly system for the use, management, and protection of the MHA Nation’s water resources on behalf of the MHA Nation, its tribal departments, tribal members, and allottees living within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation

2. To ensure that Reservation residents have sufficient water for cultural, domestic, agricultural, stock, instream, and other uses, and that the MHA Nation has sufficient water for reservation economic development.

3. To protect Reservation water from over-appropriation, degradation, exploitation, and any acts injurious to the quantity, quality, or integrity of the water.

4. To encourage optimal development and multiple use of the Reservation water resources, to promote stability of investment in water use and delivery systems, and to permit all reasonable uses.

5. To protect the health and welfare of Reservation residents, the political integrity of the MHA Nation, and the economic security of the Reservation through effective management and protection of the Reservation’s water resources.

6. To protect traditional, religious and cultural uses of water resources and other resources dependent upon water.

Staff