Reserved Water Rights for Federal and Indian Reservations: A Growing Controversy in Need of Resolution

Although the United States as a whole has an abundant water supply, the geographical distribution and availability of its water resources often does not match needs and demands. Federal and Indian reservations encompass substantial land in the western United States, and federal reservations are a substantial source of water resources in the Western States. Except for some litigated cases, however, the amount of water reserved for the reservations, from what sources, and for what purposes has not been determined.