The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation after they claimed the U.S. government has a duty to provide their Arizona reservation with running water. The Colorado River flows along the northwestern border of the tribe's reservation and tributaries of the San Juan River and the Little Colorado River also flow through. Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his majority opinion said a 1868 treaty with the Navajo Nation did not mean the U.S. government had to step in to secure water access. Lawyers for the Navajo Nation had characterized the tribe's request as modest, saying they simply were seeking an assessment of the tribe's water needs and a plan to meet them. The second treaty established the reservation as the tribe's 'permanent home' - a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water.

Source: Daily Nation June 23, 2023 10:42 UTC