The three Native American tribes in northeast Arizona – Diné, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute – are taking another run this year at a water rights settlement that would finally bring water to communities that lack it.

An attempt last year failed in the final days of the last administration after Upper Colorado River Basin states blocked it in the most glaring example of basin governance dysfunction.

Here’s Shondin Silversmith’s rundown:

The agreement will end the three tribes’ claims to the main stem of the Colorado River, the Little Colorado River and relevant groundwater sources in Arizona. The settlement would guarantee the tribes’ access to over 56,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water, with specific groundwater rights and protections.

Additionally, the agreement requires the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe to leave 17,050 acre-feet per year of Arizona Upper Basin water in Lake Powell for the first 20 years.

It will also allow the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe to lease a portion of their water rights, providing the tribes a chance to create economic opportunities until local demand is met through new infrastructure.

This is a crucial agreement, I hope it can escape the new administration’s wrecking ball.