Padilla, Schiff introduce bill to ratify Agua Caliente water settlement
The bill would approve up to 20,000 acre-feet of groundwater rights, create a $500 million trust fund and transfer 2,742 acres into trust
U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff introduced legislation to ratify a water rights settlement between the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, the United States, the Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency, according to a joint statement. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Reps. Ken Calvert and Raul Ruiz, according to the statement. The agreement, finalized in May 2025, resolves longstanding water rights issues and supports water management in the Coachella Valley.
The legislation would ratify the tribe’s federally reserved water right of up to 20,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Indio Subbasin, along with surface water rights in Tahquitz Creek, Andreas Creek and Whitewater Ranch, according to the statement. It would also establish a $500 million settlement trust fund to support water infrastructure, groundwater augmentation, water management and related costs, and place 2,742 acres of Bureau of Land Management land into trust for the Tribe.
