Pueblo Water Rights on the Upper Rio Grande

This study concerns the water rights of the Pueblo Indians on the Upper Rio Grande using the Tesuque Pueblo as a case study. The Tesuque Pueblo is one of four Indian pueblos involved in a legal dispute over the water rights of the Pojaque Drainage Basin, located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. First, a general background affecting this dispute is presented. This background includes the general legal status of Indian water rights in the United States at the present time and the past usage of water by the Pueblo Indians. Using this information, the Pueblo’s case is discussed. Then the possible allocation of water rights between the Tesuque Pueblo and their non-Indian neighbors is considered. Lastly, the effect of utilization of these water rights on the immediate hydrological system is discussed.

Project No. B-055-NMEX