President Barack Obama signed H.R.4783, the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, into law on Wednesday, resolving a water rights settlement for the White Mountain Apache Tribe of Arizona.

The deal confirms the tribe's rights to about 77,000 acre-feet of water. It also authorizes over $200 million for a water system.

"I was born and raised on White Mountain Apache tribal lands, and my hometown is one of those that would gain from this project," Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Arizona) said earlier this year. "I have seen firsthand the challenges that these communities face, and I am confident that this legislation will make a real difference in addressing them."

Get the Story:
White Mountain Apache Tribe’s gold is drinking water (The White Mountain Independent 12/10)

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