The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing on Tuesday for a bill to settle the water claims of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho.

The $193 million agreement would end one of the longest running water rights disputes in the West. The tribe would receive 50,000 acre-feet of water a year for its reservation, a $50 million multiple-use trust fund, a $23 million water supply and sewer system and $7 million worth of land.

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the committee vice-chair, said he would try to pass the bill by the end of the year.

Get the Story:
Landmark tribal water rights deal nears Senate floor (The Missoulian 7/21)

Hearing Links:
Witness Testimony | Video

Get the Bill:
Nez Perce Water Rights Act of 2004 (S.2605)

Relevant Links:
Nez Perce Tribe - http://www.nezperce.org

Related Stories:
Deal proposed to resolve Idaho tribe's water rights (05/17)