WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Assistant Republican Leader Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) today introduced The White Mountain Apache Tribe Rural Water System Loan Authorization Act, which authorizes a federal loan to the White Mountain Apache Tribe for the planning, engineering, and design of a dam and reservoir that will be used to provide drinking water to the tribe.
“Ensuring that Arizonans have access to an assured supply of drinking water is crucial and one of my top priorities,” said Kyl. “For the members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, this legislation will bring them one step closer to having a reliable source of drinking water.”
The White Mountain Apache Tribe is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation in eastern Arizona and has approximately 15,000 members. The majority of the reservation’s residents currently receive drinking water from a small well field. According to the tribe, well production has significantly decreased over the last few years, leading to summer drinking water shortages.
In order to meet the needs of the tribe’s growing population, a proposed new dam -- the Miner Flat Dam – located on the reservation is considered to be the best long-term solution to ensure an adequate drinking water supply.
Kyl’s bill authorizes the Secretary of Interior to provide a federal loan to the tribe for the planning, engineering, and design of the Miner Flat Dam.
The bill will be sent to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. Kyl will urge the Committee to take up the bill at its earliest opportunity.
For a copy of Kyl’s Congressional Record remarks on the bill and the legislation, please contact the Kyl press office.
