WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate late Thursday approved legislation authorizing a federal loan to the White Mountain Apache Tribe for the planning and engineering of a dam and reservoir to provide clean drinking water for the tribe. The legislation, S. 3128, the White Mountain Apache Tribe Rural Water System Loan Authorization Act, was introduced by U.S. Senator Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) in June. Kyl was integral in quickly advancing the bill through the Senate.
“I am pleased that the Senate has passed this important legislation, bringing members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe another step closer to having a reliable source of clean drinking water,” said Kyl. “It is my hope that the House of Representatives will act quickly to pass this bill before the end of the congressional session.”
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 and reservoir -- the Miner Flat Project – 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 $9.8 million federal loan to the White Mountain Apache Tribe for the planning, engineering, and design of the Miner Flat Project. The loan is repayable over a term of 25 years.
On September 11, Kyl testified before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in support of his legislation. The Committee later approved the bill, along with a Kyl-authored amendment to make the loan repayable over a term of 25 years, striking the original repayment provision relating to the funding in the Arizona Water Settlements Act.
