Implementation of the Taos Pueblo Indian water rights settlement (15.565)
Implementation of the Taos Pueblo Indian water rights settlement (Assistance Listing 15.565) is run by the Bureau of Reclamation, part of the Department of the Interior. It awarded $9.7 million in 2 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $4.8 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
There were 2 awards in five years, from $1.2 million to $8.5 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$9.7 million
- Grant awards2
- Typical award$4.8 million
- Awarded in FY 2025$0
- Size rank1,503 of 1,823
- Type of assistanceProject grants (cooperative agreements)
Key findings
- It is the 1503rd largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- Awards went to recipients in 1 states and territories.
What the program funds
The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 was signed into law on December 8, 2010, authorizing the settlement of two long-running New Mexico Indian water rights cases. Title V, the Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, authorizes implementation of the Abeyta (Taos Pueblo) settlement. The Settlement Act authorizes and directs the Bureau of Reclamation to provide financial assistance in the form of grants on a non-reimbursable basis to plan, permit, design, engineer, and construct Mutual-Benefit Projects that will minimize adverse effects on the Pueblo’s water resources by moving future non-Indian ground water pumping away from the Pueblo’s Buffalo Pasture, a culturally sensitive wetland. The Federal Team is working with the Mutual-Benefit Project parties as they get ready for the on-the-ground phase of settlement implementation. Reclamation’s Albuquerque Area Office is in the process of completing environmental compliance and awarding grants to the entities that are moving forward with their projects. The overall cost of the settlement is $144 million, of which $124 million would be paid by the Federal government and $20 million by the State of New Mexico. The total federal contribution of $124 million includes $88.0 million directed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund, and a $36 million settlement fund ($16 million mandatory and $20 million discretionary funds) directed to Reclamation for the Mutual-Benefit Projects.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Only the eligible non-Pueblo entities identified in section 503(1) of the Settlement Act are eligible to receive financial assistance.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Section 507 of the Settlement Act provides that the financial assistance will be used to plan, permit, design, engineer, and construct the Mutual-Benefit Projects in accordance with the Settlement Agreement. Project grants (cooperative agreements) will be provided to the eligible non-Pueblo entities for the Mutual-Benefit Projects, as specified in the section 507(a) of the Settlement Act. The up to amount of financial assistance for each of the Mutual-Benefit Projects will be in accordance with the limitations specified in the Settlement Agreement.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Deadlines
Deadlines do not apply
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range: $1,100,000 to $15,200,000 Average: $6,600,000
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Drilling and equipping water supply wells for municipal use, drilling and equipping mitigation wells meant to mitigate stream depletions from groundwater pumping, pipelines to deliver municipal and mitigation water.Fiscal Year2026: Drilling and equipping water supply wells for municipal use, drilling and equipping mitigation wells meant to mitigate stream depletions from groundwater pumping, pipelines to deliver municipal and mitigation water.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Implementation of the Taos Pueblo Indian water rights settlement (15.565) awarded $9.7 million across 2 grant awards, an average of $4.8 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Prado Water & Sanitation Di | New Mexico | 1 | $8.5 million |
| Acequia del Monte del Rio Chiquito | New Mexico | 1 | $1.2 million |
Who usually wins
State and local governments received 12% of the money.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | $8.5 million | 88% |
| State and local governments | 1 | $1.2 million | 12% |
By state
Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 2 | $9.7 million |