Newsletter #146 for March 2026

Idaho and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe reach historic water rights agreement

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe and the state of Idaho have finalized a historic water rights settlement, ending decades of litigation and resolving more than a century of uncertainty dating back to the creation of the reservation in 1873. Tribal Chairman Chief Allan and Governor Brad Little celebrated the agreement as a major step toward protecting Coeur d’Alene Lake and ensuring long-term water reliability. The settlement concludes complex adjudication efforts that began in 2008 and affirms that the tribe holds senior federal reserved water rights (some with priority dates reaching back to “time immemorial”).

The agreement was shaped through extensive negotiations involving the tribe, the federal government, and more than 300 regional stakeholders, including local governments, property owners, and major employers. Under the settlement, the tribe recognizes and protects all existing state‑based water rights dated on or before September 6, 2023, while the state secures room for future growth and protection of most existing water allocations. In exchange, the tribe receives judicially defined quantities of water under its reserved rights and retains authority to manage water resources within the reservation, including establishing a tribal water supply bank.

This settlement brings long‑awaited certainty to water users across North Idaho and sets the stage for collaborative resource management. While the state provides no direct funding to the tribe, the agreement includes state support for federal legislation that could bring up to $500 million in water infrastructure investments. Leaders on both sides emphasized that the agreement not only protects tribal homelands but also benefits the broader community. A sentiment that is underscored by the late tribal leader Felix Aripa’s words: “Water is life for all of us.”

In the News: Idaho reaches historic water rights agreement with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe | KREM

Join Us for the 2026 Private Well Conference!

The 2026 Private Well Conference is the 6^th national workshop hosted by our sister program, The Private Well Class, to bring together private well practitioners to share new ideas, experiences, and best practices to strengthen outreach, education, and research programs that support private well owners around the country.

• Who: This conference is intended for private well professionals, including health department staff, lab personnel, cooperative extension educators, well drillers, environmental health professionals, researchers, technical assistance providers, and other private well stakeholders. Continuing education credit for EHP’s through NEHA and the Illinois LEHP program will be available for attending the conference.
  
  

• What: The Private Well Conference is a 2.5-day in-person, single track workshop with over 25 30-minute presentations, a drillers panel discussion, lightning talks, and most importantly, an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals.
  
  
• When: Tuesday, May 19 - Thursday, May 21, 2026.
  
  
• Where: Missoula, MT at the Holiday Inn Missoula Downtown by IHG. There is a room block at the federal rate, that closes April 20, 2026.
  
  
• How: Registration is free but required

Tap Talk Episode 63

Empowering Well Owners at the Private Well Class Help Center

This week on Tap Talk, we are beyond pleased to welcome two of our colleagues on our Water & Public Health team at the Illinois State Water Survey to the show: Sallie Dolan and Erin Huggett, who are the main forces behind running our Private Well Class Help Center and phone hotline. Launched in the spring of 2024, these services have assisted over 65,000 well owners in finding answers to their well questions or solutions for well problems. As Sallie and Erin discuss, our team looks forward to helping many more as the program grows and develops!

Tribal water rights documentary 'The Water Keepers' premiered at Big Sky Film Festival

"The Water Keepers" is a documentary that premiered at Big Sky Film Festival in February 2026. It tells the story of how the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes used extensive scientific research to secure their water rights on the Flathead Reservation.

"CSKT hydrologists have used science to protect their waters on the Flathead Reservation for decades. The tribes began collecting hard data from stream gauges across the Flathead Basin in the 1980s. "The water measurement program was started in the 1980's. It was rooted in a generational responsibility to protect our water resources that is so important to our tribes," Ryan said.

Ryan is a hydrologist turned filmmaker who co-produced the documentary with Robert McDonald. The film showcases generations of tribal work and scientific data that ultimately led to one of the biggest water settlements in U.S. history.

The information [from the water measurement program] proved crucial during water rights negotiations that helped secure the CSKT Water Compact, which became law in 2020."

Read the full article on KPAX-TV's website.

Find more videos like this on KPAX-TV's YouTube Channel.

Apply for the WEF Operator Scholarship!

The WEF Operator Scholarship provides funding up to $5,000 dollars for individuals who are seeking water sector operator education, training, or certification to enter the industry or to advance their knowledge, skills, abilities or license.

Application Requirements and Criteria:

• Individuals seeking an entry-level operator’s license
• Or, an entry or experienced operator seeking professional development in the following areas:
  • Municipal and industrial treatment
  • Reuse
  • Collection and distribution
  • Stormwater
• Completed online application including a brief essay on your experience and career goals.

Applications are open until March 31, 2026, and will close at 11:59 PM ET

Featured Events for Tribal Water Systems

In the News

• Award honors team behind Navajo Nation water resources library project | Navajo Times
• Tribal Nations Fight for Water Rights | Community Alliance
• U.S.F.S. Approves Drilling at Pe’ Sla, Threatening Indigenous Land and Water | Native News Online
• Is Oil Worth More Than Water? [Opinion] | Native News Online
• Tribes and Allies Form a Coalition Against the Delta Conveyance Project | Comstock's Magazine
• Major funding for Tribe water, biochar projects | The Porterville Recorder
• Rappahannock Tribe Challenges 9M-Gallon Water Plan | Native News Online

Recent Blog Posts at WaterOperator.org

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