Rep. Calvert Testifies in Support of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act

September 18, 2026 Press Release Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-41) testified this week before the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries in support of H.R. 5935, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act. Rep. Calvert introduced the legislation last December to facilitate the execution of the water settlement agreement reached by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (Tribe), Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD), and Desert Water Agency (DWA). In his testimony, Rep. Calvert said: “In 2013, the Agua Caliente Tribe filed suit against the Coachella Valley Water District and the Desert Water Agency over groundwater rights in the Indio Subbasin. That case ran for more than a decade. It could easily have run another decade. Instead, last year, the Tribe, Coachella Valley Water District, and the Desert Water Agency signed a settlement agreement. This bill would ratify it.” Calvert continued: “I want to thank Chairman Grubbe and the Agua Caliente tribal council, and I want to thank the Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency, who negotiated in good faith for years to get us here, and I look forward to continuing to advance this bill forward.” The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Water Rights Settlement Act ratifies that the Tribe has a federally reserved water right up to 20,000 acre-feet per year of groundwater from the Indio Subbasin that is held in trust by the U.S. for the Tribe and individual allottees. The Tribe would also have surface water rights in Tahquitz Creek, Andreas Creek, and Whitewater Ranch, held in trust by the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, domestic water service would not stop or switch to a tribal utility. Instead, CVWD and DWA would continue to supply households and businesses on the Reservation. The bill would establish a $500 million "Agua Caliente Settlement Trust Fund" in the U.S. Treasury to be administered by the Department of Interior. The fund would include accounts for Development Projects, Groundwater Augmentation, Water Management, and Operation, Maintenance and Replacement Costs. The bill would transfer 2,742 acres of Bureau of Land Management land to the Tribe, with gaming prohibited on the transferred land. ### Issues : Water