Indigenous Inclusion in Water Resource Governance and Legislation of the Upper Colorado River Basin

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Indigenous tribes and governments within the Upper Colorado River Basin have been left to battle failing infrastructure, underrepresentation, outdated legislation, inadequate water allocations, and ongoing disenfranchisement that has limited equitable access to water. On a wider scale, the current state of Western legislation is not inclusive of Indigenous parties. These factors are compounded by a 23-year long drought in the western United States that has placed drought management and climate change at the forefront of critical need for policy makers and state governments. This article highlights some of the current challenges relevant to inclusive Indigenous governance, with the specific context of drought and water resource management. The authors offer recommendations to the Bureau of Reclamation and state governments of the Upper CRB for more encompassing policy practices in Western water law that provide for a just inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and tribal sovereignty within the larger discourse of basin-wide droughts and water scarcity.