I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4924 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the Big Sandy River- 
Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agreement and the Hualapai 
Tribe Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide 
for the lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on the Bill 
Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit the Lower Colorado 
River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and to provide for the settle-
ment of specific water rights claims in the Bill Williams River watershed 
in the State of Arizona. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 20, 2014 
Mr. GOSAR (for himself, Mr. BARBER, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. SALMON, Mr. SCHWEIKERT, Ms. SINEMA, 
and Mr. PASTOR of Arizona) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into the 
Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement 
Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe Bill Williams River 
Water Rights Settlement Agreement, to provide for the 
lease of certain land located within Planet Ranch on 
the Bill Williams River in the State of Arizona to benefit 
the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation 
Program, and to provide for the settlement of specific 
water rights claims in the Bill Williams River watershed 
in the State of Arizona. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bill Williams River 
Water Rights Settlement Act of 2014’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
The purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to achieve a fair, equitable, and final settle-
ment of certain claims among certain parties to 
water rights in the Bill Williams River watershed in 
the State of Arizona for— 
(A) the Hualapai Tribe (acting on behalf 
of the Tribe and members of the Tribe); and 
(B) the Department of the Interior, includ-
ing, and acting on behalf of, the constituent bu-
reaus of the Department and, as specified, the 
United States as trustee for the Hualapai 
Tribe, the members of the Tribe, and the 
allottees; 
(2) to approve, ratify, and confirm— 
(A) the Big Sandy River-Planet Ranch 
Water Rights Settlement Agreement entered 
into among the Hualapai Tribe, the United 
States as trustee for the Tribe, the members of 
the Tribe and allottees, the Secretary of the In-
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terior, the Arizona department of water re-
sources, and others, to the extent the Big 
Sandy River-Planet Ranch Agreement is con-
sistent with this Act; and 
(B) the Hualapai Tribe Big Sandy River- 
Planet Ranch Water Rights Settlement Agree-
ment entered into among the Tribe, the United 
States, and the Freeport Minerals Corporation, 
to the extent the Hualapai Tribe Agreement is 
consistent with this Act; 
(3) to authorize and direct the Secretary— 
(A) to execute the duties and obligations of 
the Secretary under the Big Sandy River-Planet 
Ranch Agreement, the Hualapai Tribe Agree-
ment, and this Act; 
(B)(i) to remove objections to the applica-
tions for the severance and transfer of certain 
water rights, in partial consideration of the 
agreement of the parties to impose certain lim-
its on the extent of the use and transferability 
of the severed and transferred water right and 
other water rights; and 
(ii) to provide confirmation of those water 
rights; and 
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(C) to carry out any other activity nec-
essary to implement the Big Sandy River-Plan-
et Ranch Agreement and the Hualapai Tribe 
Agreement in accordance with this Act; 
(4) to advance the purposes of the Lower Colo-
rado River Multi-Species Conservation Program; 
(5) to secure a long-term lease for a portion of 
Planet Ranch, along with appurtenant water rights 
primarily along the Bill Williams River corridor, for 
use in the Conservation Program; 
(6) to bring the leased portion of Planet Ranch 
into public ownership for the long-term benefit of 
the Conservation Program; and 
(7) to secure from the Freeport Minerals Cor-
poration non-Federal contributions— 
(A) to support a tribal water supply study 
necessary for the advancement of a settlement 
of the claims of the Tribe for rights to Colorado 
River water; and 
(B) to enable the Tribe to secure Colorado 
River water rights and appurtenant land, in-
crease security of the water rights of the Tribe, 
and facilitate a settlement of the claims of the 
Tribe for rights to Colorado River water. 
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SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADWR.—The term ‘‘ADWR’’ means the 
Arizona department of water resources, established 
pursuant to title 45 of the Arizona Revised Statutes 
(or a successor agency or entity). 
(2) ALLOTMENT.—The term ‘‘allotment’’ means 
any allotment that— 
(A) was originally allotted to an individual 
Indian in the allotting document; 
(B) is located on land outside the bound-
aries of an Indian reservation within Mohave 
County, Arizona; and 
(C) as of the enforceability date, is held in 
trust by the United States for the benefit of an 
allottee. 
(3) ALLOTTEE.—The term ‘‘allottee’’ means 
any individual who holds a beneficial real property 
interest in an allotment. 
(4) ARIZONA GAME AND FISH COMMISSION.— 
The term ‘‘Arizona Game and Fish Commission’’ 
means the entity established pursuant to title 17 of 
the Arizona Revised Statutes to control the Arizona 
game and fish department (or a successor agency or 
entity). 
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(5) BAGDAD
MINE
COMPLEX
AND
BAGDAD 
TOWNSITE.—The term ‘‘Bagdad Mine Complex and 
Bagdad Townsite’’ means the geographical area de-
picted on the map attached as exhibit 2.9 to the Big 
Sandy River-Planet Ranch Agreement. 
(6) BIG SANDY RIVER-PLANET RANCH AGREE-
MENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Big Sandy 
River-Planet Ranch Agreement’’ means the Big 
Sandy River-Planet Ranch Water Rights Settle-
ment Agreement dated øllllll, 2014¿ 
and entered into among— 
(i) the Tribe; 
(ii) Department, including, and acting 
on behalf of, the constituent bureaus of the 
Department and, as specified, the United 
States as trustee for the Hualapai Tribe, 
the members of the Tribe, and the 
allottees; 
(iii) the Arizona Game and Fish Com-
mission; 
(iv) ADWR; and 
(v) the Corporation. 
(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Big Sandy 
River-Planet Ranch Agreement’’ includes— 
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(i) all exhibits to the agreement re-
ferred to in subparagraph (A); 
(ii) any amendments necessary to 
make the agreement consistent with this 
Act; and 
(iii) any other amendment approved 
by the parties to the agreement that are 
affected by the amendment (including the 
Secretary, acting on behalf of the United 
States). 
(7) BILL WILLIAMS RIVER WATERSHED.—The 
term ‘‘Bill Williams River watershed’’ means the wa-
tershed drained by the Bill Williams River and the 
tributaries of that river, including the Big Sandy 
and Santa Maria Rivers. 
(8) 
CONSERVATION
PROGRAM.—The 
term 
‘‘Conservation Program’’ has the meaning given the 
term ‘‘Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Con-
servation Program’’ in section 9401 of the Omnibus 
Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 
111–11; 123 Stat. 1327). 
(9) CORPORATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Corpora-
tion’’ means the Freeport Minerals Corporation, 
incorporated in the State of Delaware. 
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