An Act to authorize the transfer to the Navajo Tribe of irrigation project works on the Navajo Reservation, and for other purposes
PL 86-636 (H.R.8295), enacted 07/12/1960

470 
PUBLIC LAW 86-636-JULY 12, 1960 
[74 S T A T . 
July 12, 1960 
[H. R. 8295] 
Public Law 86-636 
AN ACT 
To authorize the transfer to the Navajo Tribe of irrigation project works on the 
Navajo Reservation, and for other purposes. 
Indians, 
Tribe. 
Transfer of irri-
g a t 1 o n project 
works. 
Exception, 
Personnel 
Tax exemption 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Navajo United States of America in Congress asseTubled, That the Secretary 
of the Interior is authorized to transfer to the Navajo Tribe all of 
the right, title, and interest of the United States to any irrigation 
project works, except the Reservoir Canyon and Moencopi Tuba 
project works, constructed or under construction by the United States 
wdthin the Navajo Reservation prior to the date of approval of this 
Act, including machinery, equipment, tools, supplies, buildings, 
facilities, and improvements which are usable for the care, operation, 
and maintenance of such works and which are not needed for the con-
tinued efficient operation of the irrigation construction program, with-
in the Navajo Reservation: Provided, That no such transfer shall be 
made without the prior approval of the Navajo Tribe: Provided fur-
ther, That the exclusion of Reservoir Canyon and Moencopi Tuba 
project^works from the scope of this Act shall hot be construed to 
affect in any. way present ownership of or rights to use the land and 
water thereof. 
SEC. 2. Prior to or at the time of each such transfer, the Secretary 
and the chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council shall agree on the 
number of Department of the Interior personnel who shall be provided 
by the Secretary to train tribal personnel and to assist in operating 
irrigation project works transferred to the tribe until such time as 
tribal personnel are trained and qualified to assume full responsibility 
for any such irrigation project works. The Secretary and the chair-
man shall also agree on the time during which such Department per-
sonnel shall be provided. The cost of their employment shall be paid 
by the tribe. 
SEC. 3. The transfer to the Navajo Tribe pursuant to this Act of 
any irrigation project works located in whole or in part within the 
boundaries of the reservation established by executive order dated 
December 16, 1882, for the use and occupancy of the Moqui (Hopi) 
and such other Indians as the Secretary of the Interior may see fit to 
settle thereon shall not be construed to affect in any way the merits of 
the conflicting claims of the Navajo and the Hopi Indians to the use 
or ownership of the lands within said 1882 reservation. 
SEC. 4. The irrigation project works transferred to the tribe pur-
suant to this Act and the land on which such works are located, shall 
be subject to no restriction on use, management, or disposition because 
of Indian ownership, but any such lands and project works and the 
income therefrom shall be exempt from all forms of taxation as long 
as, but no longer than, such lands and irrigation project works remain 
in the ownership of the Navajo Tribe or in the ownership of a legal 
entity controlled l^ the Navajo Tribe or its membership, unless other-
wise provided by Congress. 
Approved July 12, 1960.