A bill to modify a portion of the south boundary of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation in Arizona, and for other purposes.
PL 95-399 (S.3002), enacted 09/30/1978

PUBLIC LAW 95-399—SEPT. 30, 1978 
92 STAT. 851 
Public Law 95-399 
95th Congress 
An Act 
Salt River Pima-
Maricopa Indian 
Reservation, 
Ariz. 
Boundary 
revision. 
To modify a portion of the south boundary of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa 
Sept. 30, 1978 
Indian Reservation in Arizona, and for other purposes. 
[S. 3002] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ 
FINDINGS AND POLICY 
SECTION 1. (a) The Congress hereby finds that— 
(1) the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation was 
established on Federal lands for the purpose of providing a place 
for members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community 
to live in peace and prosperity with other persons in Arizona; 
(2) at the time of the creation of such reservation, a portion 
of the south boundary was established to follow the course of the 
Salt River; 
(3) the United States granted patents for, and leaseholds and 
other interests in, lands adjacent to such boundary for sand and 
gravel excavation and for other purposes to persons who were 
not members of such Indian community; 
(4) subsequent to the establishment of such boundary, the 
course of the Salt River shifted, creating uncertainty with respect 
to the precise location of such boundary; and 
(5) by an Executive order, the Secretary of the Interior located 
and permanently fixed such boundary in a location which 
included within such reservation, lands for which the United 
States had previously issued patents, leaseholds, and other inter-
ests, causing confusion and an ongoing controversy between such 
Indian community and persons holding such patents, leaseholds, 
and other interests. 
(b) The Congress hereby declares that it is the policy of the Con-
gress to resolve, without costly and lengthy litigation, the dispute 
between the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community and the 
persons referred to in subsection (a) (3) over the location of the 
south boundary of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Reservation. 
MODIFICATION OF SOUTH BOUNDARY 
SEC. 2. The south boundary of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
Reservation in Arizona (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the 
"reservation"), created by the Executive order issued on June 14,1879, 
shall be modified in accordance with the provisions of sections 3 and 4 
of this Act. Any portion of such boundary established by this Act 
shall be fixed and permanent and not ambulatory. 
RESERVATION LANDS 
SEC. 3. (a) (1) The Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter in this Land acquisition. 
Act referred to as the "Secretary") shall acquire by purchase or con-
demnation the lands described m paragraph (2). Upon acquisition, 
such lands shall be added to the reservation. The acquisition of lands 
92 STAT. 852 
PUBLIC LAW 95-399—SEPT. 30, 1978 
under this subsection, and payment for such lands under section 5(b) 
of this Act, shall be deemed to have been pursuant to condemnation 
by the United States. 
(2) The lands authorized to be acquired in paragraph (1) are 
. 
located in township 1 north, range 5 east, Gila and Salt Eiver base 
and meridian, Arizona, and are those portions of the land in— 
(A) the south half of the southeast quarter of section 7 of such 
township and range; 
(B) the south half of the southwest quarter of section 8 of such 
' 
, 
township, and range; and 
(C) the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 4 
of such township arid range; 
which lie north of that boundary line representing the middle of the 
south channel of the Salt River and the south boundary of the Salt 
River Indian Reservation as shown of record on a map entitled 
"Township 1 North, Range 5 East, of the Gila and Salt River Meridian, 
Arizona, Dependent Resurvey and Survey of the South Boundary of 
Salt River Indian Reservation" which consists of four sheets, dated 
August 17, 1972, and is on file and available for public inspection at 
the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Wash-
ington, District of Columbia. 
(b) Upon the acquisition of the lands described in subsection (a), 
the reservation shall include all lands in township 1 north, range 5 
east, Gila and Salt River base and meridian, Arizona, lying north of 
that boundary line representing the middle of the south channel of 
the Salt River and the south boundary of the Salt River Indian 
Reservation as shown of record on the map referred to in subsection 
(a) (2), except for any portion of the following parcels of land: 
(1) the north half of the northwest quarter of section 18 of 
such township and range; 
(2) the north half of the northeast quarter of section 18 of 
such township and range; 
(3) the north half of the southeast quarter of the northeast 
quarter of section 8 of such township and range; 
(4) the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 
9 of such township and range; 
(5) the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 
9 of such township and range; 
(6) the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 
3 of such township and range; 
(7) the north half of the north half of the southwest quarter 
of section 3 of such township and range; 
(8) the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 3 
of such township and range; and 
(9) the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 
3 of such township and range. 
(c) The boundary of the reservation shall be extended to include 
the following parcels of land: 
(1) in township 2 north, range 6 east, Gila and Salt Eiver base 
and meridian, Arizona— 
(A) the area between the reservation boundary created 
' • • ; ' 
by the Executive order issued on June 14, 1879, as amended, 
and a line parallel to and 150 feet north of the concrete 
canal lining on the northerly edge of the South Canal within 
the west 1,000 feet of section 13 of such township and range; 
PUBLIC LAW 95-399—SEPT. 30, 1978 
92 STAT. 853 
(B) any portion of the southeast quarter of the southeast 
quarter of section 14 of such township and range lying south 
and east of the reservation boundary created by the Executive 
order issued on June 14,1879, as amended; 
(C) the area between the reservation boundary created by 
the Executive order issued on June 14,1879, as amended and 
a line parallel to and 150 feet north of the top of the concrete 
canal lining on the northerly edge of the South Canal in 
sections 24, 23, 22, and 27 of such township and range and 
the east half of section 28 of such township and range, except 
for approximately 16 acres of land described as that part of 
the west half of the southwest quarter of section 27 of such 
township and range lying north of the South Canal; 
(D) the area between the reservation boundary created 
by the Executive order issued on June 14, 1879, as amended, 
and the north line of the south half of the southwest quarter 
of section 28 of such township and range; 
(E) the area between the reservation boundary created by 
the Executive order issued on June 14, 1879, as amended, 
and the north line of the south half of the south half of sec-
tions 29 and 30 of such township and range; and 
(F) the north 600 feet of the Granite Reef Reserve in lots 
2 and 3 of section 13 of such township and range; and 
(2) in township 2 north, range 5 east, Gila and Salt River 
base and meridian, Arizona, the south 450 feet of the Evergreen 
Reserve in the west half of the northwest quarter of the north-
west quarter of the southeast quarter of section 23. 
(d) Any lands added to the reservation under this Act shall 
become a part of the reservation in all respects and upon all the same 
terms as if such lands had been included in the Executive order issued 
by the President on June 14, 1879, as amended, except that such lands 
shall remain tribal lands and shall not be subject to allotment to 
individual Indians. 
STATUS OF ARIZONA CANAL AND OTHER RECLAMATION PROJECT LANDS 
SEC. 4. (a) The United States shall have, free of any claim of 
Indian title or trusteeship by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian 
community, all rights and interests in, and absolute and unqualified 
title to, the following parcels of land: 
(1) those portions of the Arizona Canal right-of-way within 
the exterior boundaries of the Salt River Indian Reservation as 
defined by the March 29, 1913, accepted United States general 
land office resurveys of township 2 north, range 5 east and town-
ship 2 north, range 6 east of the Gila and Salt River base and 
meridian, Arizona, and supplemental surveys dated September 30, 
1924, plats of which are of record in the Arizona State Office of 
the Bureau of Land Management, United States Department of 
the Interior, Phoenix, Arizona; 
(2) that portion of the reservation in section 13, township 2 
north, range 6 east, Gila and Salt River base and meridian, 
Arizona, lying between the southerly prolongation of the west 
line of lot 2 and the southerly prolongation of the east line of 
lot 3 of section 13 and lying between the southerly boundaries 
of lots 2 and 3 and the southerly reservation boundary created 
by the Executive order issued on June 14, 1879, as amended; 
92 STAT. 854 
PUBLIC LAW 95-399—SEPT. 30, 1978 
(3) United States Reclamation Service Reserve (Granite 
Reef), which consists of lots 2 and 3 in section 13, township 2 
north, range 6 east, Gila and Salt River base and meridian, 
Arizona, except the north 600 feet of such lots 2 and 3, title to 
which has been confirmed in the United States for the benefit of 
the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community; and 
(4) United States Reclamation Service Reserve (Evergreen), 
which consists of lot 9 and the west half of the northwest quarter 
of the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 23, 
township 2 north, range 5 east, Gila and Salt River base and 
meridian, Arizona, except the south 450 feet of such Reserve, title 
to which has been confirmed in the United States for the benefit 
of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community. 
(b) The reservation boundary shall be modified to exclude from 
the reservation the parcels of land described in paragraphs (1) 
through (4) of subsection (a). 
COMPENSATION 
Fair market 
SEC. 5. (a) (1) The Secretary shall determine the fair market value 
value. 
of those portions of the parcels of land described in paragraphs (1) 
through (9) of section 3(b) of this Act which lie north of the bound-
ary line referred to in section 3(b) of this Act, and shall pay an 
amount equal to such fair mar*ket value or $1,964,520, whichever is 
greater, to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community. 
(2) Acceptance of the payment described in paragraph (1) shall 
constitute a complete release and satisfaction of any claim which the 
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community may have against the 
United States or holder of any interest with respect to any right, title, 
or interest in any portion of the parcels of land described in para-
graphs (1) through (9) of section 3(b) of this Act which are located 
north of the boundary line referred to in section 3(b) of this Act. 
(b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), the Secre-
tary shall determine the fair market value of each parcel of land 
acquired by the United States and added to the Reservation pursuant 
to section 3(a) (1) of this Act, and shall pay an amount equal to such 
fair market value to the owner, under a patent issued by the United 
States, of such parcel. 
(2) If the aggregate of all amounts to be paid under paragraph (1) 
is less than the sum of $1,951,740, in lieu of such payments under para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall pay such sum to the owners, under 
patents issued by the United States, of the parcels of land acquired 
by the United States and added to the reservation pursuant to section 
3(a)(1) of this Act. In determining the amount of any payment to any 
person under this paragraph with respect to such parcels of land, the 
proportion of the amount of the payment to any person to $1,951,740 
shall be equal to the proportion of the amount of the acreage of such 
parcel which such person owns, under a patent issued by the United 
States, to the total acreage of such parcels. 
(3) Acceptance of the payment described in paragraph (1) or (2) 
by any person shall constitute a complete release and satisfaction of 
any claim which such person may have against the United States, the 
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community, or holder of any inter-
est with respect to any right, title, or interest in any portion of the 
parcels of land described in subparagraphs (A), (B),or (C) of sec-
tion 3(a)(2) of this Act which are located north of the boundary line 
referred to in section 3(a)(2) of this Act. 
PUBLIC LAW 95-399—SEPT. 30, 1978 
92 STAT. 855 
AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS 
SEC. 6. Effective October 1, 1979, there are hereby authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the provi-
sions of this Act. 
Approved September 30, 1978. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 
HOUSE REPORT No. 95-1498 accompanying H.R. 12344 (Coram, on Interior and 
Insular Affairs). 
SENATE REPORT No. 95-1170 (Coram, on Indian Affairs). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, VoL 124 (1978): 
Sept. 11, considered and passed Senate. 
Sept. 19, considered and passed House, in lieu of H.R. 12344.