{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=13d78c78-8d36-4043-b769-d093d6aa8859", "Senate Approves Gosar-Flake Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement", "2014-12-02", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AZ", "Jeff Flake", "F000444", "www.flake.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 The U.S. Senate today approved H.R. 4924, the Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement Act. The bipartisan bill - introduced by Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and cosponsored by the entire Arizona U.S. House delegation - would codify agreements that would settle a water-rights dispute in the Bill Williams River Watershed, providing certainty to both Indian and non-Indian water users. \r\nAn identical companion bill (S. 2503) was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and John McCain (R-AZ).\r\n\u201cSenate passage of the Bill Williams River Water Rights Settlement marks yet another positive step forward in Arizona\u2019s long history of proactive water management,\u201d said Flake. \u201cIf signed by the president, this settlement will help to foster economic growth in northwestern Arizona, while safeguarding the Hualapai tribe\u2019s culturally significant water uses in the Big Sandy River basin.\u201d\r\nBackground: Freeport Minerals Corporation owns and operates a copper mine and townsite in Bagdad, Ariz. The water for that operation comes from a series of wells along the Big Sandy River (a tributary of the Bill Williams River) in what is known as the Wikieup Wellfield.\r\nBecause the Hualapai tribe also owns parcels in the area that could be impacted by Freeport\u2019s pumping, the United States, on the tribe\u2019s behalf, objected to Freeport\u2019s applications to transfer water rights from Planet and Lincoln ranches to the Wikieup Wellfield.\r\nAs part of this settlement, Freeport will agree to cap its use of water from the Wikieup Wellfield and recognize the water rights of the tribe and allottees on nearby parcels. The tribe and the United States on behalf of the tribe and the allottees further agree to waive claims and drop their objections to Freeport\u2019s severance and transfer request. Finally, Freeport will transfer portions of Planet Ranch for use in the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program (MSCP). In September 2014, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted to make payments in lieu of taxes to Mohave and LaPaz counties for land that will be transferred to the MSCP.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.flake.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ContentRecord_id=13d78c78-8d36-4043-b769-d093d6aa8859"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8029229938983917, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}