Supreme Court denies Navajo Nation's water rights claim.

The Navajo Nation, already facing severe water scarcity, has been dealt a blow by a Supreme Court ruling that will make it even harder to secure water for its 170,000 enrolled tribal members. The court ruled that an 1868 treaty "contains no language imposing a duty on the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe." The decision is a win for states that rely on the Colorado River, but leaves the tribe at a serious disadvantage. The Navajo Nation must now ask Congress to act or the Supreme Court to reopen a prior case to access water from the lower Colorado River.