Supreme Court sides against Navajo Nation in water rights case.
The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation in a legal dispute over water access, finding that a 1868 treaty does not require the US to take affirmative steps to secure water for the tribe. The court divided 5-4 in its decision, with Justice Neil Gorsuch joining with the liberal wing of the bench in dissent. Despite lying largely within the Colorado River Basin, water is scarce, and up to 91% of Navajo households on some parts of the reservation lack access to water.