Reclamation's Native American Affairs Program was established in 1989 with the mission of making the benefits of the Reclamation program available to Indian Tribes and fulfilling Reclamation’s Indian Trust responsibilities.

The program develops and coordinates Reclamation policy and technical guidelines, as well as provides technical assistance to Tribes. The United States has trust responsibility to protect and maintain Indian Trust Assets, both on and off reservation lands. Examples of Indian Trust Assets include lands, minerals, water rights, hunting and fishing rights, and other natural resources. Reclamation places a high priority on its government-to-government relationship with Native Americans.

The Snake River Area Office’s Native American Affairs Program coordinates activities and programs among the following tribes:

• Burns Paiute Tribe,
• Nez Perce Tribe,
• Northwestern Shoshone Tribe,
• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, and
• Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Indian Reservation.

The Native American Affairs Program provides technical assistance to tribes for the use, protection, and/or development of water related tribal assets.

• Water monitoring and sampling for water quality studies on reservations;
• Water conservation assistance;
• Wetlands development, restoration, and protection;
• Historic properties inventories and evaluations;
• Fish passage studies;
• Water supply studies to meet current and future domestic and economic development needs on reservation;
• irrigation analysis;
• Groundwater studies to determine long-term sustainable yields of aquifers;
• Hydrologic studies to estimate impact of groundwater pumping on surface water flows;
• Geomorphology studies to evaluate stream restoration proposals; and
• Participation in water rights negotiations and implementation.

Allyn Meuleman
(208) 383-2258
gmeuleman@usbr.gov

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Last Update: January 23, 2013 3:29 PM