The Indian Peaks Band of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah has formally challenged federal approval of a major water development project in southern Utah, arguing the plan threatens its water rights and culturally significant resources.
On April 1, 2026, the Band—represented by the Native American Rights Fund—filed a Notice of Appeal and Petition for Stay with the Interior Board of Land Appeals, seeking review of a March 2 decision by the Bureau of Land Management. That decision approved the Pine Valley Water Supply Project, a large-scale groundwater extraction and pipeline proposal.
The filing asks the appeals board to halt the project while the case is under review. Tribal leaders contend the approval violates federal law, including the National Environmental Policy Act, and fails to protect the Band’s federally reserved water rights.
According to the appeal, the proposed wellfield lies just a few miles from the Band’s former reservation—ancestral lands that remain central to its cultural and historical identity. The Band argues that the volume of groundwater the project’s developer, the Cedar Valley Water Conservancy, intends to extract exceeds sustainable levels and could significantly harm the Tribe’s water resources.
“These water resources are fundamental to our Band’s history, culture, and future,” said Chairwoman Tamra Borchardt-Slayton. “Federal law is clear that the Band’s water rights must be protected, and we are asking the Interior Department to do just that.”
The Band’s claim rests on federally reserved water rights tied to its former reservation lands—rights that predate many non-Native uses in the region and remain legally protected. The appeal asserts that federal officials failed to adequately consider those rights or uphold the government’s trust responsibility to Tribal Nations before approving the project.
“Federal agencies have both a legal and moral obligation to protect Tribal water rights,” said Tom Murphy. “This appeal seeks to ensure that those obligations are honored for the Band’s water rights.”
Filed under federal regulations governing administrative appeals of Bureau of Land Management decisions, the petition also requests an immediate stay. If granted, the stay would pause construction and prevent further project commitments while the Interior Board of Land Appeals evaluates the case.
The outcome of the appeal could have broader implications for how federal agencies balance water development projects with Tribal water rights across the West.
