Jason Hauter Featured by High Country News on Gila River Indian Community’s Innovative Water Management Solutions

For its article “The Gila River Indian Community innovates for a drought-ridden future,” High Country News quoted Akin Gump American Indian practice partner Jason Hauter on efforts by the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) to restore and manage the tribe’s water supply.

Of the restoration of a portion of the Gila River that had been dry since the end of the 19th century, “It’s amazing how much has returned,” says Hauter, himself a member of the GRIC, which he also served as in-house counsel.

Hauter credits GRIC leadership with ensuring that community members have long-term access, while helping solve regional water supply problems through innovative partnerships. The article details the infrastructure overhaul known as “managed aquifer recharge” behind the revival and also discusses Hauter and Akin Gump’s (the firm serves as outside counsel for the GRIC) work advising the community on how to store, share and sell a greater share of the water to which it is entitled via the Central Arizona Project.

The water storage effort led to the restoration program that has seen a portion of the river come back to life. Hauter says, “The tangible benefit for most members is really having the river back to some degree. It wasn’t something the [2004 Arizona Water Settlement Act] intended to accomplish, but the settlement gave the community the tools to make it happen.”

To read the full article, click here. To learn more about the firm’s work on behalf of the Gila River Indian Community, click here.