Protection and Regulation of Tribal Water Use Sample Clauses

Protection and Regulation of Tribal Water Use. 1. The principles set forth in this part of the Compact are intended to prescribe and protect the Tribe's rights to the use of water. 2. The Tribe's rights shall not be adversely affected or limited by any change subsequently made in the State system or the District rules, regulations, and orders affecting preference or priority of water use. The Tribe shall have a preference or priority equal to any preference or priority which may be established for the same use under State law for any other party after the effective date of the Compact. 3. After the effective date of the Compact the Tribe will have an opportunity for significant input into water related land use decisions on lands surrounding the Reservation. In return for this increased input from the Tribe, surrounding landowners should be able to rely on past land use decisions without fear that later exercise of tribal rights will negatively impact them. Present surrounding land uses do not present any inherent conflicts. 4. It is consistent with the public interest to take steps and means to avoid the undesirable effects of inflexibility in the transfer of water rights while retaining adequate security for any such existing rights. Water rights exercised under any existing system should not become so inflexible that water resources cannot meet new needs and demands by transfer from existing uses to new uses which are more beneficial.