Colorado River Indian Tribes Grant Legal Personhood to Colorado River Amid Drought Crisis
The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), consisting of the Mojave, Hopi, Navajo, and Chemehuevi tribes, approved a resolution in November 2025 to grant legal personhood to the Colorado River. This landmark decision comes as the region grapples with unprecedented environmental challenges.
This resolution acknowledges the river as a living, life-giving entity possessing rights akin to those of a person.
Context and Impact
This initiative primarily seeks to protect the river for future generations. The urgency of this action is underscored by the current environmental situation: the Colorado River is experiencing the most severe drought in 1,200 years.
Further complicating the situation, seven U.S. states sharing the river are required to establish a new water sharing agreement by February 14, 2026. The existing agreements are set to conclude at the end of 2026. Should these states fail to reach a consensus on a new plan, the federal government has indicated it will introduce its own. CRIT has stated that granting personhood status is intended to contribute significantly to the river's protection efforts.