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Case Studies
- [See Case Study: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation ]
The Tribes have established a water quality standards program to preserve the high quality waters and restore those that have been degraded. (July 31, 2006) - [See Case Study: The Hoopa Valley Tribe ]
The Hoopa's water quality standards establish 16 different designated uses for their water bodies including ceremonial and cultural water use, fish spawning, and water contact recreation. (July 31, 2006) - [See Case Study: The Sokaogon Chippewa Community ]
The Tribe decided to assume greater responsibility and control of the present and future conditions of its water resources and applied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to administer its own water quality standards program. (July 31, 2006) - [See Case Study: The Hualapai Tribe ]
Since adopting water quality standards, the Tribe has been an equal partner with federal, state, and local authorities in discussing activities that could affect tribal waters. (July 31, 2006) - [See Case Study: The Fort Peck Tribes Use Biological Criteria for Their Water Quality Standards ]
Biological criteria allow a tribe to set goals for waterbodies based on the type and number of aquatic species that should be present. (April 15, 2003) - [See Case Study: The Seminole Tribe of Florida Uses Water Quality Standards to Solve a Nutrient Problem ]
The tribe determined high nutrient levels from large scale agriculture and tribal activities were disrupting aquatic ecology on the Big Cypress reservation. Five years after instituting water quality standards the tribe began to measure decreases in nutrients entering the waters. (April 15, 2003) - [See Glossary of Terms Used in Case Studies ]
Video
- Video: Our Water Our Future: Saving Our Tribal Life Force Together
This video documents the successful protection of water quality on two Native American reservations - the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico and the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation in Washington. Tribal elders and leaders and the directors and staffs of tribal environmental departments recount their experiences.
Publications
- [See Brochure: How Water Quality Standards Protect Tribal Waters ]
- [See Water Management Solutions, A Guide for Indian Tribes ]
- [See Tribal Environmental & Natural Resource Assistance Handbook ]
- Case Study: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation (PDF)(2 pp, 381 K)
- Case Study: The Hoopa Valley Tribe (PDF)(2 pp, 758 K)
- Case Study: The Sokaogon Chippewa Community (PDF)(2 pp, 440 K)
- Case Study: The Hualapai Tribe (PDF)(2 pp, 545 K)
- Case Study: The Fort Peck Tribes Use Biological Criteria for Their Water Quality Standards (PDF)(2 pp, 943 K)
- Case Study: The Seminole Tribe of Florida Uses Water Quality Standards to Solve a Nutrient Problem (PDF)(2 pp, 792 K)
- Glossary of Terms Used in Case Studies (PDF)(2 pp, 785 K)
- Brochure: How Water Quality Standards Protect Tribal Waters (PDF)(6 pp, 2 MB)
- Water Management Solutions, A Guide for Indian Tribes (PDF)(81 pp, 4 MB)
- Tribal Environmental & Natural Resource Assistance Handbook (PDF)(143 pp, 692 K, March 1999)