# 2026-15360: BIA Hikes Water Rates for Tribal Irrigation—Because Dams Don't Fix Themselves

2026-15360, Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, Indian Affairs Bureau published 2026-07-30, effective 2027-01-01; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-06).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15360
- As of: 2026-08-06
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-15360
- Title: Rate Adjustments for Indian Irrigation Projects
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; Indian Affairs Bureau
- Citation: 91 FR 48181
- Published: 2026-07-30
- Effective: 2027-01-01
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-06

## In one line

BIA Hikes Water Rates for Tribal Irrigation—Because Dams Don't Fix Themselves

## Summary

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) owns or has an interest in irrigation projects located on or associated with various Indian reservations throughout the United States. We are required to establish irrigation assessment rates to recover the costs to administer, operate, maintain, and rehabilitate these projects. We are notifying you that we have adjusted the irrigation assessment rates at several of our irrigation projects and facilities to reflect current costs of administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation.

## Effects PRIA read

- BIA raises irrigation assessment rates: cost, medium. The Bureau of Indian Affairs adjusted irrigation assessment rates for multiple BIA irrigation projects to recover administration, operation, maintenance, and rehabilitation costs. These 2027 rates take effect January 1, 2027 and apply to assessable lands, lessees, and carriage agreement holders ass…
- Flathead project charges rise (per-acre & min): cost, medium. Flathead Irrigation Project per-acre rates increase from $39.00 to $46.00 (Basic per acre—A) and from $19.50 to $23.00 (Basic per acre—B), and the minimum charge per tract rises from $200.00 to $220.00 for 2027. The 2027 minimum charge per tract will apply to parcels sized 4.78 acres or smaller.
- Wapato Satus and related units see higher rates: cost, medium. For Wapato Irrigation Project Satus Unit and certain additional works, the minimum charge per bill increases from $100.00 to $120.00 for 2027; Satus Unit basic per-acre rates change from $86.00 to $89.00 ("A") and $92.00 to $95.00 ("B"). Other Wapato units show per-acre and minimum-bill adjustments…
- Colorado River project per-acre increase: cost, low. Colorado River Irrigation Project basic per-acre rate (up to 5.75 acre-feet) increases from $85.00 in 2026 to $93.00 in 2027. Excess water per acre-foot remains $18.00.
- San Carlos overall O&M per-acre decreases: benefit, low. The combined O&M per-acre rate for San Carlos Irrigation Project (Indian Works + Joint Works + Joint Control Board) falls from $98.85 in 2026 to $94.85 in 2027, reflecting a $28.00 → $24.00 reduction in the Joint Works component while other components remain the same.
- Construction water fees and excess water charges set: mixed, medium. The Final 2027 Construction Water Rate Schedule sets an Administrative Fee of $300.00, an Off-project gravity Usage Fee of $250.00 per month, and an On-project gravity usage fee of $100.00 per acre-foot. An excess water rate of $5.00 per 1,000 gallons applies to water used in excess of 50,000 gallo…

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## Sources
- [2026-15360 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/30/2026-15360/rate-adjustments-for-indian-irrigation-projects)
- [2026-15360 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-07-30/pdf/2026-15360.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-15359, Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15359)
- [Next: 2026-15361, Notice of Public Meetings of the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15361)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-15360 (as of 2026-08-06).