Tribal control of groundwater could mean opportunities for economic development, while helping Native Americans deal with the pressures of climate change.
The announcement prompted the California State Water Resources Control Board to postpone its vote on a proposal restricting agricultural water use in the Delta.
A recent funding decision has put the ambitious water project on firmer financial ground, but California Water Fix must still clear numerous regulatory and legal hurdles.
In Idaho, a state with stringent water rights, the people have managed to recharge the essential Eastern Snake Plain Aquifer that supplies hundreds of thousands with water.