FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         ENR
FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1996                              (202) 514-2008
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                 
               U.S. SETTLES 70-YEAR DISPUTE BETWEEN
               CALIFORNIA TRIBE AND WATER DISTRICTS

TRIBE RECEIVES $14.2 MILLION FOR LONG-TIME FLOODING OF ITS LANDS


WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The United States announced today that it has
resolved a 70-year dispute over an Indian tribe's loss of land
due to repeated flooding from nearby agricultural lands in
Southern California.        

     The Torres-Martinez tribe, that lives in the Imperial Valley
east of San Diego, will receive $14.2 million for the long-
running and massive flooding of a large chunk of its land which
now lies under the Salton Sea, the largest inland sea in
California.  The land has been inundated due to irrigation
conducted by the Imperial Irrigation District and the Coachella
Valley Water District.   

     The Torres-Martinez will get $4 million from the water
districts and $10.2 million from the United States, under an
agreement between the Justice Department and the Department of
Interior, together with representatives of the tribe and the
Imperial and Coachella water districts.   The tribe is authorized
to purchase 11,800 acres -- representing the amount of flooded
tribal land -- in close proximity to its current reservation
lands for future economic development.  The land purchased by the
tribe will be taken into trust by the United States.  In
exchange, the water districts will receive a permanent easement
to flood the Salton Sea up to a certain level.  The settlement
resolves the tribe's lawsuit against the water districts and any
and all future claims.

     "This agreement rights an historical wrong and provides the
tribe an opportunity to make significant strides toward economic
self-sufficiency,"  said Lois J. Schiffer, Assistant Attorney
General in charge of the Department's Environment and Natural
Resources Division.  "It's good news for all parties -- the
tribe, the water districts and the United States -- ending a
contentious 14-year lawsuit and providing a blueprint for final
resolution."    

     "I am delighted that this Administration has been able to
work with the tribe and all parties to settle a long-standing
injustice," Secretary Bruce Babbitt said.  "In matters like these
that have been litigated for years, it is gratifying to see this
settlement move funds directly to the Torres-Martinez Band of
Mission Indians instead of languishing with courts and lawyers. 
I am hopeful that Congress will move quickly to pass legislation
that will allow the tribe to finally reach a beneficial
resolution."  

     The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 after the Colorado River
broke through a dam and filled the Salton Sink.  The Salton Sink
is a large area that lies 278 feet below sea level, only four
feet higher than Death Valley, the lowest point in the United
States.  More than 11,000 acres of Torres-Martinez land were
flooded.  Since then, water drainage and runoff from the
districts' irrigation of neighboring agricultural lands has kept
these lands under water.  The two water districts serve the
Imperial and Coachella Valleys of California which are known for
their rich agricultural produce that supplies the United States
year-round.  

     Ada E. Deer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, who
signed the agreement yesterday, said, "This settlement will
provide the tribe an opportunity to obtain land and provide the
financial capability for them to move forward to initiate various
economic development projects proposed over the past several
years.  This agreement is significant because it reflects
cooperation among the federal, state, local and tribal
governments."

     The United States and the tribe first sued the water
districts in 1982.  On July 17, 1992, a U.S. District Court
awarded the tribe $3 million in damages but did not prevent the
water districts from future flooding.  Since then, the Justice
Department has used alternative dispute resolution -- a technique
to resolve lawsuits more quickly and efficiently -- to bring a
final agreement.  

     The agreement requires legislation in Congress to implement
various provisions of the settlement, including terms and
conditions under which land acquired by the Tribe can be put to
use.  Congressman Sonny Bono, who represents the district,
introduced this legislation on June 13.  
 
                               ###
96-281