ELY SHOSHONE TRIBE

Ely Shoshone Tribe
Historical Timeline and Background
& Water Management Capacities

16,000+ ybp  Ely Shohone relied on water resources throughout their Great Basin homelands.

1850+   Euroamerican colonization, westward expansion, and manifest destiny resulted taking over vast regions of fertile and water-rich areas of Goshute homelands. Goshutes were displaced, exterminated in genocidal acts, and forced onto a tiny fraction of their ancestral homelands where access to water resources was truncated in the process.   

1863     On October 1, 1863, the Treaty of Peace and Friendship at Ruby Valley was signed between the United States and the Western Shoshone. In that treaty, the represented tribes neither ceded territory nor water resources therein. The Treaty only allowed for limited use and passage on lands on a temporary basis.

1869     The 1863 Treaty was ratified by Congress and proclaimed by the President.

1908     Supreme Court case Winters v. United States (Winters Doctrine) held that on the date the federal government created an Indian reservation along with it came an implied federal reserved water right to meet their needs and fulfil purposes of the reservation. 

1930     Under the Act of June 27, 1930, Congress authorized for the Ely Shoshone Tribe “for the purchase of land, city water service connection, installation of pipe and hydrants, and erection of standpipe with necessary protective structure.”

1931     The Federal government purchased 10 acres of land near Ely, Nevada, for the use by the Ely Shoshone. Given hillslope of the acreage, only 2 acres was suitable for development.

1934     The Ely Shoshone Reservation on the above acres was formed pursuant to the Indian Reorganization Act.

1973     The Tribe entered into a 55-year lease with White Pine County for an additional parcel of 11 acres for home site construction. The Tribe purchased this land outright in 1992.

1977     On November 18,1977, Public Law 95-191 authorized conveyance of about 90 acres to and held in trust for the Ely Shoshone Tribe.

2006     The Act of December 20, 2006 (The White Pine County Lands Bill) transferred 3,526 acres of land to be held in trust for the Ely Shoshone Tribe.

2024     Tribal membership is about 763, with 319 living in White Pine County. There is a Tribal housing shortage, waiting list for housing, and impasse to expand housing due to inhibited water access.

Water Management Priorities

Ely Shoshone Tribe’s top priority is access to water for housing subdivisions. Tribe gets water from City of Ely and needs to tie drinking and sewer lines to the City. In some instances, this can require crossing private land.

Existing Water-Related Capacity

The Tribe has limited water management capacities that serve the immediate needs of the reservation community, which is focused on residential housing needs. Maintenance, Tribal housing and the Tribal Council deal with water matters. City of Ely generally handles maintenance and repairs to tie-in water lines. There is no water program or department.

Capacity-Building Needs and Interests

The Tribe has serious immediate and long-term needs regarding water management capacity. First, the Tribes needs capacity to build more housing for tribal members, which requires overcoming current obstacles of tying into City of Ely water lines and sewer by crossing private land. Second, there is a need to create drinking water and wastewater services at Fandango Grounds. Third, Tribe needs to ensure it is informed on local/state/federal water issues & who to contact. Third, they need continued capacity to maintain existing water systems and infrastructure that’s shared by City of Ely. Fourth, they need to secure water and maintain systems at White River property. Fifth, the Tribe needs to develop a water department with everything from management, testing, quality controls, etc. Sixth, the Tribe is in need of water-related training and education programs. And finally, there is interest in changing BLM water policies to help Tribes.