Lummis May Take Water Dispute To Court

Lummi Indians may go to court if talks with state and federal officials fail to resolve a water-rights dispute.

The Lummis plan to meet for another round of talks July 12 in Olympia on the conflict over use of Sandy Point’s underground water supply, said Lummi leader Henry Cagey.

U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., met with Lummi Nation leaders Wednesday in Washington, D.C., but refused to back off his threat to cut off federal funding for the tribe if the dispute isn’t settled.

The Lummis are involved in a dispute with the mostly non-Indian residents of Sandy Point, a residential enclave within the Lummi reservation near Bellingham.

The tribe recently drilled a well less than 100 feet from the Sandy Point residents’ well to supply the tribe’s fish hatchery with water. The area’s water level then dropped dangerously low before usage was cut back.