A settlement between the Navajos and New Mexico for water from a major Colorado River tributary has forced Arizona and the federal government back to the table to sort out the tribe's other claims, which include water and money to build delivery systems. The task is tangled in a morass of laws, compacts, political interests and a water supply already stretched too thin. But failure would thrust the issue into court and threaten water supplies for millions. "We want to settle the Navajo and Hopi claims to the rivers in Arizona," said Herb Guenther, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. "It's one of our high priorities to get this resolved, for the benefit of not only the tribe but also for water users in Arizona, to give them more certainty for the future."

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