Colorado River Indian Reservation
The tribal headquarters of the Colorado River Indian Reservation is located at Parker, Arizona.
In the 2000 census there were 7466 residents with 3389 enrolled tribal members from the Chemehuevi, Mohave, Hopi and Navajo tribes residing there. Established in March 1865 for the "Indians of said river and its tributaries," the Colorado River Indian Reservation straddles a part of the Arizona and California border with 353 square miles (914 km²) in Arizona and 66.7 square miles (173 km²) in California.
The Reservation's economy revolves around agriculture, recreation, light industry, and government. The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) has senior water rights to 717,000 acre-feet (884,000,000 m³) of the Colorado River, which represents nearly a third of the allotment for the State of Arizona. In 1962, Congress granted the right to make 99-year non-agricultural leases of Indian Reservation lands and early in 1963 provided the right to make 25-year agricultural development leases. On June 3, 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court decreed that the Colorado River Indian Reservation shall be entitled to enough water to irrigate 107,588 acres of agricultural land.
The Town of Parker is located within the northern corner of the Colorado River Indian Tribe reservation on a mesa overlooking the Colorado River at an elevation of approximately 450 feet above sea level. The Town of Parker is within the Sonora Desert located near river bottomland and rugged low desert mountains. The Gibraltar Mountains lie east of the community while the Whipple and Riverside Mountains lie to the north and southwest respectively.
The tribe operates the Blue Water Casino and Resort just north of Parker.
CRIT’s natural resources are managed by the Colorado River Indian Tribes Fish and Game Department. Information regarding wildlife management projects, closures, regulations, and hunt-fish permits can be found on their website or via:
CRIT Fish and Game Department
PO Box 777
Parker, AZ 85344
Tel: (928) 669-9285
Fax: (928) 669-6430
Email: critfg@direcway.com
More information can be obtained by visiting the CRIT Museum located at 2nd Avenue and Mohave Road, Parker Valley.
