The Colorado River Indian Tribes have formally accorded personhood status to the Colorado River , creating a powerful new mechanism to protect the eponymous river that makes life possible in their arid homelands.

The resolution was approved by the CRIT Tribal Council on Nov. 6 in Parker.

The nearly 4,300-member tribe has long been alarmed at the state of its life-giving waterway, CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores wrote in a statement shared with The Arizona Republic.

"The Colorado River is in jeopardy," she said. The tribe, which holds the largest quantity of senior water rights in the state, regards the river as a living being, so the resolution codifies that belief and the tribe's commitment to protecting its needs and ability to provide water for future generations.

CRIT's leadership

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