The Colorado River Basin

Why Personhood Matters

Over the years, I have become increasingly interested in the movement to secure legal personhood status for rivers.

I don’t view personhood status as the solution for water challenges and ecosystem degradation. However, personhood status increases awareness of the issues and better connects people (civil society) to nature in general and to water in particular.

For a brief background, rivers in several countries have been granted “legal personhood” status, which means they are recognized as legal entities with specific rights, similar to those of people. This status allows rivers to have legal guardians who can sue on their behalf, protect the river’s health and flow, and represent its interests in court.​

Notably, New Zealand was the first to grant personhood to a river in 2017 with the Whanganui River, an action deeply rooted in the Māori culture. Similar designations have occurred elsewhere, such as the Klamath River in the United States, the Magpie River in Canada, the Atrato and Amazon Rivers in Colombia, and all rivers in Bangladesh.​ In India, the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers were given legal personhood by court order.​

Most recently, the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Tribal Council formally accorded personhood status to the Colorado River under tribal law on November 6, 2025. This action gives the river legal rights within the CRIT reservation’s jurisdiction, such as the right to be protected, but does not alter existing interstate water compacts or state laws.

Key Details of the Colorado River’s Personhood Status

● Legal Basis: The personhood status applies specifically under the CRIT’s tribal law and water code. It allows the tribe to use its legal system to address harm to the river caused by factors like drought and climate change.

● Cultural Significance: The resolution formalizes the long-held cultural and spiritual belief among the four tribes that make up the CRIT (Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo) that the river is a living being and the “lifeblood” of their community.

● Practical Implications: The resolution provides a mechanism to potentially require entities leasing water from the tribe to fund habitat restoration and other ecosystem improvements and gives the tribe a legal basis to take action against pollution or harm to the river within its lands. It also directs future tribal councils to consider the river’s needs when making decisions.

● Scope and Limitations: The personhood status functions within tribal sovereignty and does not override state or federal laws, some of which prohibit legal personhood for natural features. Legal experts suggest it would be difficult to use this status to sue entities outside of tribal lands for harm to the river.

● Global Movement: The CRIT is the first community to grant personhood to the Colorado River itself, joining a growing global “rights of nature” movement. Other examples include the Yurok Tribe’s recognition of the Klamath River and New Zealand’s legal recognition of the Whanganui River.

This is a timely and, I hope, impactful development as the Colorado River Basin states continue their negotiations and private sector and non-profit organizations such as Water United and Mina Guili’s run of the Colorado River ramp up their efforts in 2026.

I remain optimistic that the convergence of personhood status for the Colorado River, the realization that the river can no longer provide historical quantities of water, and the engagement of the private sector and initiatives by non-profit organizations will get us to a more secure and resilient water future for the American West.

Onward.