Coverage of tribal natural resources is supported in part by Catena FoundationMunicipalities across the Grand Canyon State are raising concern over the rapid rise of data centers, especially when it comes to water consumption in the drought-stricken Southwest.
But an Arizona tribe that shares a 108-mile border with the Colorado River has enacted a moratorium on its nearly 1 million-acre reservation.
The Hualapai Tribal Council in northern Arizona recently passed a resolution opposing "the irresponsible development of hyperscale data centers." Such facilities powering AI, they say, pose "a direct and severe threat to the tribe's sacred water, lands, environment and way of life."
"Moving forward, we will always protect our air," Hualapai Chairman Duane Clarke told KJZZ. "We will always protect our land, and we will always protect our water. Hualapai Tribe will stand strong with any community — and we will oppose these data centers."
Some neighbors in nearby Bullhead City, which also sits along the river just south of Nevada, are now worried about looming rezoning proposals that could lead to future data center development downstream of the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.
Similarly, the city of Page, hugging the opposite side of the river near Utah, sold 500 acres to Huntley, LLC. It hopes to build what could become a $10 billion data center — not too far from Horseshoe Bend and the abutting Navajo Nation.
Last October, the Page City Council overwhelmingly voted to authorize the controversial sale at a $7 million price tag — or $14,000 per acre. The LeChee Chapter, which is the closest Navajo community, unanimously adopted a resolution against that deal back in February.
In it, the local Navajo chapter measure alleges lacking transparency from the city of Page during its sell off what was once considered Navajoland — now officially the outskirts of city limits.
LeChee residents also claim that Page officials failed to mull over the "risks of harm, loss of vital resources and environmental impact on the Navajo people" before agreeing to the transaction.
This parcel located in the vicinity of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area is still supposed to undergo a feasibility study to see whether Page could actually sustain a 1 gigawatt data center some day.
According to the city's project FAQ webpage, Page has not committed any municipal water source to the pending data center — adding that rumors about drawing from Lake Powell remain "speculative at this time."
As for Hualapai, its own measure opposing hyperscale data centers asserts "no outside entity or private developer may use, damage or compromise" its resources "without the tribe's free, prior and informed consent."
"We definitely want to make our stance known — that we oppose anything here on the Hualapai reservation," added Clarke. "We also want to look out for Arizonans. We hear it with Arizonans, we hear it within our country."
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