FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — For thousands of years, an Arizona tribe relied on the Colorado River’s natural flooding patterns to farm. Later, it hand-dug ditches and canals to route water to fields.

Now, gravity sends the river water from the north end of the Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation through 19th century canals to sustain alfalfa, cotton, wheat, onions and potatoes, mainly by flooding the fields.

Some of those fields haven’t been producing lately as the tribe contributes water to prop up Lake Mead to help weather a historic drought in the American West. The reservoir serves as a barometer for how much water Arizona and other states will get under plans to protect the river serving 40 million people.

The Colorado River Indian Tribes and another tribe in Arizona played an outsized role in the drought contingency plans that had the state voluntarily give up water. As Arizona faces mandatory cuts next year in its Colorado River supply, the tribes see themselves as major players in the future of water.

“We were always told more or less what to do, and so now it’s taking shape where tribes have been involved and invited to the table to do negotiations, to have input into the issues about the river,” first-term Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores said.

Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border has fallen to its lowest point since it was filled in the 1930s. Water experts say the situation would be worse had the tribe not agreed to store 150,000 acre-feet in the lake over three years. A single acre-foot is enough to serve one to two households per year. The Gila River Indian Community also contributed water.

The Colorado River Indian Tribes received $38 million in return, including $30 million from the state. Environmentalists, foundations and corporations fulfilled a pledge last month to chip in the rest.

Kevin Moran of the Environmental Defense Fund said the agreement signaled a new approach to combating drought, climate change and the demand from the river.

“The way we look at it, the Colorado River basin is ground zero for water-related impacts of climate change,” he said. “And we have to plan for the river and the watersheds that climate scientists tell us we’re probably going to have, not the one we might wish for.”

Tribal officials say the $38 million is more than what they would have made leasing the land. The Colorado River Indian Tribes stopped farming more than 15 square miles (39 square kilometers) to make water available, tribal attorney Margaret Vick said.

“There’s an economic tradeoff as well as a conservation tradeoff,” she said.

While some fields are dry on the reservation, the tribe plans to use the money to invest in its water infrastructure. It has the oldest irrigation system built by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, dating to 1867, serving nearly 125 square miles (323 square kilometers) of tribal land.

The age of the irrigation system means it’s in constant need of improvements. Flores, the tribal chairwoman, said some parts of the 232-mile (373-kilometer) concrete and earthen canal are lined and others aren’t, so water is lost through seepage or cracks.

A 2016 study conducted by the tribe put the price tag to fix deficiencies at more than $75 million. It’s leveraging grants, funding from previous conservation efforts and other money to put a dent in the repairs, Flores said.

“If we had all the dollars in the world to line all the canals that run through our reservation, that would be a great project to complete,” Flores said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen in our lifetime.”

The tribe is made up of four distinct groups of Native Americans — Chemehuevi, Mohave, Hopi and Navajo. The reservation includes more than 110 miles (177 kilometers) of Colorado River shoreline with some of the oldest and most secure rights to the river in both Arizona and California.

While much of the water goes to farming, it also sustains wildlife preserves and the tribe’s culture.

“We can’t forget about the spiritual, the cultural aspect to the tribes on the Colorado River,” Flores said. “Our songs, clan songs, river and other traditional rites that happen at the river.”

The tribe can’t take full advantage of its right to divert 662,000 acre-feet per year from the Colorado River on the Arizona side because it lacks the infrastructure. It also has water rights in California.

An additional 46 square miles (121 square kilometers) of land could be developed for agriculture if the tribe had the infrastructure, according to a 2018 study on water use and development among tribes in the Colorado River basin.

“One day,” Flores said. “That’s the goal of our leaders who have come behind me, to use all of our water allocation and develop our lands that right now are not developed.”

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The San Francisco 49ers will relocate to Arizona for the next three weeks after new coronavirus regulations put in place by officials in Northern California forced the team to find a temporary new home. The 49ers (5-6) announced they will host the Buffalo Bills next Monday night and Washington on Dec. 13 at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals, because they won’t be able to practice or play games at home in Santa Clara County for three weeks.

A person familiar with the team’s plans also said a decision has been made to start practicing later this week in Arizona and remain based there until at least Dec. 21. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there hadn’t been an announcement. The team was forced to move because the rules imposed by Santa Clara County prohibit any practice or games for contact sports and will require the players to quarantine for 14 days any time they travel more than 150 miles.

Niners CEO Jed York said the team had offers from San Diego and Arizona, but playing at the Cardinals’ home proved to be the best option. He thanked Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell and officials in Arizona for their help in “these unprecedented times.” “The Cardinals organization, State Farm Stadium and League officials have been supportive and accommodating as we work through the many logistical issues involved in relocating NFL games,” the 49ers said in a statement.

Santa Clara County announced rules Saturday that include a three-week ban on practices and games for contact sports starting Monday. The Niners were on a plane getting ready to travel to Los Angeles, where they beat the Rams 23-20 on Sunday, when the players and coaches heard about the new rules. Now they will likely head on an even longer road trip while trying to make a late-season playoff run. San Francisco is currently one game out of a playoff spot. “The biggest thing for me is us all leaving our families,” coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game. “We’re all human just like everyone else. It’s a big deal to leave your family for the whole month of December.

A huge deal, as everyone knows. This virus is a huge deal.” Shanahan said it was “extremely disappointing” the players and coaches learned about the new rules on social media as they were on the plane. The county said the dramatic rise in cases required “quick action” and the priority was making sure there is enough hospital space to deal with the coronavirus and any other health issues. “The 49ers are one of the thousands of organizations impacted by our most recent actions,” the county said in a statement. “The County of Santa Clara has been in regular communication with the 49ers both before and after the announcement of the revised mandatory directive affecting all contact sports.

We continue to do everything we can to support the 49ers, as well as all local businesses, affected communities, and families impacted by the pandemic.” The Niners have road games scheduled at Dallas on Dec. 20 and then again on Dec. 26 at their temporary home in Arizona against the Cardinals. They finish the season with a home game against Seattle on Jan. 3, which could be played at Levi’s Stadium if the ban is lifted as scheduled Dec. 21. “We just got to have that open mind and positive attitude and make sure that first and foremost that everybody’s safe,” said running back Raheem Mostert, whose wife gave birth to the couple’s second child during the season back home in the Cleveland area. “That’s the main goal.” The AFC East-leading Bills (8-3) will return to Arizona for the second time in a little over three weeks, following a heartbreaking 32-30 loss to the Cardinals.

The game was decided by DeAndre Hopkins’ leaping catch of Kyler Murray’s 43-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left. The catch was immediately dubbed the “Hail Murray,” and came 32 seconds after Buffalo pulled ahead on Stefon Diggs’ 21-yard touchdown reception. Buffalo squandered a 23-9 lead before heading into its bye week. The Bills are coming off a 27-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. “It doesn’t matter,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “I mean, wherever they tell us to play, that’s where we’ll go to play.

We can’t control that and so it’s a home game for San Fran any way we look at it, and we’re the road team. That’s how we roll.” The rules also will impact the San Jose Sharks of the NHL and college teams at Stanford and San Jose State. There is no start date yet for NHL training camp but some Sharks players have been taking part in voluntary rehabilitation and training in a socially distanced setting at the team’s facility in San Jose.

The team said those will have to be modified to comply with the health order. “We are reviewing what options may be available locally to allow these players to receive rehabilitation treatment and continue their training for the upcoming season,” the team said in a statement.

-JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer

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