Part 1
Water and Fire
What are the Tribe’s plans for water—and what would establish fire readiness?
Read the briefing → Download Part 1 PDF ↓
The Long Return · Community Reports · Three-part series
Our Utilities
Water for everyday life and for fire. The power that keeps systems operating. The people, equipment and money required after construction.
Start with a corrected premise:
the Tribe's 2020 strategic-plan draft includes a Water Department plan. What remains unestablished is its adoption and current status, specific fire-flow capacity, backup-power arrangements, and staffing/funding details. These articles identify what the public record supports and what still requires a direct answer; they do not certify system readiness or speak for the Tribe.
Part 2
Power and Emergencies
What keeps pumps, alerts, and essential facilities working during a power outage?
Read the briefing → Download Part 2 PDF ↓
Part 3
Keeping the Systems Running
Who operates the water systems, and how are their costs and future staff covered?
Read the briefing → Download Part 3 PDF ↓The short answer
The Tribe says it operates two community public drinking-water systems and a third transient system. Its published 2020 draft names goals for equipment, conservation, rate management, staffing and expansion. That establishes a planning record—not that any item was adopted or completed. The public sources reviewed do not establish system-by-system firefighting water supply, backup-power run time, or the current staffing and O&M budget. Those answers require qualified or authorized records.
How to use this series
- Read the lead: each article starts with the issue, the source boundary and what is not being claimed.
- Inspect the record: each article ends with a source table distinguishing official documents, inference, historical statements and gaps.
- Use the question card: questions identify the office able to respond and request a dated answer, not confidential information.
- Return for corrections: an update after the next meeting or a new record can change a conclusion; older records are preserved.
What is next
The Tribe’s August 2026 newsletter announces the membership meeting on Saturday, October 17 at 10:00 a.m., VFW Hall in Burney, with a Zoom link to be shared on social media. Confirm the current notice and remote-access details; this series does not assume any meeting result. Any follow-up must distinguish questions submitted, answers actually received, and remaining unanswered questions.