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Tribal Beneficial Uses (TBUs)

Water is life. Since time immemorial, California Native American Tribes have used California’s waterbodies to support cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, subsistence and/or traditional practices, lifeways and rights. Tribal Beneficial Uses recognize and honor Tribal Nations’ unique and ongoing relationships with water and ensure that these uses are considered and safeguarded in water quality policies, planning, and permitting regulatory processes.

This page provides information about Tribal Beneficial Uses, how they are incorporated into water quality control plans established by the California Water Boards, and how California Native American Tribes and Tribal communities can participate in this process.

ANNOUNCEMENT: Feedback Requested on Draft Guidance on Designating Tribal Beneficial Uses

August 31, 2026: Deadline to submit written comments and to conclude Tribal consultations
July 22, 2026: State Water Board workshop

To learn more, visit Requesting Feedback on Draft Guidance on Designating Tribal Beneficial Uses

Traditional Salmon Bake (banner image), is courtesy of Marla Bennett, Quartz Valley Indian Reservation, Environmental Program Manager

Tribal Beneficial Uses Defintions

Tribal Tradition and Culture (CUL): Uses of water that support the cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, or traditional rights or lifeways of California Native American Tribes, including, but not limited to: navigation, ceremonies, or fishing, gathering, or consumption of natural aquatic resources, including fish, shellfish, vegetation, and materials.
Tribal Subsistence Fishing (T-SUB): Uses of water involving the non-commercial catching or gathering of natural aquatic resources, including fish and shellfish, for consumption by individuals, households, or communities of California Native American Tribes to meet needs for sustenance.