Rachel Brown, former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Interior, is celebrated as a Hydro20 honoree for her dedication to improving water access for tribal communities and the Native Hawaiian community.

Her work supported the Department’s treaty and trust responsibilities, fostering collaboration across bureaus like the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Reclamation to address issues such as fish passage and equitable water access.

Brown addressed historical inequities in water allocation from the 1920s, when tribal water rights were overlooked, leading to over-appropriated western river systems. She played a key role in securing legal settlements and oversaw $3 billion in tribal water infrastructure investments that supported tribal health and economic development.

Working with Bureau of Reclamation engineers and USGS groundwater scientists, she facilitated technical studies that designed infrastructure meeting both tribal and non-tribal needs, notably contributing to the Aamodt settlement in New Mexico, which resolved nearly 70 years of litigation.

Beyond water rights, Brown supported fish restoration in Alaska by connecting tribes with philanthropy and incorporating traditional ecological knowledge to restore salmon runs and improve river habitats.

Brown’s commitment to community engagement and collaboration with Interior colleagues resolved longstanding disputes, leaving a legacy of equitable water access and environmental stewardship. Her leadership in tribal water advocacy earned her a well-deserved place among the Hydro20 honorees.