A bill to resolve one of the largest water rights disputes in the West is on its way to the President's desk for signing.

The Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004 was approved by the U.S. Senate late Friday night, and similar legislation added to an omnibus appropriations bill cleared the Congress on Saturday.

One of the water rights act's writers, Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said he was optimistic that it would become law soon.

Sen. Mike Crapo help write the measure and said he had a "high degree of confidence this bill will become law in coming days."

The agreement gives the Nez Perce Tribe annual rights to 50,000 acre-feet of water in the Clearwater River and $80 million in cash and land in return for dropping claims to nearly all the water in the Snake River and its tributaries. The state and federal governments also pledged tens of millions of dollars for fish habitat and other environmental improvements.

The bill would protect irrigators in the Upper Snake River Basin and some loggers and landowners in the Clearwater and Salmon river basins from endangered species-based lawsuits. The agreement was announced last June.

If signed by the president, the bill would have to be approved by the Idaho Legislature and the Nez Perce Tribe.

"When this bill is signed into law, the Idaho State Legislature will have the responsibility of determining whether this agreement should be executed," Craig said.

Just last month, Craig and Crapo said a hold had been put on the bill by an unknown senator. Senate procedures allow a member to single-handedly block a floor vote on legislation without identifying himself or herself.

At the time Craig and Crapo agreed that there was no chance of passing the bill during this month's lame-duck session. But the hold was lifted.