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Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission
Mission: Working to conclude compacts for the equitable division and apportionment of waters between the State and its people and the Indian Tribes claiming reserved water rights within the state and between the State and its people and the federal agencies claiming non-Indian reserved waters within the state.
Provide the legal, historical, and technical information and analysis to the nine-member Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission necessary for negotiations to quantify federal reserved water rights in Montana .
Participate in the development, negotiation, and implementation of reserved water rights compacts with the Indian Tribes and federal agencies in Montana .
Provide technical support services to the Montana Attorney General's Office for litigated reserved water rights cases, if negotiations are terminated.
Provide administrative support (including transcripts, correspondence, budget planning, personnel administration, travel, and meeting arrangements) to the Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission to facilitate the development and negotiation of reserved water rights compacts with the Indian Tribes and federal agencies in Montana .
Progress as of December 30, 2006
1. Compact negotiations with the U.S. Forest Service were completed in 2006, followed by a significant public comment period. Compact drafting is proceeding for introduction to the 2007 legislative session.
2. Compact negotiations with the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service Sheep Experiment Station were concluded followed by a public comment period, and drafting is proceeding for introduction to the 2007 legislative session. Negotiations and drafting for a compact with the U.S.D.A. Livestock Range and Research Laboratory are proceeding for introduction to the 2007 legislative session.
3. There is continued progress on reaching a settlement with the Blackfeet Tribe with meetings twice monthly for legal and technical work. The parties remain committed to trying to reach a settlement prior to the conclusion of the 2007 legislative session.
4. Technical work continues with CSKT with the goal of presenting a settlement to the 2009 legislature.
5. Progress on reaching a settlement on U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge for introduction to the 2007 legislature is continuing. The parties hope to complete the two remaining units of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Refuge system by 2009.
6. Meetings with a representative from the Turtle Mountain Tribe in North Dakota led to an agreement to meet in the summer of 2007 to discuss how to resolve the water rights issues on public domain allotments in Montana .
7. The parties continue to draft federal legislation to secure Congressional ratification of the Fort Belknap and Crow settlements by 2009. It is hoped both bills will be introduced in Congress in 2007.
