Water Adjudication Bureau
Downstream states and Canada are demanding water in increasing amounts. Montana cannot defend its water use from other states' demands or calls on water until it has completed the adjudication of all the water rights in Montana and knows how much of our water is currently being claimed and used. Issuing water right decrees for every basin in Montana will help the state establish its historic usage. Decrees protect Montana users and assist in settling disputes among users. Enforcing water rights is only possible with a water right decree in place. Settling water rights is also helpful for the state's economic development. Knowing how much water is available in a basin assists planners and developers.
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for Larger Image - updated March 2008
Adjudication Status: Sorted by Drainage Basin Number
| Basin # | Decree Type | Date Issued | Basin Name |
| 38H | FINAL | 840327 | BELLE FOURCHE RIVER, ABOVE CHEYENNE RIVER |
| 39E | TEMPORARY | 850201 | BOXELDER CREEK |
| 39F | TEMPORARY | 850201 | LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER, ABOVE LITTLE BEAVER CREEK |
| 39FJ | TEMPORARY | 850131 | LITTLE BEAVER CREEK |
| 39G | PRELIMINARY | 850118 | BEAVER CREEK, TRIBUTARY OF LITTLE MISSOURI RIVER |
| 39H | FINAL | 840327 | LITTLE MISSOURI, BELOW LITTLE BEAVER CREEK |
| 40A | TEMPORARY | 850507 | MUSSELSHELL RIVER, ABOVE ROUNDUP |
| 40B | 24.58% examined | |
FLATWILLOW CREEK, INCLUDING BOX ELDER CREEK |
| 40C | TEMPORARY | 900206 | MUSSELSHELL RIVER, BELOW ROUNDUP |
| 40D | PRELIMINARY | 840928 | DRY CREEK |
| 40E | TEMPORARY | 850307 | MISSOURI RIVER, BETWEEN MUSSELSHELL RIVER AND FORT PECK DAM |
| 40EJ | |
|
MISSOURI RIVER, BETWEEN BULLWACKER CREEK AND MUSSELSHELL RIVERS |
| 40F | 100% examined | |
MILK RIVER, ABOVE FRESNO RESERVOIR |
| 40G | TEMPORARY | 831220 | SAGE CREEK |
| 40H | PRELIMINARY | 030122 | BIG SANDY CREEK |
| 40I | 93.13% examined | |
PEOPLES CREEK |
| 40J | 99.88% examined | |
MILK RIVER, BETWEEN FRESNO RESERVOIR AND WHITEWATER CREEK |
| 40K | TEMPORARY | 891121 | WHITEWATER CREEK |
| 40L | TEMPORARY | 850116 | FRENCHMAN CREEK |
| 40M | 99.38% examined | |
BEAVER CREEK, TRIBUTARY OF MILK RIVER |
| 40N | PRELIMINARY | 850813 | ROCK CREEK, TRIBUTARY OF MILK RIVER |
| 40O | PRELIMINARY | 950524 | MILK RIVER, BELOW WHITEWATER INCLUDING PORCUPINE CREEK |
| 40P | FINAL | 850522 | REDWATER RIVER |
| 40Q | PRELIMINARY | 991229 | POPLAR RIVER |
| 40R | |
|
BIG MUDDY CREEK |
| 40S | PRELIMINARY | 991229 | MISSOURI RIVER, BELOW FORT PECK DAM |
| 40T | 100% examined | |
ST. MARY RIVER |
| 41A | 09.38% examined | |
RED ROCK RIVER |
| 41B | 0% examined | |
BEAVERHEAD RIVER |
| 41C | TEMPORARY | 901114 | RUBY RIVER |
| 41D | TEMPORARY | 070406 | BIG HOLE RIVER |
| 41E | TEMPORARY | 850620 | BOULDER RIVER, TRIBUTARY OF JEFFERSON RIVER |
| 41F | TEMPORARY | 840725 | MADISON RIVER |
| 41G | TEMPORARY | 891017 | JEFFERSON RIVER |
| 41H | TEMPORARY | 850926 | GALLATIN RIVER |
| 41I | TEMPORARY | 950308 | MISSOURI RIVER, ABOVE HOLTER DAM |
| 41J | |
|
SMITH RIVER |
| 41K | TEMPORARY | 850514 | SUN RIVER |
| 41L | 100% examined | |
CUT BANK CREEK |
| 41M | 20.49% examined | |
TWO MEDICINE RIVER |
| 41N | PRELIMINARY | 840706 | WILLOW CREEK |
| 41O | TEMPORARY | 051229 | TETON RIVER |
| 41P | |
|
MARIAS RIVER |
| 41Q | |
|
MISSOURI RIVER, FROM SUN TO MARIAS RIVERS |
| 41QJ |
TEMPORARY
|
080206
|
MISSOURI RIVER, FROM HOLTER DAM TO SUN RIVER |
| 41R | |
|
ARROW CREEK |
| 41S | TEMPORARY | 840517 | JUDITH RIVER |
| 41T | |
|
MISSOURI RIVER, FROM MARIAS RIVER TO AND INCLUDING BULLWACKER CREEK |
| 41U | TEMPORARY | 840510 | DEARBORN RIVER |
| 42A | 78.43% examined | |
ROSEBUD CREEK |
| 42B | PRELIMINARY | 080228 | TONGUE RIVER, ABOVE AND INCLUDING HANGING WOMAN CREEK |
| 42C | PRELIMINARY | 080228 | TONGUE RIVER, BELOW HANGING WOMAN CREEK |
| 42I | |
|
LITTLE POWDER RIVER |
| 42J | |
|
POWDER RIVER, BELOW CLEAR CREEK |
| 42K | PRELIMINARY | 850919 | YELLOWSTONE RIVER, BETWEEN TONGUE AND POWDER RIVERS |
| 42KJ | TEMPORARY | 031114 | YELLOWSTONE RIVER, BETWEEN BIGHORN AND TONGUE RIVERS |
| 42L | FINAL | 850417 | O'FALLON CREEK |
| 42M | |
|
YELLOWSTONE RIVER, BELOW POWDER RIVER |
| 43A | TEMPORARY | 880803 | SHIELDS RIVER |
| 43B | TEMPORARY | 850116 | YELLOWSTONE RIVER, ABOVE AND INCLUDING BRIDGER CREEK |
| 43BJ | TEMPORARY | 850403 | BOULDER RIVER, TRIBUTARY OF YELLOWSTONE RIVER |
| 43BV | TEMPORARY | 841219 | SWEET GRASS CREEK |
| 43C | TEMPORARY | 851107 | STILLWATER RIVER |
| 43D | TEMPORARY | 930609 | CLARKS FORK YELLOWSTONE RIVER |
| 43E | 100% examined | |
PRYOR CREEK |
| 43N | |
|
SHOSHONE RIVER |
| 43O | |
|
LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER |
| 43P | |
|
BIGHORN RIVER, BELOW GREYBULL RIVER |
| 43Q | TEMPORARY | 981229 | YELLOWSTONE RIVER, BETWEEN CLARKS FORK YELLOWSTONE AND BIGHORN RIVER |
| 43QJ | PRELIMINARY | 850723 | YELLOWSTONE RIVER, FROM BRIDGER CREEK TO CLARKS FORK YELLOWSTONE |
| 76B | TEMPORARY | 840322 | YAAK RIVER |
| 76C | TEMPORARY | 840228 | FISHER RIVER |
| 76D | TEMPORARY | 840322 | KOOTENAI RIVER |
| 76E | TEMPORARY | 840329 | ROCK CREEK, TRIBUTARY OF CLARK FORK RIVER |
| 76F | |
|
BLACKFOOT RIVER |
| 76FA | TEMPORARY | 060310 | UNION CREEK |
| 76G | TEMPORARY | 850517 | CLARK FORK, ABOVE BLACKFOOT RIVER |
| 76GJ | TEMPORARY | 840329 | FLINT CREEK |
| 76H | sub-basins: | |
BITTERROOT RIVER |
| 76HA | 41.33% examined | BITTERROOT RIVER, MAIN STEM | |
| 76HB | TEMPORARY | 920916 | BITTERROOT RIVER, NORTH END |
| 76HE | TEMPORARY | 940525 | BITTERROOT RIVER, SOUTH END |
| 76HF | PRELIMINARY | 980114 | BITTERROOT RIVER, WEST SIDE |
| 76I | TEMPORARY | 840809 | FLATHEAD RIVER, MIDDLE FORK |
| 76J | TEMPORARY | 840809 | FLATHEAD RIVER, SOUTH FORK |
| 76K | TEMPORARY | 840809 | SWAN RIVER |
| 76L | |
|
FLATHEAD RIVER, BELOW FLATHEAD LAKE |
| 76LJ | |
|
FLATHEAD RIVER, TO AND INCLUDING FLATHEAD LAKE |
| 76M | TEMPORARY | 841129 | CLARK FORK, BETWEEN BLACKFOOT AND FLATHEAD RIVERS |
| 76N | TEMPORARY | 840228 | CLARK FORK, BELOW FLATHEAD RIVER |
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