Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Compact
This compact between the United States and the State of Montana settles the reserved rights of the United States’ for the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR). Though the Compact has a priority date of December 11, 1936, the United States has agreed to subordinate its reserved right rights senior to the effective date of the compact (5/11/2015). The Compact quantifies a federal reserved water right consisting of base flows in 69 streams draining onto the CMR refuge and implements limitations on larger on-stream impoundments on selected streams. This final U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service compact is the product of several years of settlement negotiations between the U.S. Department of Interior and the state of Montana. The compact was ratified by the 2013 Montana Legislature and signed by Gov. Steve Bullock. The United States’ Secretary of the Interior and Department of Justice signed off on May 11, 2015. The Water Court issued its Final Judgment on March 13, 2018.