Negotiating teams for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the state of Montana and the United States completed a proposed Water Rights Compact and have released it for public review and comment.
A draft of the 69-page document was released Thursday for public review. It can be viewed online.
The revised draft contains amendments to the previous compact that reflect revisions made during negotiations in 2014. Those negotiations were limited in scope to issues previously addressed in the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project Water Use Agreement, specifically the allocation of water between on-Reservation irrigation uses and Tribal in-stream flows.
The revised compact is the result of a decade of negotiations, and contains changes made in response to recommendations from the Water Policy Interim Committee following two years of review of the 2013 agreement.
The Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission is scheduled to take action on the agreement following the meeting in Helena.
It needs approvals from the state Legislature, Congress and the tribes.
On Dec. 10, the negotiating parties reached agreement that respects tribal rights, while ensuring that irrigators and residents in the region continue to have access to a reliable water supply.
The tribes, State of Montana and the U.S. have been working for several years to craft a water rights settlement that quantifies water rights of the Tribes both on and off the Reservation and provides for the administration of water rights on Tribal lands.
The parties will hold public meetings to inform stakeholders and the public, and to solicit comments.
Meetings are scheduled for the following dates and locations:
Jan. 9, Ronan Performing Arts Center, 35885 Round Butte Rd., Ronan
4 p.m. meeting to discuss on-Reservation irrigators; 7 p.m. meeting for a general Compact overview
Jan. 10, Hilton Garden Inn, 1840 Hwy 93 South, Kalispell
9 a.m. meeting (general Compact overview)
Jan. 12, Great Northern Hotel, 835 Great Northern Blvd., Helena
7 p.m. meeting for Compact overview and Commission Executive Action
For more information, contact Arne Wick with the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission at (406) 444-5700.