Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines' bill to resolve the final Indian water rights settlement in Montana has passed the U.S. Senate, aiming to achieve a fair settlement for Fort Belknap farmers, ranchers, and Montanans on the Hi-Line and throughout the state.

"This is a huge win for the Tribe, farmers and ranchers and the entire state of Montana," said Daines. "As the final Indian water rights settlement in Montana, this bill will help provide clean drinking water to Montanans on the Hi-Line, invest in critical ag irrigation and help prevent costly litigation by codifying existing water rights. Especially after the catastrophic siphon failure at St. Mary's this week, we must get this done. After years of hard work with the Fort Belknap Indian Community and local leaders on the ground, I’m glad to see this come one step closer to becoming law."

The Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act will provide $1.3 billion to improve infrastructure and economic development for the FBIC and enhance the efficiency of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Milk River Project, which supplies water for irrigating approximately 121,000 acres of Tribal and non-Tribal land. The bill specifically includes $275 million for rehabilitating St. Mary's canal.

Additionally, the legislation will restore Tribal management over 38,462 acres of state and federal land for FBIC. Daines and Tester had successfully passed the FBIC Water Compact through the Senate earlier this Congress as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans removed it from the final package.