Crow Tribe, Montana & US Compact of 1999

Alternative Title

Crow Settlement Agreement & State Legislation

Authors

Montana

Tribes

Crow Tribe of Montana

Settlement

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement

Reservation

Crow Indian Reservation

State

MT

Watershed

Missouri River Basin

Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC)

Missouri River Basin

Document Type

Settlement Agreement and State Legislation

Publisher

Montana

Publication Date

6-22-1999

Abstract

Settlement & State Legislation: Water Rights Compact Entered into by the State of Montana, the Crow Tribe and the USA (Jun. 22, 1999). (Mont. Code Ann. Sec. 85-20-901) There is no separate Settlement Agreememt. The State Legislation ratifies settlement of Crow water rights. Includes 500,000 a/f/y from Bighorn River, priority of May 7, 1868; 300,000 a/f/y from Bighorn Lake storage but limited to half that amount during low periods. A stream and lake-level management plan to be developed for the Bighorn River. Tribe has surface, GW and storage rights within the Little Bighorn River, Pryor Creek, and Rosebud Creek (to the extent not interfering with Northern Cheyenne Tribal water rights); within Youngs Creek drainage, Squirrel Creek drainage, Tanner Creek drainage, Dry Creek drainage and Spring Creek drainage within Tongue River Basin; Sarpy Creek drainage within Yellowstone River Basin; Cottonwood Creek drainage, Five Mile Creek drainage and Bluewater Creek drainage within Clarks Fork Yellowstone River Basin; Sage Creek drainage within Shoshone River Basin; and Fly Creek drainage, Blue Creek drainage, Dry Creek drainage and Bitter Creek drainage within Yellowstone River Basin. Tribe has a right to 47,000 a/f/y from the Ceded Strip provided that no more than 2,500 a/f/y are from upstream of the Bighorn/Yellowstone Rivers confluence and no more than 7,000 a/f/y is taken per month. Religious or cultural uses of water in de minimis amounts shall be allowed without prior review. The Tribe shall develop a water code for the administration of the Tribal Water Right, and MT shall administer all state law rights. The Compact lays out procedures for assessing new water development requests. The Crow-MT Compact Board shall handle controversies and enforcement. MT will contribute $15 million over the course of 15 years beginning July 1, 1999 for benefit of Tribe. [Source: http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/mca/85/20/85-20-901.htm]

Comments

Settlement-State Legislation: 33 pages.

Permanent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/1928/21768

Recommended Citation

MCA 85-20-901