Montana State Legislature
2011-2012 Water Policy
The Water Policy Interim Committee (WPIC) is a joint bipartisan committee of the Legislature created by the passage of Senate Bill No. 22 (2009). The Legislature authorized the committee to study topical water quality and quantity issues.
- Representative Pat Connell
- Representative Betsy Hands
- Representative Bill McChesney
- Representative Walt McNutt, Vice Presiding Officer
- Senator Debby Barrett
- Senator Chas Vincent
- Senator Bradley Maxon Hamlett, Presiding Officer
- Senator Sharon Stewart-Peregoy
- Agenda
- September 10, 2012 minutes
- September 11, 2012 minutes
- Numeric nutrient standards report
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Administrative rule review
- LC 8010 and public comment
- The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- LC 8011, LC 8012 and public comment
- Other Proposals
— Define combined appropriation - Sen. Hamlett
— Establish stream depletion zones - Sen. Vincent
- Agenda
- July 12, 2012 minutes
- July 13, 2012 minutes
- Numeric nutrient standards report, DEQ
- TMDL progress report, DEQ
- Water right valuation report, DNRC
- Water access valuation report, DNRC
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Agency legislative proposals, DEQ
- Agency legislative proposals, DNRC
- Avulsion memo
— LC 8009 - Clarify taxation and ownership of river channel changed by avulsion (option 1)
— LC 8010 - Clarify taxation and ownership of river channel changed by avulsion (option 2) - The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- Exempt Well Options
— LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
— LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
— LC 8002 - Reduce exempt well rate and volume
— LC 8003 - Limit exempt appropriation in confined aquifers
— LC 8004 - Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions - Senate Bill 35 rulemaking
- Agenda
- June 21, 2012 minutes
- The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- Exempt Well Options
— LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
— LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
— LC 8002 - Reduce exempt well rate and volume
— LC 8003 - Limit exempt appropriation in confined aquifers
— LC 8004 - Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions
- Agenda
- June 20, 2012 minutes
- The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- Exempt Well Options
— LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
— LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
— LC 8002 - Reduce exempt well rate and volume
— LC 8003 - Limit exempt appropriation in confined aquifers
— LC 8004 - Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions
- Agenda
- June 19, 2012 minutes
- The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- Exempt Well Options
— LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
— LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
— LC 8002 - Reduce exempt well rate and volume
— LC 8003 - Limit exempt appropriation in confined aquifers
— LC 8004 - Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions
- Agenda
- March 6, 2012 minutes
- Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program update
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Montana Watershed Condition Classification
- Ditch Maintenance Court Decision
— Seconday ditch easements after Musselshell Ranch Co. v. Seidel-Joukova
— Musselshell Ranch Co., et al. v. Seidel-Joukova, et al. - Standing in Water Right Adjudication
— Standing to object to water right claims before the Montana Water Court
— Montana Trout Unlimited v. Beaverhead Water Co., et al.
— SB 356
— Governor's veto letter - Avulsion - SB 299
— SB 299 and property ownership in the event of an avulsion
— SB 299
— Governor's veto letter - Exempt Well Options
— LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
— LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
— LC 8002 - Reduce exempt well rate and volume
— LC 8003 - Limit exempt approporation in confined aquifers
— LC 8004 - Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions
- Agenda
- January 10, 2012 minutes
- January 11, 2012 minutes
- Saddle Creek Fire hydrology report
- Exempt Well Ideas
— Horse Creek proposed Controlled Groundwater Area, DNRC
— CSKT negotiation, proposed exempt well ordinance, RWRCC
— Trout Unlimited - Water Leasing Study, FWP
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Water Rights Exempt from Filing
— Senator Brenden exempt claim letter
— Exempt from filing summary - Water Right Calls and Enforcement
— Memo on water right call list
— Water right complaint history, DNRC
— Water Commissioner appointments - Administrative Rule Review Summary
- Agenda
- September 13, 2011 minutes
- September 14, 2011 minutes
- Final Work Plan
- Final Work Plan Matrix
- Final Rules, Procedures and Guidelines
- Water Research, Monitoring and Inventory in Montana, Gretchen Rupp, Montana Water Center
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Photos from Rolling Rivers demonstration
- Water Right Permitting
— Elk Creek irrigation water right permit
— Stevensville subdivision water right permit - Exempt Well Issues in the West, Nathan Bracken
- General water use requirements, DNRC
- Ground water, exempt wells, and enforcing a water right through a call
- Clark Fork Basin Task Force report
- Previously discussed exempt well options
- DEQ litigation status report
- FWP litigation status report
- DNRC litigation status report
- Agenda
- June 21, 2011 minutes
- Rules, Procedures and Guidelines
- Draft Work Plan
- Draft Work Plan Matrix
- Water Legislation - 2011
- House Bill No. 602
- Basin location and adjudication status
- Water - Montana's Treasure
- Boiling it Down: A study of water policy in Montana
- Water Rights in Montana
- A Guide to Montana Water Quality Regulation
- Exempt well policy overview
- Exempt Well Statistics, DNRC
- Exempt Well Statistics, John Metesh, MBMG
- Ground Water Information Program update, John Wheaton, MBMG
- State Water Projects update, Kevin Smith, DNRC
Agency and Program Monitoring
- Water Research, Inventory and Monitoring, Montana Water Center
- HB 22 (2005): Adjudication Status
- Basin location and adjudication status, May 2011
- Basin location and adjudication status, September 2011
- Basin location and adjudication status, January 2012
- Basin location and adjudication status, March 2012
- Basin location and adjudication status, May 2012
- Basin location and adjudication status, July 2012
- Basin location and adjudication status, September 2012
- Ground Water Information Program update, MBMG, June 2011
- Ground Water Investigation Program update, MBMG, September 2011
- Ground Water Investigation Program update, MBMG, January 2012
- State Water Projects update, Kevin Smith, DNRC
- DEQ litigation status report
- FWP litigation status report
- DNRC litigation status report
- Clark Fork Basin Task Force report
- Natural Resource Information System overview
- Saddle Creek Fire hydrology report
- Saddle Creek Fire - Watershed Response, Bruce Sims
- Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program update
- Water right valuation report, DNRC
- Water access valuation report, DNRC
Other Topics
- Review of the Regulation of the Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System During the Flood of 2011
- Montana Watershed Condition Classification
Water Rights Enforcement
- Memo on water right call list
- Water right complaint history, DNRC
- Water Commissioner appointments
- Ditch Maintenance Court Decision
— Seconday ditch easements after Musselshell Ranch Co. v. Seidel-Joukova
— Musselshell Ranch Co., et al. v. Seidel-Joukova, et al. - Standing in Water Right Adjudication
— Standing to object to water right claims before the Montana Water Court
— Montana Trout Unlimited v. Beaverhead Water Co., et al.
— SB 356
— Governor's veto letter - Water Marketing and Mitigation
- Water Marketing and Mitigation in Washington, Walla Walla Watershed Management Partnership
- Washington's Trust Water Program
- Yakima River Basin, Paul Jewell
Assigned Studies
HB 602 - Study Exempt Wells
- The Exemption: To change or not to change? draft study report
- HB 602
- Exempt well policy overview
- Exempt Well Statistics, DNRC
- Exempt Well Statistics, John Metesh, MBMG
- Exempt Well Issues in the West, Nathan Bracken
- General water use requirements, DNRC
- Ground water, exempt wells, and enforcing a water right through a call
- Previously discussed exempt well options
- Illustration of requirements for exempt and permitted wells
- North Hills Groundwater Models
- Can Mitigation Water Banking Play a Role in Montana?s Exempt Well Management?, Trout Unlimited
- Grass-Land and TimberWorks Subdivisions comparison, Casne & Associates, Inc.
- Twin Creeks Subdivision, Professional Consultants, Inc.
- Exempt Well Ideas
Horse Creek proposed Controlled Groundwater Area, DNRC
CSKT negotiation, proposed exempt well ordinance, RWRCC
Trout Unlimited - Water Rights Exempt from Filing
Senator Brenden exempt claim letter
Exempt from filing summary - Physical Availability of Groundwater in the Eightmile and Threemile Creek Drainages
- See also Proposed Legislation in the tab below
Statutory Duties
- LC 8000 - Define combined appropriation and require CGWA mitigation
- Draft 1: February 21, 2012
- Draft 2: May 11, 2012
- LC 8001 - Require public water and sewer in certain subdivisions
- Draft 1: February 21, 2012
- Draft 2: May 11, 2012
- LC 8002- Reduce exempt well rate and volume
- Draft 1: February 21, 2012
- Draft 2: May 11, 2012
- LC 8003 - Limit exempt approporation in confined aquifers
- Draft 1: February 21, 2012
- Draft 2: May 11, 2012
- LC 8004- Limit exempt appropriation in subdivisions
- Draft 1 : February 21, 2012
- Draft 2: May 11, 2012
- LC 8009 - Clarify taxation and ownership of river channel changed by avulsion (option 1)
- Draft 1: June 29, 2012
- The WPIC in July 2012 considered two options to clarify the taxation and ownership of a river channel changed by avulsion. Though LC8009 and LC8010 are similar in purpose, the WPIC is seeking public comment on LC8010.
LC 8010 - Clarify taxation and ownership of river channel changed by avulsion - Memo
- Draft 1: June 29, 2012
- LC 8010 and public comment
- LC 8011- Generally revise water supply laws for subdivisions
- Draft 1: July 23, 2012
- LC 8011 and public comment, August 29, 2012
- LC 8012 - Revise laws related to water use in subdivisions
- Draft 1: July 23, 2012
- LC 8012 and public comment, August 29, 2012
- Define combined appropriation - Sen. Hamlett
- Draft 1: September 6, 2012
- Establish stream depletion zones - Sen. Vincent
- Draft 1: September 6, 2012
- Final Committee Action
LC 8013 - Define combined appropriation - Draft 1: September 17, 2012
- LC 8015 - Establish stream depletion zones
- Draft 1: September 17, 2012
