Northern Montana Water Security Act

Full Title:
Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025

Summary#

This Act would settle water rights claims for the Fort Belknap Indian Community by authorizing and ratifying a Fort Belknap–Montana water rights compact and directing the Secretary of the Interior to execute it. It confirms Tribal water rights held in trust for the Fort Belknap Indian Community and allottees, and it allocates 20,000 acre-feet per year of storage from Lake Elwell to the Tribe. The bill requires a Tribal water code and allows the Tribe to allocate, lease, and use its water rights, subject to Secretary approval for some actions and with rules for tribal leasing and environmental review. The Act authorizes land exchanges and transfers: specific State and Federal parcels would be exchanged or taken into trust for the Tribe, with listed parcels and conditions (including retained easements for Milk River Project uses and a prohibition on class II and III gaming on transferred land). It funds rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project (cost cap stated) and funds Milk River Project mitigation work (cost cap stated). The bill creates the Aaniiih Nakoda Settlement Trust Fund with several accounts and a Fort Belknap Implementation Fund to hold and manage authorized deposits. It requires waivers and releases of prior water-rights claims by the Tribe and the United States acting as trustee, subject to retained claims and reservations listed in the bill. The Compact and many benefits become enforceable only after conditions are met (Tribal vote, Montana Water Court or federal court approval, deposit of required funds, execution of an allocation agreement, and other items). If required funding or approvals are not completed by specified dates, the title can expire and its actions would be void. The Act also authorizes $250,000,000 for Blackfeet Tribe wastewater and water distribution facilities.

What it means for you#

  • Fort Belknap tribal members and allottees: The Tribe gains confirmed Tribal water rights held in trust, access to Lake Elwell storage, and new funds for irrigation, domestic water, and related projects. Allottees must generally use Tribal processes first for water disputes.
  • Local landowners and users near project sites: Certain State and Federal parcels may be transferred into trust for the Tribe, and some lands will remain subject to easements for operation of existing project facilities.
  • Regional water users and project operators: The bill directs large irrigation and canal work (St. Mary Canal restoration and Dodson South Canal enlargement) and creates funding to carry out mitigation and irrigation project work.
  • Blackfeet Tribe: Up to $250 million would be authorized to plan, build, operate, and maintain community water distribution and wastewater treatment facilities.

Expenses#

All dollar amounts come from the bill text and are authorizations or caps:

  • Trust Fund deposits authorized: $89,643,100 to the Tribal Irrigation and Other Water Resources Development Account; $331,885,220 to the Clean and Safe Domestic Water and Sewer Systems, and Lake Elwell Project Account.
  • Implementation Fund deposits authorized: up to $187,124,469 to the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project System Account; up to $300,000,000 to the Milk River Project Mitigation Account.
  • Mandatory Treasury deposits (available without further appropriation): $29,881,034 to the Tribal Irrigation and Other Water Resources Development Account; $66,630,752 to the Water Resources and Water Rights Administration, Operation, and Maintenance Account; $110,628,407 to the Clean and Safe Domestic Water and Sewer Systems, and Lake Elwell Project Account; and $228,707,684 to the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project System Account.
  • The Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion has a statutory cap of $415,832,153 (subject to indexing and adjustments described in the bill).
  • The Secretary’s obligations for Milk River Project mitigation are capped at $300,000,000.
  • The State must contribute $5,000,000 for specified activities.
  • The Blackfeet Tribe wastewater facilities are authorized $250,000,000.
  • The bill allows adjustments for cost fluctuations and includes rules about when funds become available. Some costs to the United States for carrying out specified activities are identified as nonreimbursable in the bill.

Proponents' View#

The bill states its purposes are to achieve a fair, equitable, and final settlement of Fort Belknap water rights claims in Montana; to ratify and implement the Fort Belknap–Montana Compact as consistent with the Act; to authorize the Secretary to execute the Compact and take actions to carry it out; to provide funds needed to implement the Compact and this title; and to authorize exchanges and transfers of certain State and Federal land for the benefit of the Fort Belknap Indian Community.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.