Articles with the Tag: Flathead water rights
Misinformation circulating regarding the water compact negotiations on the Flathead Indian Reservation requires an informed response. Let’s start with some basic facts. The State of Montana, through the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, has for several years been conducting monthly water ...
There are a lot of pretty egregious claims being made about why irrigators should litigate, but there has been very little discussion about the risks of such litigation. Some people are even trying to promote the idea that adjudication somehow is different than litigation. Others are promoting the idea that ...
POLSON — “Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting” says an old cowboy platitude, and the latest “fight” took place in Twentieth District Court Judge C. B. McNeil’s courtroom on Feb. 14. McNeil heard arguments from plaintiff attorney Brian Shuck represe...
Editor, The waters in our Western Montana mountains flowing through our streams and rivers, the crystal-clear lakes and reservoirs all are gifts of God to our residents. One cannot help but marvel at how our ranchers, farmers and other settlers, including our orchard owners, have taken advantage and de...
Editor, It would be nice if those who wish to criticize, or marginalize, Michael Gale would stay on point – just once. The issue is an illegal, unconstitutionally negotiated proposed water compact agreement for general stream adjudication regarding the Flathead Indian Reservation’s federally r...
Editor, Can there be any happy outcome to going to court against the tribe for our water rights? Being an adversary to the tribe assures us of no cooperation to improve the irrigation project. To start out with we have a long, ugly and protracted fight with our friends and neighbors. Millions ...
After decades of contention, our community has a bright spot on our horizon, a completed water rights compact that can pass through the state legislature, then Congress and Tribal Council. A necessary component of the compact, an irrigation agreement, is still pending. By agreeing on a solution, we all av...
We assume all irrigators received their informational brochure from the Flathead Joint Board of Control over the weekend, as we did. Considering how contentious the water use agreement has been among irrigators and how divided they are, it was astonishing that the brochure was 100-percent positive about the ...
There is a lot of misinformation being circulated as to why the proposed Flathead Water Use Agreement and Compact should be rejected. Unfortunately, this includes the misinformation being promoted by three FJBC commissioners last week. Here are the facts regarding the claims they made in their letter: ...
The Flathead Joint Board of Control has voted to recommend that irrigators vote in favor of the negotiated Water Use Agreement. It also authorized the expenditure of more than $30,000 to “educate” irrigators and poll their support, or lack thereof, for the WUA. As three of the four FJBC commis...
