Montana State Legislature

June 2019 report to WPIC: Notice of adopted rules related to groundwater standards, department circulars, controlled groundwater areas, location of wells (Legal Services Office)

Jan. 2020 report to WPIC: Amendment to nutrient standards variances (LSO)

May 2020 report to WPIC: Updates to cleanup and update rules, notice of hearing on nonanthropogenic standards (LSO)

Sept. 2020 report to WPIC: New rule for natural, nonanthropogenic water quality standards (LSO)

Aquatic invasive species:

June 2019 update to WPIC (FWP)

Committee documents:

2019-20 draft work plan

2019-20 final committee rules (as adopted Sept. 10, 2019)

2019-20 final work plan (as adopted Sept. 10, 2019)

Drought and water supply reports:

Summer 2019 water supply outlook (DNRC)

2019 fire season outlook (DNRC)

U.S. drought monitor for Aug. 20, 2019 (USDA)

2019: Late summer water supply outlook (DNRC, 2019)

Spring update on drought and water supply (DNRC, May 2020)

Montana Drought Forecast Summary (DNRC, July 2020)

Geocoding:

Geocoding fact sheet (DNRC, Sept. 2019)

Memo from Department of Revenue (Nov. 2019)

Geocoding process (DNRC, Nov. 2019)

Geocoding solutions (DNRC, Nov. 2019)

Memo from Montana Water Court (Nov. 2019)

Water Court comments on geocoding solutions (Dec. 2019)

Updated DNRC geocoding solutions (Dec. 2019)

Public comments on geocoding

Water rights language in buy-sell agreements (Jan. 2020)

Realty transfer certificate (Dept. of Revenue, Jan. 2020)

Annual count of water right transfers, 2002-2018 (DNRC, Jan. 2020)

Sample fee letter (DNRC, Jan. 2020)

Update on Water Right Information System upgrades (DNRC, Jan. 2020)

Update on WRIS upgrades (DNRC, July 2020)

Geocodes Working Group

Framework of improvements to water rights ownership updates (proposed) (K.L. Evans, March 2020)

Water Court proposal of April 30

DNRC response to Water Court proposal

GWG subgroup memo (May, 2020)

GWG administrative recommendations to WPIC (May, 2020)

GWG recommended bill drafts:

"Correct and complete" concept (May, 2020)
Subgroup suggestions for 85-2-424 (May, 2020)

GWG FINAL administrative recommendations (July 2020)

HB110 claims

Evans memo to committee (Nov. 2019)

Benchmarks for HB110 and reexamined water rights

Staff memo, executive summary (LSO, May 2020)
Bill draft (May, 2020)

HB286 (Revise water right laws related to state water claims, 2019):

Advocates for School Trust Lands v. Montana filing (2019)

Reference handbooks:

Water Rights in Montana (2018)

A Guide to Montana Water Quality Regulation

2015 State Water Plan (DNRC)

SB330 Water Reservation 10-year Review (DNRC, 2016)

Reports issued by 2017-18 WPIC:

A Right to Stream Conditions as They Existed: A Study of the Process for Changing a Water Right

The Exemption at 45: A Study of Groundwater Wells Exempt from Permitting

*Study of climate and water rights:

Water and climate change in Montana (Montana Climate Assessment, 2017)

Wyatt Cross presentation (Montana Water Center, Sept. 2019)

Staff memo on flexible periods of use (LEPO, Jan. 2020)

DNRC memo on natural storage (July 2020)

Draft report on climate and water rights (LEPO, July 2020)

* Final report: Climate and water rights (Sept. 2020)

*Study of the future of the Water Court (HJ14):

Considerations for the future of water rights (WPIC, 2016)

Ross Report (Saunders, Snyder, Ross & Dickson, P.C., 1988)

Letter from Montana Water Bar to WPIC (Sept. 2019)

Letter from DNRC to WPIC (2016)

Water Rights in Montana (UM School of Law, 2014)

Public comments:

Supreme Court survey of district courts regarding water issues (2016)

Staff memo on other states' water courts (LEPO, Jan. 2020)

Staff memo on constitutionality of Water Court (LSO, Jan. 2020)

Staff review of SB28 appeals to Water Court (LSO, Jan. 2020)

Judicial branch proposal to WPIC (March 2020)

DNRC response, pilot project (March 2020)

Summary of recent water cases (LSO, March 2020)

District court workload and water right cases

Judicial resource needs (Supreme Court administrator's office, May 2020)
Case filing review (Supreme Court administrator's office, May 2020)

Historical budget document related to 1988 Ross Report (DNRC)

*Final report: HJ14: Prospects for a future Water Court (Sept. 2020)

*Study of weather modification (HJ40):

Idaho Power Co. presentation to WPIC (Sept. 2019)

Summary of licensing and permitting for weather modification operations in Montana (DNRC, Sept. 2019)

Testimony of Jim Hagenbarth (Sept. 2019)

Legislative history of SB72 (1993) (LEPO, Jan. 2020)

Public comments on weather modification

Hagenbarth comment and related documents: CardoEntirx study on AgI, Boise St. study on AgI, WMA statement on AgI

Staff memo on regional weather modification laws (LEPO, March 2020)

Proposed bill drafts:

HB399 (2005)
Staff draft (March 2020)
Hagenbarth draft (March 2020)

* Final report: HJ40: Seeding clouds (Sept. 2020)

Water research:

2019 water research projects (Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology)

Legislation

Summary of 2019 natural resources legislation (LEPO)

Legislation pre-introduced by WPIC for 2021 session (as of Sept. 15, 2020):

PD0010 (adjudication benchmarks)

Written public comments received on PD0010

for DNRC: Berkeley Pit exemption

for DEQ: Nutrient legislation

Required Reports

Appropriation rights changed to instream flow (req'd of FWP by 85-2-436, MCA):

Clark Fork River Task Force annual report (85-2-350):

Task force report to WPIC (Sept. 2020)

Ground Water Investigation Program (req'd of MBMG by 85-2-525):

Nutrients (req'd of DEQ by 75-5-313):

Numeric nutrient standards report (June 2019)

Nutrient standards and variances report (July 2020)

Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program (req'd of DNRC by 85-1-621):

RRGL report (DNRC, July 2020)

Small-scale hydro power (req'd of DNRC by 85-1-501):

Hydropower potential report (DNRC, July 2020)

State water plan consultation (req'd of DNRC by 85-1-203):

State water reservation review (by 2026; req'd of DNRC by 85-2-316):

Stream gauge oversight work group (req'd of DNRC until June, 2023, by 2-15-3308):

Membership and agenda (DNRC, Sept. 2019)

December 2019 agenda (DNRC)

Stream Gauge Oversight Work Plan (Aug. 2020 draft)

TMDLs for impaired and threatened water bodies (required of DEQ by 75-5-703):

TMDL development status (DEQ, July 2020)

Upper Clark Fork River Basin Steering Committee report to the Legislature (85-2-338):

U.S. Forest Service state water reservation applications (req'd of DNRC by Article VI(F), 85-20-1401)

2019 report DNRC implementation of USDA Forest Service Water Rights Compact (Jan. 2020)

Water rights adjudication progress reports (85-2-281, MCA):

June 2019: DNRC, Water Court

Sept. 2019: DNRC, Water Court

Jan. 2020: DNRC, Water Court

May 2020: DNRC, Water Court

July 2020: DNRC, Water Court

Sept 2020: DNRC, Water Court