Congress passes tribal water ratification compact

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 1/1/21

In 2015, the Montana Legislature passed a water compact, which would establish a $1.9 billion trust fund to rehabilitate the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project and National Bison Range to tribal control. Last week, the United States Congress ratified the compact, which was then unanimously ratified by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes via a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. In exchange for the trust fund, the tribal council agreed to pass over a majority of their off-reservation water claims, protecting the state’s irrigated water. Read the full story by the Montana Free Press.