This blog is supported by CONCERNED CITIZENS OF WESTERN MONTANA, water users of every sort, living within, and outside of Flathead Reservation Boundaries. We are a volunteer grassroots organization, and are not funded with grants, tax dollars, or foundation monies. Our efforts thus far have demonstrated that the hard work of dedicated citizens can make a difference.
Our efforts focus on providing the public with accurate and factual information about the Flathead water compact using the details of the documents themselves, as well as adding context from public and historic records.
We have always believed that good alternatives exist to this very bad document, up to and including adjudication, and that citizens must challenge all important and egregious aspects of the compact as it’s currently written.
As citizens desiring a reasonable solution, we even went as far as to develop and submit alternative compact to Steve Daines.
He responded by doing what corrupt DC politicians do, made sure it never saw the light of day, and without discussion, doubled down on the bad compact that is in front of us today.
As you will see on the pages of this blog, the proposed compact squandered a perfectly good opportunity to provide for an equitable agreement that addressed the water needs of the CSKT and the 360,000 citizens living in western Montana, leaving us all with a very uncertain future.
A recent report of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation states that less than 2% of the water supply in western Montana is consumptively used. If that is true, there is no reason that irrigators should have to suffer a 40-70 % reduction in their water deliveries. Simply put NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LOSE A DROP OF WATER, yet if the compact is ratified, our agricultural economy will be decimated.
The devil truly is in the details. This compact was never about water, it’s always been about restoring western Montana back to 1855 and “closing” the only open reservation in the state of Montana. The Flathead Compact and its corresponding Daines legislation, have rewritten the laws and history that have brought us all to this beautiful place.
Sadly, even individual tribal members are secondary to the agenda that is being advanced.
Through its money laundering, the United States has successfully been able to “negotiate” a compact that essentially federalizes the water of western Montana, placing it in the hands of an unaccountable tribal corporation, to the detriment of everyone.
And for unknown reasons, Montana was more than happy to comply.
Please join us in our efforts to engage and inform the public, and to get involved by contacting us using the CONTACT link at the top of this page.
Your participation and support are greatly appreciated.
Western Montana Water Rights 
Well its been awhile since any news or word about what’s going on. Very sad when lack of information or communication is not present. Sure downfall. But it sounds like from the last commission meeting somebody is in agreement. Who is in agreement? Do we have a say or will it be railroaded in. Far as irrigators go sounds like the tribe has gotten the project, control, manage, and operate it with no input from irrigators, nice. We do live in i teresting times.
Are you signed up for our water rights update emails? We try to send out updates concerning the water compact and the legislature via email every week or two. If you are interested, please contact us through the CONTACT page of the blog and provide an email address. We are happy to add you to the list. Thanks for your interest.
Drop you pants ‘concerned citizen’ who are you exactly? Let’s get honest here, you have had more than enough time to get it figured out. If you haven’t, WHY? How many public meetings have you attended? By the way, when you attended all those public meetings (assuming that you did) did you stand before the commission and ask the hard questions, inquiring minds would like to know of course, you would have had to attend the meetings to do so. So then where’s the lack of information you wrote about?