Zinke Introduces Blackfeet Water Compact

Press Release

Today, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced H.R.5633, the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2016. Last month, Zinke and Blackfeet Chairman Harry Barnes held the first ever Congressional hearing in the House of Representatives on the Compact. Securing a legislative hearing was one of Zinke's top priorities since he was sworn in to office on January 6, 2015. Zinke voted for the compact in 2009 as a member of the Montana State Senate. In addition to introducing the bill, Zinke also wrote to the Department of Interior and Department of Justice to expedite their role in advancing the compact.

"Today I'm proud to introduce the Blackfeet Water Compact legislation. The Blackfeet have waited the longest, and over the history of time the Blackfoot Nation has given up the most," said Zinke. "It's time to move forward with this water compact. For more than 20 years we have been working together in Montana and now it's our turn in Washington to move the process forward. And why is it important? Water is important to Montana. Up there we have the Milk River, the St Mary's Bypass, infrastructure. All of this is important for Montana, and I'm proud to introduce legislation. We need the Administration to quit dragging their feet and do their part to get this across the finish line."

"On behalf of the Blackfeet Tribe, I would like to thank Representative Zinke for his support of the Tribe and efforts relating to this vital legislation," said Chairman Harry Barnes of the Blackfeet Tribe. "The Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement is the culmination of over two decades of work by the Tribe. It represents a historic breakthrough in the Tribe's Century long battle to secure and protect its water rights, and we look forward to working with the Congressman in securing final passage of the legislation."

Last year, Rob Bishop, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, established new rules governing how water compacts move through Congress. The new procedure requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Interior (DOI) to work together with the Tribe to settle any extenuating claims or come to final terms. Once this process occurs and a letter is sent to the Chairman, the approved deal may then be introduced in the House of Representatives. The letter from DOJ and DOI was completed prior to the hearing. Unfortunately, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was unprepared to say the Blackfeet Water Compact definitively met all of the Criteria and Procedures until June 23, 2016. On that day, DOI testified before a Water, Power, and Oceans Subcommittee hearing that both the Pechanga and Blackfeet settlements have finally been approved by OMB.

Among other provisions, the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2016 would:

Establish the tribe's water rights in all six drainages within the reservation, including St. Mary River, Milk River, Cut Bank Creek, Two Medicine River, Badger Creek and Birch Creek.
Give the Blackfeet Tribe the ability to use, lease, contract, or exchange water on tribal land, and protect the tribe's water rights from development by others.
Rehabilitate and upgrade the aging Four Horns Dam and long-neglected 100-year-old Blackfeet Irrigation Project.

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