Bill > SJ18

This bill is a legislative resolution addressing water management and recreation needs for Flathead Lake in Montana. The resolution highlights the significance of Flathead Lake as the state's largest freshwater lake, which is crucial for recreation, wildlife, and local communities. The bill requests that decision-making bodies involved in managing the Columbia River system, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Technical Management Team for the Columbia River Basin, prioritize recreation needs when determining lake water levels, placing them on equal footing with other considerations like hydropower generation, fish habitat, and irrigation. Specifically, the resolution calls for recreation needs to be fairly measured and explicitly included in upcoming negotiations of the Columbia River Treaty and in the next round of Columbia River System Operations planning. Additionally, the bill directs the Secretary of State to distribute copies of the resolution to key federal and international entities involved in water management, including the Bonneville Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, and Montana's federally recognized tribal governments, to ensure broad awareness of the local community's concerns about Flathead Lake's water levels and usability.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2278