Bill > HR907

This bill, known as the Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025, provides a comprehensive water rights settlement for the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana. The legislation establishes a complex framework for resolving long-standing water rights claims, including ratifying a water rights compact, allocating 20,000 acre-feet of water storage from Lake Elwell, and providing significant federal funding for water infrastructure projects. The bill creates multiple trust and implementation funds totaling hundreds of millions of dollars to support tribal irrigation projects, water resources development, domestic water and sewer systems, and Milk River Project mitigation. Key provisions include transferring approximately 6,500 acres of federal and state lands to tribal trust status, canceling existing irrigation project debts, and establishing a comprehensive waiver of past water rights claims in exchange for defined water rights and infrastructure investments. The bill also includes provisions for environmental compliance, tribal water code development, and specific mechanisms for water allocation and management. Additionally, the legislation includes a separate authorization of $250 million for wastewater facilities for the Blackfeet Tribe. The settlement aims to provide a final and equitable resolution to water rights disputes, support tribal infrastructure development, and clarify water use rights for the Fort Belknap Indian Community.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/907/all-info