Water Right Changes: Montana

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Water Right Changes Montana

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Regional Offices
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Regional Differences
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Change of Use Basic Overview

• Changing the Components of a Water Right
• Statutory Criteria
• Public Notice
• Project Completion Notice

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Change Criteria Historic(al) UseAn Elusive
Metric

• Statement of Claim Historic Beneficial Use
• Pre-July 1, 1973 (gt40 years ago)
• Diverted flow rate
• Diverted volume
• Consumptive use
• Acres irrigated
• Number of stock
• Etc
• Use It or Lose It ? 10 Years?
• Adjudication versus New Appropriations

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Issues Confronted in the Change Process

• Quantifying Historic Use under existing
  legislation
• Proof of continuous use
• Conversion to center pivot ? no change required
  (!?)
• ARM 36.12.1904 - Historic Use

County WeatherStation Elevation IrrigationMethod Annual ET(inches) ManagementFactor1964-1973(SOC ?) ManagementFactor1973-2006(Permit ?) ManagementFactor1997-2006(Proposed)
Beaverhead Dillon 5239 Flood et al. 18.34 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Dillon 5239 Center Pivot 20.74 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Wisdom 6060 Flood et al. 7.34 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Wisdom 6060 Center Pivot 9.29 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Jackson 6480 Flood et al. 8.35 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Jackson 6480 Center Pivot 10.3 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Lakeview 6710 Flood et al. 8.39 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Lakeview 6710 Center Pivot 10.67 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Lima 6583 Flood et al. 13.75 63.7 82.8 88.3
Beaverhead Lima 6583 Center Pivot 16.01 63.7 82.8 88.3
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Issues Confronted in the Change Process

• Return flows in closed basins with instream flow
  water rights
• Surface water vs. groundwater
• Timing is the issuealways!
• Instream flow changes denied for instream flow!?
• Mitigating for consumptive use losses
• in basins with hydropower storage
• Thompson River Lumber Co.

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Issues Confronted in the Change Process

• Imported Water and Salvage Water
• Inter-basin transfer of water is not 100
  consumptive
• No exceptions for return flow and adverse effect
  analysis
• Salvage water can be used for new consumptive
  purposes
• Methods include reductions in ET, evaporation,
  seepage, waste, deep percolation, and return flows

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QUESTIONS ?