The Water Policy Interim Committee will meet Sept. 8 at 9:30 a.m. and Sept. 9 at 8 a.m. in Room 172 of the State Capitol in Helena. The public is welcome to attend and provide comments. A complete agenda and other meeting materials are available on the legislative Web site at www.leg.mt.gov/water.
The committee will discuss a bill that would allow the holder of a water right to change the right from its current use to aquifer recharge or mitigation without a specific contract or project in place. Under current law, the holder must identify how much water will be used, where it will be used, and who will use it in order to change or market that right.
The committee also will debate a proposal that would regulate the location of septic systems.
This is the final meeting of the interim for the committee.
Other proposed legislation being considered includes drafts that would:
- create a process to obtain a lease, license, or easement to use a stream beds of a navigable river;
- allow a district court judge discretion in awarding attorney fees and court costs in water related cases appealed to district court; and
- clarify that counties may require public water and sewer systems.
More information on all of the bill drafts is available at the Web address listed above.
Also on the agenda are panel discussions regarding the work load of the Montana Water Court, a recent decision on rules for exempt wells, and a presentation in the Capitol Rotunda by the Ground Water Investigation Program.
The meeting will be broadcast over the legislative Web site at www.leg.mt.gov and over the state public-access television network TVMT. To find a local TVMT channel, visit www.leg.mt.gov/tvmt.
Members of the Water Policy Interim Committee are Rep. Walt McNutt (chair), R-Sidney; Sen. David Wanzenried (vice chair), D-Missoula; Sen. Debby Barrett, R-Dillon; Rep. Russell Bean, R-Augusta; Sen. Brad Hamlett, D-Cascade; Rep. Bill McChesney, D-Miles City; Sen. Terry Murphy, R-Cardwell; and Rep. JP Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman.
For more information, contact Joe Kolman, committee staff, at 406-444-9280 or jkolman@mt.gov.
Contact:
Joe Kolman
Legislative Research Analyst
406-444-9280