Montana Code Annotated
Part 2. Adjudication of Water Rights
85-2-217. Suspension of adjudication

85-2-217. Suspension of adjudication. While negotiations for the conclusion of a compact under part 7 are being pursued, all proceedings to generally adjudicate reserved Indian water rights and federal reserved water rights of those tribes and federal agencies that are negotiating are suspended. The obligation to file water rights claims for those federal non-Indian and Indian reserved rights is also suspended. This suspension is effective until July 1, 2013, as long as negotiations are continuing or ratification of a completed compact is being sought. If approval by the state legislature and tribes or federal agencies has not been accomplished by July 1, 2013, the suspension must terminate on that date. Upon termination of the suspension of this part, the tribes and the federal agencies are subject to the special filing requirements of 85-2-702(3) and all other requirements of the state water adjudication system provided for in Title 85, chapter 2. Those tribes and federal agencies that choose not to negotiate their federal non-Indian and Indian reserved water rights are subject to the full operation of the state adjudication system and may not benefit from the suspension provisions of this section.
History: En. Sec. 27, Ch. 697, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 268, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 667, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 358, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 784, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 44, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 497, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 103, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 5, L. 2009.

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