Montana Code Annotated
Part 4. Utilization of Water
85-2-431. Penalty

85-2-431. Penalty. (1) A person who fails to comply with the requirements of 85-2-424 is liable for a civil penalty of not more than $300.
(2) An action to recover the penalty may be brought by the department and filed in the district court in the county where the real property is located.
(3) The department may recover its reasonable costs for recovering the penalty, including but not limited to attorney fees and costs incurred during collection.
(4) Any penalty fee collected under this section must be deposited in the water right appropriation account provided for in 85-2-318.
History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 271, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 167, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 70, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 366, L. 2007; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 260, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 53, Ch. 535, L. 2021.

Structure Montana Code Annotated

Montana Code Annotated

Title 85. Water Use

Chapter 2. Surface Water and Ground Water

Part 4. Utilization of Water

85-2-401. Priority -- recognition and confirmation of changes in appropriations issued after July 1, 1973

85-2-402. Changes in appropriation rights -- definition

85-2-403. Transfer of appropriation right

85-2-404. Abandonment of appropriation right

85-2-405. Procedure for declaring appropriation rights abandoned

85-2-406. District court supervision of water distribution

85-2-407. Temporary changes in appropriation right

85-2-408. Temporary change authorization for instream flow -- additional requirements

85-2-409. Repealed

85-2-410. Short-term lease of appropriation right

85-2-411. Water turned into natural channels

85-2-412. Return of surplus water to stream

85-2-413. Diversion of natural flow of waters -- when permitted

85-2-414. Conduction of water

85-2-415. Owners of water to sell surplus

85-2-416. Duty of purchaser to dig ditches

85-2-417. Enforcement of right to surplus

85-2-418. Purchaser not to sell surplus water

85-2-419. Salvaged water

85-2-420. Change in appropriation right for aquifer recharge or mitigation -- marketing

85-2-421. Purpose

85-2-422. Repealed

85-2-423. Water right ownership update form

85-2-424. Filing

85-2-425. Repealed

85-2-426. Fee

85-2-427. Terminated

85-2-428. through 85-2-430 reserved

85-2-431. Penalty

85-2-432. through 85-2-435 reserved

85-2-436. Instream flow to protect, maintain, or enhance streamflows to benefit fishery resource -- change in appropriation rights

85-2-437. Repealed

85-2-438. Repealed

85-2-439. Repealed

85-2-440. Repealed

85-2-441. Temporary use of a water right on state trust land -- restrictions on state ownership -- rescinding of noncompliant ownership interests required