Montana § 3-7-223 - Duties Of Chief Water Judge

§ 3-7-223. Duties Of Chief Water Judge

Duties of chief water judge. The chief water judge shall: (1) administer the adjudication of existing water rights by: (a) coordinating with the department of natural resources and conservation in compiling information submitted on water claim forms under Title 85, chapter 2, part 2, to ensure that the information is expeditiously and properly compiled and transferred to the water judge in each water division; (b) ensuring that the water judge in each water division moves without unreasonable delay to enter the required preliminary decree; and (c) ensuring that any contested or conflicting claims are tried and adjudicated as expeditiously as possible; (2) conduct hearings in cases certified to the district court under 85-2-309 ; (3) conduct proceedings for petitions for judicial review filed with the water court under 2-4-702 ; (4) assign court personnel to divisions and duties as needed; (5) assign the associate water judge to divisions and cases as needed; and (6) request and secure the transfer of water judges between divisions as needed.