Montana § 85-1-204 - Department Powers Over State Water

§ 85-1-204. Department Powers Over State Water

Department powers over state water. (1) The department may sell, lease, and otherwise dispose of water impounded under this chapter. The water may be sold for the purpose of irrigation, development of power, watering of stock, or other purposes. The department may also lease water under the state water leasing program established under the provisions of 85-2-141 . To the extent that it may be necessary to carry out this chapter and subject to compliance with the other provisions of this chapter, the department has full control of all the water of the state not under the exclusive control of the United States and not appropriated for private use. The department shall take the necessary actions to appropriate and conserve the water for the use of the people. The authority of the department conferred by this chapter extends and applies to rights to the natural flow of the water of this state that it may acquire by condemnation pursuant to Title 70, chapter 30, or by purchase, exchange, appropriation, or agreement. (2) For the purpose of regulating the diversion of water, the department may enter upon the means and place of use of all appropriators for making surveys of respective rights and seasonal needs. (3) The department may take into consideration the decrees of the courts of this state having jurisdiction that purport to adjudicate the water of a stream or its tributaries. A fair, reasonable, and equitable reconciliation must be made between the claimants asserting rights under different decrees and between decreed rights and asserted rights of appropriation not adjudicated by a court. (4) The department may hold hearings relating to the rights of respective claimants after first giving the notice that it considers appropriate. The department shall make findings of the date and quantity of appropriation and use of all claimants that the department recognizes and observes in diverting the water that the department is appropriated. The department may measure and distribute the water to the holder of the recognized appropriation right under agreed-upon terms. (5) The department, when engaged in controlling and dividing the natural flow of a stream under the authority granted by this chapter, is exercising a police power of the state, and water commissioners appointed by any court may not deprive the department of any of the water appropriated or administered under agreement with respective water right holders. The holder of a prior right who contends that the department is not recognizing and respecting the appropriation may resort to a court for the purpose of determining whether or not the rights of the claimant have been invaded, and the department shall observe the terms of the final decree. (6) When the department impounds or acquires the right of appropriation of the water of a stream, it may divert or authorize the diversion at a point on the stream or a portion of the stream when it is done without injury to a prior appropriator.