The Flathead Reservation Water Management Board (Board) will begin its work creating Water Policies & Procedures (WP&Ps) related to Permit and Change Applications as described in the Unitary Administration Management Ordinance (Section 85-20-1902, MCA).
The Board will initially form a Board committee, comprising of a Board member(s), the Water Engineer, a staff member, and legal counsel. The Board committee intends to solicit expertise from the Montana Department of Natural Resources Water Resources Division and the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Division of Engineering and Water Resources. The intent of this initial collaboration is to develop draft WP&Ps for Board consideration and discussion during a public meeting.
The Board, after consideration and discussion of the draft WP&Ps, will form a stakeholder group consisting of the Board committee, the DNRC representative, the CSKT representative, a private landowner, a municipal representative, a conservation representative, and a hydropower representative.
The draft WP&Ps will again come before the Board for consideration and discussion during a public meeting. At a public meeting, the Board will approve the draft WP&Ps for at least a 15-day notice and comment period. The greater public will have the opportunity to provide comments regarding the Board’s permit and change procedures during such time. Following the closure of the notice and comment period, the Board will consider comments, if any, and eventually approve the WP&Ps for use.
For questions or comments regarding this process, please either contact the Board by submitting written public comment to the email above or providing public comment in-person during a public Board meeting. Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate our responsibilities under the Compact.
