Congress must ratify the CSKT Water Compact

Letter to the Editor:

The Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes Water Compact is much more than just a piece of legislation—it is a negotiated agreement that ensures the future of agriculture in our state. Without the Compact the Tribes would have to define their water rights through litigation in the Montana Water Court—a costly, time consuming and uncertain process that would have dire impacts for Montana taxpayers, landowners, and water users, across our state. The Tribes would have the earliest priority date of any water users. Failure to ratify the Compact would not bode well for those with non-Tribal water rights.

The CSKT Water Compact not only protects existing water and property rights, but it ensures that water is appropriately managed and conserved to mitigate damage during times of drought.

Additionally, the Compact limits the ability of the federal government to mandate how Montana manages our water resources when it comes to protecting species like the Bull Trout. Without the Compact the federal government would be able to divert water resources away from agriculture and irrigation to preserve the habitat of certain species. With the Compact we are able to address issues such as this with Montana-made solutions, not federal ones.

With or without the Compact, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes would have to quantify their rights. Fortunately, our elected leaders were sensible enough to recognize the importance of this agreement and not allow politics to stand in the way of protecting our state’s water resources and agriculture industry.

I hope that members of our Congressional delegation will support the Compact through the ratification process. Montana’s most valuable resource is at stake, and we can’t afford to let this agreement be derailed by partisan politics and misinformation.

Mary Stranahan,

Arlee