HR907-119

What This Bill Does

The Northern Montana Water Security Act of 2025 settles longstanding water rights claims of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes) in Montana. It ratifies a 2001 water compact between the tribe and Montana, establishes trust funds for water infrastructure development, and authorizes over $1.6 billion in federal funding. The bill also authorizes $250 million for the separate Blackfeet Tribe's wastewater facilities.

Who Benefits and How

Fort Belknap Indian Community: Receives approximately $1.3 billion through multiple trust fund accounts for irrigation projects, water infrastructure, and domestic water systems. Their water rights are formally recognized and protected from forfeiture through non-use. The tribe gains authority to manage, lease, and regulate water on the reservation without federal approval (under approved tribal regulations).

Blackfeet Tribe: Receives $250 million authorization for community water distribution and wastewater treatment facilities on their reservation.

Allottees (individual Indian landowners): Receive guaranteed water access from tribal water rights, with protections under the Act of February 8, 1887, ensuring just and equitable water allocations for irrigation.

Montana (the State): Achieves final resolution of Indian water rights claims, receives approximately 21,000 acres of federal land through exchanges, and gains certainty on water allocation in the Milk River basin.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal Taxpayers: Fund approximately $1.35 billion in mandatory and authorized appropriations for the Fort Belknap settlement, plus $250 million for Blackfeet facilities. An additional $300 million is authorized for Milk River Project mitigation.

Montana (the State): Must contribute $5 million (plus interest) to the tribal trust fund for the Upper Peoples Creek Dam project, and must exchange approximately 21,000 acres of state land to the federal government (which becomes tribal trust land).

Milk River Project Users (Malta Irrigation District): May face changes to historic water allocations as the settlement provides tribal access to water from the Milk River system, though the bill includes mitigation funding for impacts.

Key Provisions

• Trust Fund Establishment: Creates the Aaniiih Nakoda Settlement Trust Fund with three separate accounts for irrigation development ($119.5M), water administration ($66.6M), and domestic water/sewer systems ($442.5M)
• Water Rights Recognition: Confirms tribal water rights as held in trust by the United States, protected from forfeiture or abandonment through non-use
• Land Exchanges: Authorizes exchange of approximately 21,000 acres of state land (becoming tribal trust land) for federal land elsewhere in Montana
• Milk River Project Mitigation: Authorizes up to $300 million for rehabilitating the St. Mary Canal and other Milk River Project infrastructure
• Fort Belknap Irrigation Improvements: Authorizes $415 million+ for modernizing and expanding the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project
• Tribal Water Code: Requires the Fort Belknap Indian Community to enact a tribal water code within 4 years governing water allocation and use
• Blackfeet Wastewater: Separately authorizes $250 million for Blackfeet Tribe water and wastewater facilities