Water Rights - Montana Montana has authority to control or close river basins and groundwater aquifers to certain types of water appropriations because of water availability problems, water contamination problems, and a concern for protecting existing water rights
Water Rights in Montana: An Overview - Extension Store The act provides a statutory framework for the adjudication of water rights that existed prior to 1973, changes of use for existing water rights, the creation of a centralized water right recording system, and a system to create and regulate water use permits issued after 1973
Water Rights Permitting Criteria and Process Individual Montanans have the right to use waters of the State if they hold a valid water right Water rights are characterized by their source, diversion location (point of diversion, or POD), place of use (PLOU), and priority date
Montana Water Rights Adjudication Together, our team has over 30 years of expertise in Montana water rights administration, Water Court adjudications and DNRC regulations, and includes former Montana agency employees with deep regulatory knowledge
Welcome to 2026: Montana Legislative Updates that Impact Existing Water . . . By Jan 31, 2026, the DNRC will automatically send notices of opportunity to petition to all owners of historical water rights and provisional permits for those basins that have been fully adjudicated by the Water Court and have final decrees
Former DNRC Director Warns on Water Loophole | State | msuexponent. com To apply for a water-use permit, the applicant must drill a well, conduct a pump test, and perform a hydrologic analysis to identify the water source Once that information is secured, the applicant must notify the public and senior water-rights holders, who have the opportunity to object