Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 111th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D BaucusSponsor

1 cosponsor · 1 D

D Tester

1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Requires the Tribe and the Secretary to enter into an agreement to lease the water allocated to the Tribe for use by the Secretary for the Milk River Project.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Apr 29, 2010

Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in providing to the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana the St. Mary River water right, to allocate to the Tribe 50,000 acre-feet per year of stored water in Lake Sherburne Reservoir as part of the tribal water right. Exempts the Tribe from any requirement to pay any costs associated with the allocation. Prohibits the allocation from being increased by any year-to-year carryover storage.

Requires the Tribe and the Secretary to enter into an agreement to lease the water allocated to the Tribe for use by the Secretary for the Milk River Project.

Requires, as part of the tribal water right, the Secretary to permanently allocate to the Tribe all remaining unallocated water in Lake Elwell.

Directs the Secretary to carry out such activities as are necessary relating to: (1) planning, design, and construction for rehabilitation and improvement of the Blackfeet Irrigation Project; (2) the completion to authorized acreage of the Blackfeet Irrigation Project; and (3) planning, design, and construction for rehabilitation and improvement of the Four Horns Dam and Reservoir and associated delivery systems of the Blackfeet Irrigation Project.

Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms a specified compact and the Birch Creek Agreement.

Holds the tribal water right in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.

Establishes: (1) the Blackfeet Land and Water Development Fund; and (2) the Birch Creek Mitigation Fund.

Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) water rights in the Lewis and Clark National Forest; and (2) Milk River water rights.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act of 2010

Latest action (Jul 22, 2010): Committee on Indian Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 111-741.

Policy area: Native Americans · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Apr 29, 2010

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.