Lawmakers to Get Hands-on Look at Science of Water

The Water Policy Interim Committee of the Montana Legislature will meet Sept. 21 in Helena to consider water issues and take part in hands-on demonstrations on the basic science of water.

The committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 172 of the State Capitol. It will move to the south lawn of the building for demonstrations by professional hydrologists, including a demonstration involving a simulated river system.

The public is welcome to attend the meeting and will have a chance to comment on the work of the committee. The meeting also will be audio-streamed on the legislative branch Web site at leg.mt.gov and broadcast over the state government television network, TVMT. To find the TVMT channel in your area, visit leg.mt.gov/tvmt or contact the Legislative Information Office at 406-444-2957.

Other topics on the agenda include presentations on:

• the basics of Montana water law by a University of Montana law professor;
• the process used to obtain a new water right by staff of the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation; and
• staff updates on the groundwater investigation program, water-right adjudication process, and a legislative audit of the adjudication process.

The committee also will narrow in on the topics it wants to explore for the rest of the interim between the 2009 and 2011 sessions.

To learn more about the activities of the Water Policy Interim Committee, visit leg.mt.gov/water. A new online feature this interim is “Water World,” an audio guide to the committee and water policy. New editions will be posted regularly throughout the interim on the committee Web page.

More information is also available by contacting Joe Kolman, committee staffer, at 406-444-9280 or jkolman@mt.gov.