Montana State Legislature
Treasure State Regional Water Program
The 1999 Legislature created the treasure state endowment regional water system fund as a new subtrust within the coal tax permanent trust. The program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The Treasure State Endowment Program Regional Water System (TSEPRW), established in 90-6-715, MCA, was created to:
“…finance regional drinking water systems that supply water to large geographical areas and serve multiple local governments, such as projects in north central Montana, from the waters of the Tiber reservoir, that will provide water for domestic use, industrial use, and stock water for communities and rural residences that lie south of the Canadian border, west of Havre, north of Dutton, and east of Cut Bank and in northeastern Montana, from the waters of the Missouri River, that will provide water for domestic use, industrial use, and stock water for communities and rural residences that lie south of the Canadian border, west of the North Dakota border, north of the Missouri River, and east of range 39.”
Two projects that have received federal authorization and now qualify for federal funding are the Fort Peck Indian Reservation/Dry Prairie Regional Water System (Fort Peck/Dry Prairie) and the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation/North Central Montana Regional Water System (Rocky Boy’s/NC Montana). The state’s share of the financial obligation for these projects was met in full with the appropriations provided by the 2015 Legislature.
A third project, the Dry-Redwater Regional Water System, would bring water to portions of Garfield, McCone, Richland, Prairie, and Dawson counties. The Dry-Redwater Regional Water Authority was established in FY 2006, and a project feasibility study was completed in FY 2007. A fourth project, the Musselshell-Judith Regional Water System (Central Montana Regional Water Authority), has not yet qualified for federal funding. Both systems have received approval from the state. These systems are progressing through planning phases specified by the Department of Interior and are seeking federal authorization.
The Regional Water Authorities prioritize the construction projects. Each system prioritizes projects based on several criteria, but the top three are:
- Need (Is there a boil order in the town or an urgent need for the construction?)
- Feasibility (Can the project move forward this biennium given the Regional Water System infrastructure already in place?)
- Cost & Funding (Is the project affordable, dependent on federal and state funds, and is the community prepared to pay their share?)
NOTE: The Musselshell-Judith (Central Montana) Regional Water Authority received federal recognition and approval on December, 2020. This approval will enable the authority to request federal funding for their projects.
HB 11 Detailed Bill Information
LFD Analysis TSEP Regional Water
LRP Handout DNRC Regional Water Systems
Coming soon
