Tester hails milestone to bring clean water, jobs to Crow Reservation

(BUTTE, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the Crow Tribe and the U.S. Interior Department signed a contract to implement the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act. Tester first introduced the legislation in Congress in 2008 and helped secure its unanimous passage in the Senate.

Thanks to the contract, the Crow Tribe will now be able to plan, design, and construct the Crow Reservation’s first ever clean drinking water system, creating jobs and ensuring that the reservation has reliable access to clean water:

“Putting folks to work delivering clean water is a clear win-win. This contract is another important step toward ensuring that the Crow people can build and benefit from water infrastructure that will support tribal families for years to come. I was proud to introduce this bill in Congress and look forward to seeing the project through to its completion.”

Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Indian Affairs’ Committee, has supported the Crow Water Compact since serving as a Montana state senator.