Tester and Crow Chairman White Clay Stress Importance of his Bill to Deliver Clean Water Infrastructure to Crow Tribe During Senate Hearing: “A simple, made-in-Montana solution”

Tester in Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing: “Water is life… it powers Montana’s economy, it’s critical to the health of our communities, it connects us together”

U.S. Senator Jon Tester, along with Crow Tribal Chairman Frank White Clay, during a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing today led the effort to urge the importance of the Crow Water Settlement Amendments Act, his bipartisan bill to make cost-free adjustments to the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2009 and ensure the Crow Tribe has the necessary flexibility and time to deliver clean water to its communities and complete critical energy development projects. The bill does this without opening the settlement between the state, the Tribe, and water users, and without altering any existing water rights or increasing costs. 

Tester began by stressing the importance of water to Montana’s communities: “Many years ago, my Native friends told me that water is life. And it is, for all life. It powers Montana’s economy, it’s critical to the health of our communities, it connects us together – that is why it is critical that the Crow Tribe has the tools and infrastructure they need to deliver clean water to its communities. ”

Tester continued to highlight the benefits of his bill: “This bipartisan Crow Water Settlement Amendments Act will do exactly that. It will provide the Tribe vital flexibility using the most up-to-date technology in water infrastructure to make water systems that are cost-effective and work for the Crow Tribe and the region. It will also bolster energy development by extending the timeline for the Tribe to develop hydropower on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam until 2030, providing clean energy that will provide an economic boost to the community.”

Tester concluded by emphasizing that the bill is cost-free and widely supported: “We can accomplish this with no additional costs, without changing any existing rights, and without reopening the water settlement. The Crow Water Settlement Amendments Act is a simple, made-in-Montana solution that’s going to help the Crow Tribe develop the infrastructure needed to deliver clean water to folks for years to come.”

The Crow Water Settlement Amendments Act will improve implementation of the Crow water rights settlement by:

• Providing flexibility for water projects: This legislation provides the Tribe more flexibility in developing water infrastructure, allowing the Tribe to use the most up-to-date technology to create water systems that work for the region and are more cost effective without altering existing water rights.
• Bolstering energy development: The amendment extends the authorization for the Tribe to develop hydropower on the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam until 2030, providing clean energy and an economic boost to the community. 
• No additional costs or changes to water rights: This legislation will expedite clean water delivery to Tribal communities through efficient and manageable water projects without adding any funding to the original settlement.  This legislation also does not alter or change any existing water rights or water rights settled in the Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2009.

The Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2009, enacted in 2010, settled the Crow Tribe’s water rights and authorized $460 million to design and construct a Municipal, Rural and Industrial (MR&I) water system for the tribe and to rehabilitate and improve the Crow Irrigation Project. Additionally, the legislation provided funding for the Tribe to develop hydropower at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam.

This bill is also supported by the Big Horn County Board of Commissioners.

Full text can be found HERE.