Little Bitterroot Lake: Irrigation-related information
- Skye Cooley
- Jul 28
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 3
Montana State Laws
Administrative Rules of Montana - https://rules.mt.gov/
Montana Code Annotated - https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/index.html
Montana Legislature - https://www.legmt.gov/
Water Policy Interim Committee (WPIC) - https://committees.legmt.gov/#/nonStandingCommittees/33
U.S. Senate & Congress
Because Flathead Indian Irrigation Project (FIIP) is part of the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), specifically the Division of Water and Power (DWP), and consists of federally-owned land, infrastructure, and right-of-ways, and is staffed with federal employees, Montana's U.S. Senators and Representatives should be contacted when issues arise.
Senator Steve Daines - https://www.daines.senate.gov/
Senator Tim Sheehy - https://www.sheehy.senate.gov/
Representative Ryan Zinke - https://zinke.house.gov/
Representative Troy Downing - https://downing.house.gov/about
Montana Division of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC)
Water rights information for Montana are solely managed through the DNRC. Water rights can be researched through their excellent online query system. Questions should be directed to their helpful staff at the Kalispell office.
Water Rights Query System - https://gis.dnrc.mt.gov/apps/WRQS/
Water Rights Kalispell Office - https://dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Water-Resources-Regional-Offices
Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
MBMG provides geological and hydrological information to Montana, including geologic maps, groundwater data, mining, research, etc. The agency headquarters is located in Butte on the campus of Montana Tech.
MBMG Homepage - https://www.mbmg.mtech.edu
Water Well Information Online Mapping App (GWIC) - https://gis-data-hub-mbmg.hub.arcgis.com/pages/water-resources
Flathead County
County Ordinances - https://flatheadcounty.gov/about-flathead-county/county-adopted-policies
Commissioners' Office - https://flatheadcounty.gov/department-directory/commissioners-office
Lakeshore Information - https://flatheadcounty.gov/department-directory/planning-zoning/lakeshore-information
Growth Policy (Goal 46) - https://flatheadcounty.gov/application/files/7917/1692/5741/2024_Growth_Policy.pdf
SNOTEL Snowpack Stations - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
SNOTEL station data (i.e., snowpack information) are provided by NRCS via their online web mapping services. Snowpack data are an essential part of estimating the volume of water (water supply) that will become available for capture, storage, and delivery to irrigators.
SNOTEL Interactive Map - LINK
NRCS Water Supply Forecast Reports for Montana - LINK
Water Compact Information (CSKT-State of Montana Compact)
The "CSKT-Montana Compact" is a water rights agreement between the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes, the State of Montana, and the U.S. Government. It resolves CSKT’s reserved water right claims and creates a joint state-tribal system for administering water rights on the Flathead Indian Reservation. While the Compact went into effect September 17, 2021, several provisions are currently being implemented. See links below for implementation timeline in Appendix 3.4.
CSKT's Water Compact Website - https://csktwatercompact.com/
Compact Negotiation Process and History - https://dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Compacts/CSKT-Compact-Staff-Report
DNRC's Water Compact Website - https://dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Compacts/Flathead-Compact
Montana Water Court's Water Compact Website - https://courts.mt.gov/courts/water/CSKT/
Compact Implementation Technical Team (CITT) - https://dnrc.mt.gov/Water-Resources/Compacts/Compact-Implementation
Flathead Reservation Water Management Board (water wells on Flathead Reservation) - https://www.frwmb.gov/
Compact Implementation Technical Team (CITT)
CITT is a board consisting of 5 member-representatives from FIIP, Irrigators, Montana DNRC, CSKT, and BIA Regional Office. CITT advises the Project Operator (currently FIIP) on the implementation of Compact provisions including Operational Improvements, Rehabilitation and Betterment, Adaptive Management and other topics such as water supply forecasting, well as water measurement, stock-water, and on-farm efficiency. Public meetings are held each month, typically at Mission Valley Power's conference room in Pablo. Meetings are run by parliamentary procedure and involve updates from each representative, progress reports, discussion of new agenda items, and voting on specific matters. Time for public comments is provided near the end of each meeting. CITT's duties and responsibilities are defined in Appendix 3.5 of the Compact.
Flathead Indian Irrigation Project (FIIP)
The Flathead Indian Irrigation Project (FIIP) is part of the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), specifically the Division of Water and Power (DWP). Despite its name, FIIP is federal, not tribal. The Project's boundary (i.e., its infrastructure, right-of-ways, and service area) largely coincides with the boundary of the Flathead Indian Reservation, but not entirely. For example, Little Bitterroot Lake lies outside the Reservation, but resides within the Project boundary. Construction of the Project began in the early 1900s and was completed in the 1960s. It covers ~130,000 acres of Lake, Flathead, and Sanders Counties. FIIP typically employees between 30-40 staff, mostly Ditchriders and Equipment Operators, and has an annual budget of $5-6 million dollars. Unlike most federal agencies, FIIP is funded by fees paid by its water customers - farms and ranches irrigating Assessed Acres - not by tax revenues from federal coffers. Additional funding for specific needs is sometimes made available through acts of Congress (i.e., Water Infrastructure Improvement Act). Several of FIIP's major diversion headworks have recently been rebuilt by heavy construction contractors hired by CSKT's Department of Natural Resources and funded by Compact Settlement dollars paid to the Tribes. FIIP does not currently oversee the design or reconstruction of large infrastructure works such as diversions, dams, or major canals. Rather, FIIP serves as the Project Operator. The irrigation season runs from April 15 to September 15.
Day-to-day decisions regarding canal/reservoir management and maintenance are handled locally by the Project Manager and a small leadership team based out of the FIIP Office in St. Ignatius. The Project Manager reports to the Regional Director (RD) at the BIA Northwest Regional Office (Portland). Higher level policy, funding, and staffing decisions receive input from BIA Solicitors (Portland), remote HR staff, and regional-national leaders in Billings and Washington DC. FIIP is guided by its Operations and Maintenance Guidelines Manual, CFRs, and federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act, though many operational matters are addressed at regularly scheduled meetings with Irrigation District Boards, CSKT, CITT, and the public.
CSKT's Division of Engineering and Water Resources (DEWR)
In contrast to most Tribal departments, the Division of Engineering and Water Resources (DEWR) is professional, informed, connected, and well managed. DEWR employs hydrologists, hydrographers, GIS staff and dedicated managers. Though involved in many aspects of water management and policy, its most important role today is the management of infrastructure redesign and reconstruction at FIIP. DEWR decides which of FIIP's dams, headworks, or canals will be rebuilt using federally-awarded Compact dollars. DEWR staff draft the RFPs, hire the contractors, and control all funds earmarked for major engineering construction work at FIIP under the Compact and Settlement. Ironically, FIIP has no decision making authority when it comes to the design and reconstruction of its own infrastructure. Nevertheless, DEWR has successfully completed several major projects to date with several more in the planning stage. Several hundred of millions of dollars will be spent to improve FIIP. DEWR employs around a dozen well educated and trained staff who have a firm grasp of technical water measurement, but Reservation water policy and Compact implementation. DEWR managers work closely with the Tribes' lawyers, who are equally ambitious, pugnacious, and effective. DEWR enjoys the support of Tribal Council, whose elected members typically lack technical backgrounds and college degrees science or engineering. DEWR sees themselves as the brains behind all water management efforts on the Flathead Indian Reservation and actively promotes Tribal goals. The department dedicates substantial staff time to planning and crafting next-step policies, a luxury enjoyed by few other stakeholders. The role of tribally-connected NGOs involved in water management is unclear and a growing concern. The DEWR group was thoughtfully built over several decades by Seth Makepeace and is today run by Casey Ryan.
Water Data Portal for Flathead Indian Irrigation Project - https://cskt.aquaticinformatics.net/Data
Division of Water and Engineering (DEWR) - https://cskt.org/natural-resources/dewr/
Water Monitoring and Measurement Program - https://cskt.org/natural-resources/dewr/monitoring-and-measurement/
BIA Solicitors Office for the Northwest Region
BIA solicitors play several important roles at FIIP - advice, policy matters, tort claims, water rights litigation, consultation with tribal attorneys, right-of-way issues, violations, etc.. Duane Mecham and his team have been involved with Compact negotiations for the past two decades. Solicitors meet with FIIP staff several times each each year to discuss a variety of topics. Occasionally, cases involving FIIP will be made in U.S. District Court (Missoula) by DOJ lawyers out of the Denver office with assistance from Duane's team and FIIP staff.
Duane Mecham, Assistant Regional Solicitor
Office of the Regional Solicitor, 601 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 1950, Portland, OR 97204-3172
duane.mecham@sol.doi.gov
(503) 231-6299
Various Other Reports and Maps
Questions Needing Answers
Who does FIIP serve?
What laws, rules, or guidelines govern how FIIP conducts its work?
What is FIIP's charter/mission?
When is the irrigation season?
What water management is done by FIIP during the off season?
What infrastructure does FIIP own?
Explain how "prescriptive easements" work with respect to FIIP.
How is FIIP funded?
How are maintenance projects prioritized at FIIP?
How much of FIIP's budget goes to maintenance? salaries? training? vehicle costs?
Is there a prioritized list of project for the Camas District?
Does FIIP hold public meetings that I can attend?
Is snowpack and water supply forecast information is available?
Who is the Little Bitterroot Lake "community"?
What does the community expect of FIIP with regard to communication and notice of operation and maintenance activities?
When can FIIP typically make a predictions for the level at which Little Bitterroot Lake will be at during summer recreation period (June-Oct)?
Is FIIP obligated to manage Little Bitterroot Lake for recreational benefits?
How does FIIP communicate with irrigators it serves?
What is FIIP's water right?
Explain how water rights works with respect to irrigators served by FIIP.
How does FIIP hire its staff?
Are contractors employed by FIIP?
How does CSKT influence water management operations at FIIP?
How does CSKT influence maintenance work projects at FIIP?
How does USFWS influence FIIP's operations?
What are quotas and how are they used at FIIP?
What streamflow, snowpack, water forecast, reservoir volume data does FIIP use to calculate annual irrigation quotas?
What are River Diversion Allowances (RDA) and how do they affect the Camas District?
What are instream flows?
How does FIIP maintain instream flows?
How do instream flows affect Camas District irrigators?
Where are the points of diversion for the Camas District?
Who should I contact at FIIP if I have questions regarding Little Bitterroot Lake or Little Bitterroot River (Camas District)?
What is the Water Compact?
Are there other FIIP-related groups who hold public meetings I should be aware of?
How does FIIP fit into the BIA bureaucracy and organizational chart?
Who does FIIP employ?
Where can I find details about FIIP's budget?
Explain how FIIP interacts with the three Irrigation Districts Boards.
Does FIIP manage natural streams?
Which fish species does FIIP manage?
Does FIIP install or maintain culverts along Little Bitterroot River corridor?
Is the FIIP service area boundary the same as the boundary of the Flathead Indian Reservation?
