At the request of local so-called "property rights" advocate Russ Crowder, and with the urging of Rick Blake of Whitefish, the Flathead County Commissioners on Wednesday will take public comments and discuss the proposed water rights compact involving the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes.   

Crowder and Blake (click here for Blake's letter to local papers) have both vocally criticized two of the Flathead County commissioners, Krueger and Scott, for their general support for the draft water rights compact between the State of Montana and the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes. Crowder has also been critical in the media of Republican officials who are supporting the Water Compact and proposes to "expose" them at this hearing (click here for news coverage of his accusations in the Hungry Horse News).   

According to this same news article, Commissioner Kruger has drafted a letter to Gov. Steve Bullock for the commission to consider as the state finalizes this proposed water rights compact.  The article reports that he will ask the other commissioners to sign. The article states, "The letter asserts the importance of water in Flathead County and asks for consideration of a number of priorities as the water compact is negotiated."  

"Our current residential, commercial and municipal water rights should be recognized and protected from call in the future," Krueger's letter states. "Negotiations for the compact should ensure adequate water is available for future growth in Western Montana." The letter also talks about ensuring that Flathead County is not prohibited from growth by a failure to acquire water from basins such as the Hungry Horse Reservoir." according to the story posted 10/17/14 by the Hungry Horse News.

In January 2014 commissioners Kruger and Scott sent a letter to the Montana Legislature's Water Policy Interim Committee in general support for "a compact process" that is seeking to find a fair and reasonable fact-based solution. (Click here for minutes of that meeting and discussion of the letter)  

It appears from media coverage to date that Crowder, Blake, and others want to see the commissioners withdraw any support for this compact. However, others including Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, R-Kalispell, and Sen. Dan Salomon, R-Ronan, have encouraged the commissioners to support the compact. Both Missoula and Lake counties voted unanimously to send letters of support to the Montana Legislature's interim Water Policy Committee.  And according to the Hungry Horse News, "Since its inception, the Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission has negotiated and completed 15 compacts across Montana, including six with Indian reservations. Commission chairman Chris Tweeten says water rights held by CSKT on and off the reservation have been established in federal courts."