Big Sky Times

In a unanimous decision, the Montana Board of Land Commissioners has approved Attorney General Austin Knudsen's motion to limit the authority of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) over private water rights. The decision was made during the Board's meeting on May 20, 2024.

The motion stipulates that the DNRC must now receive approval from the Land Board before making any legal decisions concerning the water rights of private landowners. This pertains particularly to those who use their private water on public land they lease from the state for irrigation or cattle watering purposes.

Attorney General Knudsen introduced this motion following concerns raised by farmers and ranchers about the DNRC's actions to seize water rights from landowners.