Bill Protecting Water Rights Step Closer To Becoming Law

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has announced that two of his water bills passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“Access to safe water is a basic necessity, and I’m thrilled to see that my bipartisan bills improving water infrastructure in Montana have passed out of committee and are one step closer to becoming law. It’s critical that we implement commonsense solutions to water management, and I’ll continue fighting diligently to get these bills across the finish line,” said Daines.

The first bill will reauthorize the Fort Peck Dry Prairie Rural Water System. It extends authority for the Bureau of Reclamation to continue constructing essential water infrastructure in the Fort Peck Reservation and in Roosevelt, Sheridan, Valley and Daniels counties from December 2026 to December 2028. The Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System is one of four regional water systems in Montana.

The second bill, the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act,” reauthorizes the Cooperative Watershed Management Program for four years.