# Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024
This bill settles long-standing water rights disputes involving the Fort Belknap Indian Community (composed of the Gros Ventre and Assiniboine Tribes) in Montana by ratifying a water rights agreement with the state and providing federal funding for water infrastructure projects.
The Fort Belknap Indian Community receives confirmed water rights including an annual allocation of 20,000 acre-feet from Lake Elwell for any beneficial use on or off the reservation. The tribe gains authority to manage, allocate, and lease these water rights through a tribal water code enacted within four years. Federal funds totaling approximately $679 million will support irrigation system rehabilitation and expansion, domestic water and sewer systems, and mitigation projects on the Milk River.
The settlement requires the federal government to transfer approximately 15,000 acres of federal and state land into trust for the tribe and cancels all existing debts the tribe owes related to irrigation project assessments. In exchange, the Fort Belknap Indian Community waives most historical water rights claims against the United States, though it retains rights to enforce the new agreement and pursue claims related to water quality and environmental damage.
The bill becomes effective (the "enforceability date") once tribal members approve it by majority vote, Montana courts approve the compact, all authorized appropriations are made available, and the required waivers are executed. Congress and the tribe must complete funding and implementation steps by 2034-2035 or the agreement expires.
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