This bill clarifies that the federal Bureau of Reclamation maintains permanent ownership, operational control, and funding responsibility for the Lower Yellowstone Fish Bypass Channel, a 2.1-mile engineered channel built near Intake, Montana to help endangered pallid sturgeon and other native fish migrate around the Intake Diversion Dam. The bill explicitly prohibits federal agencies from shifting any financial or operational burden for the channel to the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District or Project, local irrigation entities that were never intended to manage this federal environmental mitigation project. The legislation authorizes $1 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2026 for operations, maintenance, repairs, and adaptive management of the channel, and requires the Interior Department to submit biennial reports to Congress on its status and costs. The bill also grants the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation District legal standing to challenge any federal attempt to transfer responsibilities to them, while preserving all existing federal obligations under the Endangered Species Act and the irrigation district's separate water delivery responsibilities.
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